# OK to Cut Pressure treated timbers with Chainsaw?



## Wood Duck (Oct 8, 2010)

My son is constructing his Eagle Scout project starting tomorrow, and I may need to cut 4x4 pressure treated wood in a location without electric power. Is there any reason not to use the chainsaw?


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## firefighterjake (Oct 8, 2010)

As long as you're not cutting to burn the wood or eating off the chain I can't see any reason why you couldn't do a little bit of chainsaw carpentry . . . heck up this way a lot of folks use their chainsaws in place of a reciprocating saw and circular saw.


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## Got Wood (Oct 8, 2010)

Use a old chain. I used a chain saw to help demolish an old swing set made of pressure treated wood. It worked but dulled the chain quickly.


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## FLINT (Oct 8, 2010)

Cutting treated wood will not hurt your saw at all.  You might want to be careful not to get a ton of chips in your mouth or eyes, as that might burn a bit.  



Wood that has been creosote treated (like railroad ties and some telephone poles) however, I hear is hard on saws, so avoid those.


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## nate379 (Oct 8, 2010)

I have cut plenty of RR ties and telephone posts and it isn't "great" for it, but not that bad.  About the only thing that kills the chain is if the RR tie has metal S bracing in it and you hit that.  Some do and some don't.

I don't worry about burning PT wood, though cutting up the above was to burn it as well.... so I guess it's all relative.


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## Backwoods Savage (Oct 8, 2010)

I've cut plenty of pressure treated using the chain saw. No problem.


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## Bigg_Redd (Oct 8, 2010)

Wood Duck said:
			
		

> My son is constructing his Eagle Scout project starting tomorrow, and I may need to cut 4x4 pressure treated wood in a location without electric power.* Is there any reason not to use the chainsaw?*



No


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## Wood Duck (Oct 8, 2010)

Thanks. These are all new lumber, so there should be no metal. I'll put the uglier end down, so if the cuts aren't perfect, that is OK.


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## mayhem (Oct 8, 2010)

This is how I built the border around my patio, a couple raised garden beds and a set of stairs out of PT 6x6 lumber.  Cut everything with a chainsaw...took seconds to cut through the lumber, took about 10 minutes per cut with the sawzall.  Blade didn't get dull, but the sawzall blade filled with pulp real quick...chansaw had the same problem, but it flung it all out.

Whats he building anyway?


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## mtarbert (Oct 8, 2010)

Thanks. These are all new lumber, so there should be no metal. I’ll put the uglier end down, so if the cuts aren’t perfect, that is OK. 


     If your "SON" is building an Eagle Scout project why are you doing the work? Is it like the  the pinewood derby where the dads build the car and the kids get to watch it run down the incline?
      This is said as a joke


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## wood spliter (Oct 9, 2010)

Its all good.  Just watch out for dirt.  Used to cut it all the time when I did CCA  RR tie walls.


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## benjamin (Oct 9, 2010)

Don't be afraid to use a new chain.  It's the dirt and gravel in Railroad ties and power poles that dull chains.

The preservative, whatever it is these days, accellerates corrosion, so don't take your new bar and chain to green treated, and then stick them back in the shed for a month. 

If it was me, I'd hose off the bar and chain and then cut some live wood to scrub it, let it dry and run it enough so everything is scrubbed of the "salt" and oiled.


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## ecocavalier02 (Oct 10, 2010)

firefighterjake said:
			
		

> As long as you're not cutting to burn the wood or eating off the chain I can't see any reason why you couldn't do a little bit of chainsaw carpentry . . . heck up this way a lot of folks use their chainsaws in place of a reciprocating saw and circular saw.



Around here at work we call that the frenchmans recipicating saw.


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## firefighterjake (Oct 10, 2010)

ecocavalier02 said:
			
		

> firefighterjake said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Around here I call it Dad doing finish carpentry.  


And less you think I am joking . . . Mom told me last night in a phone conversation that dear old Dad managed to staple his thumb and index finger together while using a nailer . . . I'm still wondering how he managed to do that . . .


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## Wood Duck (Oct 10, 2010)

mayhem said:
			
		

> Whats he building anyway?



He is building an 'outdoor classroom' at the elementary school he attended. It wil consist of nine benches and a platform in front of them. He managed to set 26 of the 31 posts yesterday, so things are moving along pretty well.


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