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I have a standard sleeper, cut down from its original 2400mm length to 1800mm, so it's current dimensions are L: 1800mm, W: 250mm, D: 125mm.

I want to make a curved cut through the shortest dimension (125mm), but keep the 'waste' - so it needs to be a smooth cut, as I want to keep both the arch and the piece that's cut out. Here's a visual:A visual representation of the dimensions described, showing front and side elevations

In terms of power tools I only have a small hand jigsaw (max cutting depth is about 80mm), and a mitre saw (which is obviously no good).

There is a local timber yard who have a workshop with various tools, but I'm not an adept woodworker, so I don't know if any of the tools are appropriate; or how feasible this task is with anything else.

Is there a smart way to make this cut?

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    In case anyone in the USA was wondering, a "sleeper" is a railroad tie (although the dimensions given by the OP are a little different to the standard ties I've seen over here).
    – brhans
    Commented Sep 16 at 18:23
  • Thanks to @Makyen for the edits - not entirely sure how I managed to repeatedly get the dimensions wrong - 125m would be a bit much to cut through 🥴
    – indextwo
    Commented Sep 17 at 9:30

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A bandsaw will make this cut.

If the bandsaw is well-maintained, it should give a square and flat cut right along the line, with only the thickness of the blade lost from the piece of wood.

Look for a woodworking or cabinet shop with an industrial bandsaw.

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    You're totally right - one other consideration is whatever treatment is on the wood. Railways were known for using all sorts of nasty chemicals for preserving the wood, and that can smoke or lay a glaze on the saw blade. If the sleeper is just a modern take on the item, then its no worse than ground-treated timber, but a real railway sleeper could be noxious to cut.
    – Criggie
    Commented Sep 17 at 8:32
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    @Criggie In the UK, "sleepers" are typically just bits of pine, cut to similar dimensions to proper railway sleepers - it's quite hard to get the real thing, with all it's creosote'y goodness, since they became fashionable. There are also regulations about where the proper ones can be used, e.g. not near food crops.
    – SiHa
    Commented Sep 17 at 9:07
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    Thank you! I had considered a bandsaw, but I didn't know if they might be limited to straight cuts. I'll call the local timber yard and see if they can do the cuts for me.
    – indextwo
    Commented Sep 17 at 9:33
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    @SiHa you're right, but the real old ones last forever so are still found. OTOH whether old real or modern fake, sleepers will need good treatment after the cut if they're in contact with the ground - even with pressure treatment the preservative only penetrates a thin layer
    – Chris H
    Commented Sep 17 at 9:36
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    @indextwo There's different bandsaw blades with different "depths" (amount of metal behind the cutting edge in the direction of cutting.) The "deeper" the blade the shallower the curve it can handle. The tradeoff with a "shallower" blade is that it's not as robust, so a bandsaw set up for thick timbers may be limited on how "curvy" it can get. -- But it's worth asking the timber yard experts about details.
    – R.M.
    Commented Sep 17 at 14:31
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A nice power bandsaw will be nice since most of them have tables that help with a square cut.

For one single cut, a hand coping saw can do the cut.

It will be much slower and need to check both sides often to make sure the cut is square.

It might be easier than trying to find and travelling for a band saw to cut it.

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    A hand-powered coping saw is going to be heart-breakingly slow / difficult on that thickness of any wood, never mind something with the typical density of a sleeper.
    – MikeB
    Commented Sep 17 at 7:15
  • I cut an 8*4 steel sheet 3/8ths thick with a hacksaw when I was an apprentice - if you need it do it.
    – Solar Mike
    Commented Sep 17 at 8:57
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    If you are doing this with a coping saw, I would recommend buying a big pack of blades and plan to go through a bunch of them. Attempting this with a dull blade will be miserable.
    – JimmyJames
    Commented Sep 17 at 15:12
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    for anyone trying this with a coping saw - first follow JimmyJames' comment, and then make sure you go in with the right expectations. Set up a music playlist, make sure you're comfortable, and realize that maybe this doesn't HAVE to be completed today, you can stop where you are and continue tomorrow. And the day after. And then next weekend... (I might be exaggerating a bit, but better to go in with that expectation and be positively surprised than expecting a half-hour cut and getting increasingly frustrated)
    – Syndic
    Commented Sep 18 at 8:29
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    For a real sleeper @Syndic's exaggeration may not be an exaggeration (and you'll need JimmyJames's spare blades), for a softwood psuedo-sleeper from a garden centre hand sawing will be hard work but doable
    – Chris H
    Commented Sep 19 at 11:05
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Bandsaw/coping saw will be good. To prevent chipping use painter's or masking tape on booth sides of wood.

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