Table Tubes vs Trunnion Pivot Point

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 2:00 pm

The most logical tool for milling railroad ties is IMHO a chain saw!;)

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 3:07 pm

[quote="JPG40504"]The most logical tool for milling railroad ties is IMHO a chain saw!]

Careful many railroad ties have a S shaped metal split reducer pressed into them. Some are buried as much as 6 inches in from the end. Most ties that have them have one end where the S is horizontal and the other end has an vertical S.

The ones I have seen are made from what looks to be 1/4 cast iron about 1 to 3 inches wide and occupy the center half to 3/4's of the end grain.

Hit one of these with your chain saw and I can almost guarantee it will ring your bell.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 3:57 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:Careful many railroad ties have a S shaped metal split reducer pressed into them. Some are buried as much as 6 inches in from the end. Most ties that have them have one end where the S is horizontal and the other end has an vertical S.

The ones I have seen are made from what looks to be 1/4 cast iron about 1 to 3 inches wide and occupy the center half to 3/4's of the end grain.

Hit one of these with your chain saw and I can almost guarantee it will ring your bell.

That seems like a problem regardless of what is used to cut them. Cannot their entry point be seen from the end?

shaun · Post by **shaun** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 8:20 pm

JPG40504 wrote:The most logical tool for milling railroad ties is IMHO a chain saw!]

Yep. And a chainsaw is (IMHO) more dangerous than running your table saw or band saw without any safety guards and without push sticks, feather boards, etc. Especially for cutting half-laps.

And embedded metal is a serious danger

Ed in Tampa wrote:Careful many railroad ties have a S shaped metal split reducer pressed into them...
Right, and sometimes a piece of spike, and occasionally (rarely, but...) other pieces of metal.

JPG40504 wrote:That seems like a problem regardless of what is used to cut them. Cannot their entry point be seen from the end?

You're right]much[/B] prefer to hit a piece of metal with my TS or BS than a chain saw. I've had surprises with both and the chainsaw is far more difficult to tame in such situations.

Although I was joking about doing them on the SS, I truly would prefer to find a different (fast) way of doing the job. (IOW, no suggestions, please, about bow saws and chisels!:p )

Cheers!
-Shaun-