I was going to use railroad ties to build a retaining wall to level my side yard.

*Where do I get a drill bit long enough to penetrate a rr tie? What size bit do I use if I'm drilling to drive rebarr through the hole to connect multiple (up to three) rr ties toghether?
*Where do I get rebar and what do I cut the rebar with?
*What do I cut the rr ties with? Will the creosote mess up a chain saw? Should I use a circular saw or sawzall? A handsaw?

Thanks a bunch!!
Btw, rr ties are on sale for $5 each on S. Birchwood next Saturday via the AK RR.

Bailey's Rentall on the Old Seward can hook you up with ties anytime for about that...

If you can wait a couple weeks I can loan you a few auger bits long enough for the job. And a HoleHog if you do have an adequate drill motor. Rebar should just barely be driveable with a big hammer...

Cutting them is nasty business...

A sawzall isn't too terrible for cutting rebar, fresh blade and a vise, but of course that shear they make for the job is better, in a teeth rattling kind of way.

I've cut RR ties with a chain saw. It's very hard on the bar and chain and is nasty and toxic to boot. I'd advise minimizing the cutting however possible.

You need one of these.

Irwin Industrial Tools 49912 I-100 3/4-Inch Auger Bit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004YO6T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_qx3jxb53KG04C

Or these

MILWAUKEE ELEC TOOL 48-25-1752 1-3/4" Self Feed Bit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000F6SZW4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_5A3jxbGRCATXZ

***If you go this route, you will need a bit extension.


And one of these or similar

Milwaukee 1675-6 Hole Hawg 7.5 Amp 1/2-Inch Joist and Stud Drill (case not included) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004T16M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_2C3jxb7ZHYXD6

Toxic?

Creosote.

Not sure how big of rebar we are talking, but for smaller a Hand grinder and a metal cutting blade will work fine. Harbor freight has cheap ones that I use a lot, and they do a good job even on harder steel. Use eye protection. miles

That's how I do it, too.

As to drilling the holes, I have some old, long auger bits for the hand augers that I just chuck up in a 1/2" hammer drill and go to town. A 3/4" hole for 3/4" rebar. Add sledgehammer, sweat, and eye protection.

I have never cut RR ties, so I have no idea whether a chainsaw would be appropriate or not.

Ed

I figured, been around it all my life in power poles and the like. Cut power poles all the time with chainsaw.

Have never cut a RR tie that I can recall though. But I believe them to be of oak so wood would be harder.

I wouldn't call having to cut a creosote post toxic though... at least IMHO.

They know things in California that regular mortals don't.


Cutting them? Stihl chainsaws are not always the best choice....not when you can grab a Poulan for $90 off Amazon and not worry about fouling stuff up with creosote and grit.

Lots of them, in fact most here are made of Sweet Gum. It is hard when dry though. miles

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/KerrMcGee/docs/Creosote%20Health%20Effects%20(Tronox).pdf

If you have both a metal cutting and a wood cutting blade then you can use the same machine to cut the ties and the rebar.





Mike

Pedal Powered Power Hacksaw!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's awesome.

About what I figured, nothing to worry about.

I have used plenty of ties to build retaining walls and deck or shed foundations. Cutting them with a chainsaw has never been a problem.

This^^

Basically. Where it's a problem is large-scale wood treatment operations with soil and groundwater contamination. Kind of like gasoline. You can work around it, spill it on yourself, or wash your hands with it but you don't want to live next door to a leaking tank of you have a well.

Never did much with it without work gloves on, it'll burn your skin eventually so we just worked a hair smarter around it. Saved splinters too mostly.

Chain saw is the way to go. I have built retaining walls up to 5 feet tall using used railroad ties. Watch out for embedded stones in the creosote especially on the ends and in any cracks. It's tough on chains and resharpening or replacement chains are needed. A cutoff blade on a 4 inch grinder works well for cutting rebar to length. I used 1/2 inch rebar with 2 foot 1/2 inch wide spade bit. You can go smaller on the size of rebar and spade bit. Spade bit needs to be sharpened occasionally also. I used what I had on hand. Keep the chain saw bar well oiled. Tom

I worked for Southern Pacific RR for 5 years. We use to cut and drill ties fairly often.

If you do need to cut the ties, make sure that there are no rocks embedded into the tie, no date nails, or spikes that might have broken off.

They'll tear your saw blade up in a heart beat.

Thank you for all the replies! I knew that I could count on you guys. I'll let you know how it goes.

I went on a service project where we built tent pads from used ties. I had to cut dozens. There is really only one way to do it and that is with carbide. I used a carbide chain in my saw and one other guy used a carbide demo blade (14") in his gas powered cut-off saw (wicked dangerous). Drilling is ok until you hit something and then you can fight an auger through. We drove the rebars through with sledge hammer.

Make sure you get some geo-fabric if going 5' high and make it safe. I have built a lot of engineered retaining walls and they all specified this.

Yup, carbide chain is where it's at. Expensive, but re-saleable after you soak it in gas to remove the creosote.

I built my tie walls using 1 1/2" rebar outside- didn't need to drill the ties. Not as pretty, but nobody ever told me I was.
The yard where I bought the rebar cut it to spec for me; breezed through it with a torch.
Chainsaw did fine for my relatively small jobs.

Cut your chain oil with diesel. And someone with a squirt bottle to keep it wet helps also.

I thought thin oil was not good at all on bars? But in this instance it may well help.

Never heard of this.

Struck me as nasty. Keep in mind when you are cutting it you'll be reducing it to an inhalable dust, first, and second you'll be burning a little of it.... I did not enjoy working with it and my body said, "bad!"....

But hey, I know some of you salty old bastids dip your stale bread in kerosene.... grin

well, fwiw I've built a bit of fence, thats all posts used to come in around here.... and we've done a lot on power poles at work too, and here at home as fence posts also.

My body had never said bad at all.

Of course I don't get down and breathe the dust of anything I cut, but have not worn a dust mask etc.... when working with it.

Full cover clothes, avoid skin contact RE burns.

Never ever felt bad after days of working it.

YMMV but I still say until its over rated as to teh danger issue.

But then again we used to spray agent orange on fence lines too... and it probably did cause grandma and grandpa to head to their reward early, both only made it to the early 90s.

But realize JO has a full load of idiot on board, adding a delicate constitution is easy to accept...

Yeah... I don't know how bad it's rated so I don't know if it's overrated as a hazard. I cut it, and would again, if I had to... but it was nasty. To be minimized (IMHO).....

Cut a lot of treated wood building my house. NastiER. The stuff that really got my attention though was Hardiplank siding. Doesn't take much dust from that stuff (silicosis) to where I'd actually feel tightness & pain in my lungs. I was glad to be done with THAT.

Windows won't lick themselves.

Holy crap? Dust from hardiplank made you feel that way? I"ve never used a mask, when I likely should have, but then I would always watch the wind etc....

You might should get some input from the doc if things like hardi dust and treated dust and creosote give you chest tension, you may have CPOD or such