Cresote again?

[wannasaw]

 I've read most every post on sawing cresote but I've never sawed it myself. The q that I can't decipher from the post is:  if the pressure treated 6x6 post for buildings(12') and the 2x plus other odd cuts for a pond enhancement wall come out to $860 at the local stores, would it be worth it to saw some telephone poles on half. Respirators are free on this job and so is off loading. Basically all I have to do is show up and saw and it's where my saw is already been set up since before thanksgiving. The poles are in good shape and we agree to saw the cant out to the first 2x6 with no 1x's ect. They are also larger poles in the 16" to 22" range. I don't know much about poles but they have some wood plugs in them that looks to be pre-cresote. Also a 10 box of blades on the house in the suggested pitch which I said  is not the 10 pitch I usually burn. Also the senior citizen requesting has helped off load several thousand feet without pay on this site the last few months and is trying to get a dock decked from his house to the creek over salt marsh 200' and is a really great guy. I don't exactly know his cost at the store but I'm sure it in the same ballpark as mine or more. Guess when I read it back I already know what I'm gonna try to do but any imput will be appreciated. When you say I only sawed cresote once or I don't saw it would anyone saw this job.. are am I being foolish...

[Magicman]

Just remember that pressure treated utility poles are treated from the outside.  Usually the treatment only penetrates the ends and a couple of inches of the pole itself.  There is no treatment in the center of the pole.  Anytime that you saw through a pole, you have exposed untreated wood.

How do I know this?  32+ years in the telephone industry.

[pineywoods]

Sawing creosote poles, just say no...I let myself get talked into it once..

[D._Frederick]

wannasaw,

The local electric company here sends a crew around to drill slanted  hole into there poles that they fill up with some terrible smelling stuff and plug at a later date.

I sure wouldn't want to saw into a log that has been treated with this stuff.

[r.man]

Doing something for a friend automatically kicks out all the rules of common sense. I will do things for a friend that I wouldn't hire on to do and sometimes wouldn't do for myself. That's just the way life is. Sounds like your costs are covered and you won't be satisfied until you try it so make the best of it.

[LeeB]

If you just have to do it, Buck the posts above the plug and saw it soon before it starts to warm up. Cover up from head to toe. A tyvec overall would be a good thing.

[MotorSeven]

The stuff is nasty, can cause a host of health problems. You might saw it with no ill effect ever...or you could start a chain reaction in your body. Is it worth that?
A calculated risk is one thing....pushing the envelope is another.

Ignorance= me, 1983 crawling around under my pine log home with a garden sprayer full of creosote spraying the piers. Young and stupid is one thing. I/we know better now, so don't take the risk.

[customsawyer]

If you decide to do it make sure you explain to the man that you want to do it on a very calm day. I would also think about shoveling up and removing the sawdust.

[terrifictimbersllc]

When I'm done with a sawing day I've got sawdust all over me and my clothes, even if I don't handle much lumber.  And I imagine all over the helpers too.  This gets carried into our houses and wherever the boards are taken.  I don't worry much about it because it is just sawdust.  I'm not coated with sawdust containing insecticides and fungicides.  Also all respirators are not created equal. 

[mwigant]

The plugs are from a treatment to extend the life of poles that were starting to rot on the inside.  Also, speaking from experience, fresh creosote can give you a painful chemical burn.  Our power company first aid kits used to have vials labeled creosote wash, it was rubbing alcohol.

Mike

[paul case]

i have sawed a few poles that were treated electric co poles. i was of the opinion that the creosote went all the way in. it looked dark brown on the inside and they were pine so i thought they should look kinda yellowish. the ones that i sawed made some really nice lumber.
but it is kinda yucky to saw. cover up, respirator, and removal of sawdust is all good ideas. look out for hardware. those utility poles get nailed and stapled all over. let us know how it turns out.pc

[beenthere]

............Ignorance= me, 1983 crawling around under my pine log home with a garden sprayer full of creosote spraying the piers. Young and stupid is one thing. I/we know better now, so don't take the risk.

I don't recall that creosote was ever in a form that it could be sprayed out of a garden sprayer, even in 1983.
Maybe it was some other wood preservative, although even pentachlorophenol was off the market by that date, but some still could be found on shelves (and they were worse to handle than creosote).

Respect for creosote is good, but fear of creosote isn't needed anymore than "fear" of gasoline for the harm it can do to health.

And as MM said, the pole treatments (creosote or others) do not treat past the sapwood, so the heartwood may smell of creosote but is not treated.

[petefrom bearswamp]

Not only is the treatment nasty, be it creosote or Penta, hardware is a substantial issue also.
I no longer saw treated poles except for western red cedar and only above the butt dipped portion.

[MotorSeven]

Beenthere it was creosote. There was a pole & post mfg about 20 miles away(TX). If you brought them a jug, they would fill it with creosote for a few bucks. I am sure I also mixed smeething called Penta???? with diesel fuel or kero to spray the outside walls of the house. After all that a few years later the guy that bought my house got termites, They built a mud tunnel up the cresote utility pole piers right to the southern yella pine & had a field day.

[red oaks lumber]

hmmm let me think, if you gave me 2 options
1) hit me in the head full swing with a bat
2) saw creasote wood

i'm takin the first option, i was stupid not once but twice so maybe that just makes me stupid! so i won't saw creasote anymore. maybe it causes damage....

[wannasaw]

Thanks for all the imput and sorry for late and inadequate replys but the day job is on overtime for the first time in a while(thank you Lord). I tend to try things for myself from time to time and after reading these post I will definately follow through with the promise to at least put 3 of them (1st trailer) on the saw and see.. I'll also be sure to lay some bisquene under the dust as folks have been getting 55 gal drums of the cypress dust for rabbits, livestock ect. I'll also add tyvek suits to the respirators. I think we got a plan but then again..I've had plans before that I don't want to talk about. We thought that the treatment may not be too deep but the ones brought to the saw didn't get bucked while I was there so we still don't know for sure. I do appreciate the replys and will post pics and hopefully video

[Ironwood]

My Dad used to get Creosote and GOD knows what else from "down at the mill" and we would paint it on our RxR landscaping ties. That @#$%^ would really burn your skin. Then on hot summer days it would ooze out, great thinking Dad, duh. The ties are still in ground at my home place after 38 years later : just hope it will perserve me.

Ironwood

[bandmiller2]

Beenthere,we used to have a product called Cabots light shingle oil, color of honey, with creasoat and a light solvent,it still burned.Still have some old black creasoat I use on mill timbers.If used with care a fine product, just not yuppie safe. Frank C.

[Banjo picker]

When I built this house that I live in some 25 + years ago...I bought what I am pretty sure was creosote and painted the plates that layed on the blocks with it ...Its the right color anyway....

I have sawed poles and I too verify its nasty...Tim

[wannasaw]

Cresote ain't very deep into these poles. been on shutdown but log owner tried one and says It dont run deep I'm excited to get back. We did that to see if he picked up more.

[Banjo picker]

I believe you have the bound two's which is worse than the can't help its' ...so get yourself soom of that cresote... ;)  Tim