# railroad tie cabin



## gogreen (Jan 12, 2007)

I will be trying to build a small cabin after the snow melts using railroad ties, some of them creosote treated. My question is, if I were to make rabbet joints on them using something like the logosol loghouse moulder would the airborne creosote be much of a threat? I read that creosote logs are fairly safe after sitting for ten or more years, but I'm afraid that cutting through some two hundred ties would be dangerous for my lungs since creosote is carcinogenic. I also want to cut away one entire side of the tie to hopefully reveal a better surface for the inside of the cabin. Obviously this isn't the best wood to be working with, but it would be great to make something worthwhile out of these free materials.


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## Railomatic (Jan 12, 2007)

I would stay well clear of using those materials, over here even garden centres have banned the sale of them, and that's for the handling of them by their staff, cutting into them you are asking for trouble, crosote in carcenogenic, I think that's how you spell it, not nice stuff at all, best left where they are l think.


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## gogreen (Jan 12, 2007)

*untreated ties?*

damn that sucks. i was hoping that cutting away the one side that faces inside might take care of any threat on the inside, since it doesn't really matter if its on the outside of the house. I'll just have to keep my eye out for a small horde of untreated ties. As far as i know most ties are Oak, but I'm sure there are other types ..


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## woodshop (Jan 12, 2007)

gogreen I agree with rail 100%.... and that creaosote is not just a coating that you can cut away, it is through and through, soaked into the wood. By cutting away one side you are only exposing new creosote, more liable to release chemicals that way.

sorry, but thems da cold hard facts


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## Sawyer Rob (Jan 12, 2007)

I also agree that i'd NOT use them for that purpose! I would use them under it as post in the ground to hold a cabin up though...

Ties can be any hardwood, and are soaked all the way through....

Rob


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## clearance (Jan 12, 2007)

I lived in a house that was partially made form old power poles, you could smell the creosote on some days. I looked into it and moved real quick. It is bad, bad stuff. They used Penta based preservatives after but that has got the evil eye now as well, kids playgrounds are full of it, oh well.


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## gogreen (Jan 12, 2007)

*build a small home for under $50,000 ??*

thanks guys, that saves me from near suicide. I was reading that most log homes some time ago were also treated in PCP and creosote, which of course showed some gruesome side effects before they stopped. You see the initial idea I had was to try and build a decent sized cottage / home for under 50 000$ CDN and since I'm in Canada where building a foundation (with the exception of a concrete slab with radiant pipe heating) is necesarry, its a hard stunt to pull. If I get fancy with a chainsaw and buy myself a good 2-3 acre lot with some aged trees on it I can make myself something liveable. Even without the logosol log house molder I could just notch and cut my own logs freehand with a little practice. Claiming beams and rafters from old barns was another idea I had, but there are a couple people in the area that keep a steady watch on these and snatch them up before I'll arrive. This project is becoming rather difficult!


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## John Ellison (Jan 13, 2007)

Have you ever seen a vertical log cabin? I don't know anything about building them, but it seems like a good idea to me. Easier to build with the shorter lengths. I have seen quite a few of them in parts of Canada.


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## Husky137 (Jan 13, 2007)

clearance said:


> I lived in a house that was partially made form old power poles, you could smell the creosote on some days. I looked into it and moved real quick. It is bad, bad stuff. They used Penta based preservatives after but that has got the evil eye now as well, kids playgrounds are full of it, oh well.



But did you move quick enough?:hmm3grin2orange:


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## 00juice (Jan 13, 2007)

Gogreen,
Last summer I went to the Montana School of log building for a week. In a short time, Al Anderson had taught us everthing we needed to know to build a simple log home with custom fit scribes. If you are considering building a log home, I'd suggest going to one of his classes. It was well worth the money. Wasn't very expensive. You can also buy his DVD set from Bailey's(who is a site sponsor). If you google "Montana School Log Building" you will find his site. Hope this helps.


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## infomet (Jan 15, 2007)

I think you could buy a reasonable size bandsaw mill, cut all your lumber, and sell the mill for nearly what you paid. Of course this is a hell of a lot of work and you'll have to work with the wood a lot to stack and dry it, but if you have the time, energy, and help, it certainly can be done. For this size job, I wouldn't mess with a chainsaw rig. Counting the engine you'll probably wear out and the time you'll spend, it might not be much of a saving anyway.

Of course you might find a reasonable hire deal too. I had a mill and two men for US35/hr. Built a 2700 SF house, including poplar lap siding, hardwood floors (finished at a commercial mill), and cabinetry. I still want a mill, but have not much to do with the wood now.


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## Kate Butler (Jan 15, 2007)

*another technique*

Here's another option. I've seen one from both inside and out and it was interesting to look at and quite sturdy.

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=stackwood+++house+building&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8


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## Kneejerk Bombas (Jan 15, 2007)

Back in the day, I did some landscape work building retaining walls with RR ties.
Every single cut dulled the saw, because of sand and gravel particulates embedded in the checking of the beams. Slowed things way down, but I learned how to sharpen a chain.


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## Gologit (Jan 15, 2007)

Since everyone else has rained on your parade I will too. I use railroad ties a lot for corner posts on fences and corrals. Good ones are hard to find and ,here at least,very expensive. I think the last ones I bought (#2s and better) were around ten bucks apiece in lots of fifty. That might make for a fairly expensive house. The health issues are a given.


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