Genamen,
I have finally finished three trestles/bridges that are in total about 50’ long.
They are made of cedar and redwood and fastened with solid fastners. (Stainless and brass nuts, bolts, and screws.–No brads or glue!!!)
Anywho, I gots to stain the buggers before I install them.
My neighboor said to use a garden pump fertilizer- weed killer sprayer so I can get in between the bents and girts, etc.
I can see myself pumping that friggin thing every minute or so. I don’t have the energy!
Any other application method?
Mebbe youse guys have a good way to stain trestles, short of spending boocoo bucks for an airless pump.
Thanks,
TOG
JB
If you got a 2 or 3 gallon sprayer, I can’t imagine you having to pump it more’n once’t or twice to spray those trestles. I think it is the best way to go. Do a good job of cleaning (read:run some clean, soapy water through it once you are done) and it will last a long time for spraying weeds and stuff.
I’ve heard of people spraying stain on their trestles after the trestle is in place, and always wondered about the overspray. Doesn’t it make a big mess?
Personally, I paint the major components (bents, deck) prior to installation. I use thinned latex paint and brush it on. Kind of tedious, but I don’t have a sprayer.
John – a while back at one of the big box stores they had a battery powered pistol grip spray handle/head for those ready mixed weed/insect killers for about $6-9 bucks or maybe less now since it’s the end of the gardening season.
What I’ve done is thin the stain/color just enough to use them. It seems to get pretty good results with single color applications (water based semi transparent stuff),
If not the pump sprayer is a good deal… I did 208 linear feet of 8’ ft tall wood fence in about 3 hours with one, really not a bad deal!
Good luck
Mark
On the pump sprayer, make sure you get one that pressurizes the container itself, and not a much smaller capacity sub-chamber. Dummy me didn’t know such an animal existed, and bought it thinking it was like every other pump-sprayer I’ve used. Nope. It can barely maintain enough pressure to rinse off one lousy depot before having to reprime the damned thing. It’d be on my list of things to replace, except my hose nozzle has a very effective fine mist sprayer that I now use for cleaning buildings.
I don’t stain/treat my trestles or bridges, so I can’t offer any advice beyond what’s already been said. When we built the one on dad’s railroad years ago, we soaked each bent prior to final assembly.
Later,
K
JB,
Not that this will help you at this point, but Jens said that he soaked each piece of his trestle in a mix of diesel fuel and old motor oil from the Cat at his work. He hasn’t had to re-treat it yet, last time we talked about it. Come to think of it, he might have spruced it up a bit just before Garden Railways came to take pictures, but that was after 10 - 15 years.
John, I used Behlen’s spray stain in rattle cans for the trestle below. Color: Dark Mahoghany on cedar timbers.
There are many colors available which are used for professional touchup and restoration. It is available from Woodworker’s Supply. It took three or four cans for the trestle shown. A bit pricey perhaps but gives good coverage for hard to reach areas that would be difficult to reach with a brush and many different shades for the look you want. Great for touch up too although I haven’t found that necessary yet.
Richard,
You guys are turning me on to the wood trestles a bit…However… tell me about the deck girder? I’m thinkin’ I wanna build a Howe Truss(this winter) outta what my local Lowes has in stock of aluminium.
Steve Featherkile said:
JB,Not that this will help you at this point, but Jens said that he soaked each piece of his trestle in a mix of diesel fuel and old motor oil from the Cat at his work. He hasn’t had to re-treat it yet, last time we talked about it. Come to think of it, he might have spruced it up a bit just before Garden Railways came to take pictures, but that was after 10 - 15 years.
Wolf,
I’ve thot about that, too.
I have diesel for my bobcat and some old oil laying around.
Prollem I see is the smell and rubbing it off on your Sunday-go-to-meetin jeans if you brushed agin it.
I also have a gallon of creosote about twenty years old.
That would really make it a “scale model”.
TOG
John Bouck said:I wish I could find some creosote around here, I could put it to good use. But apparently it's been banned except for major industrial users.
I also have a gallon of creosote about twenty years old.
Ray,
I think I’ll dab a little on the trestles, underneath where it can’t be touched, for a little nostalgia odor.
As the old farts walk by the trestles, a nice big deep breath will bring those memories back.
TOG
John Bouck said:Once it soaks into the wood, it doesn't really rub off. I know a few folks who routinely "refresh" their wood ties every few years with used motor oil, and I've never noticed anything coming off on me when working around or brushing up against the treated ties and trestles.
...Prollem I see is the smell and rubbing it off on your Sunday-go-to-meetin jeans if you bruashed agin it...
Later,
K
Thanks. Broad Top!
(You know, I think you ot to change that nickname. 
)
I’ll mix up a batch and try a sample piece.
TOG
If you use oil, try to make sure it’s from a gasoline motor. Deisels create some acids that will cause the wood to breakdown quicker. We used to mop the wood floors of our goose neck trailers with used oil, but quit because the decks seemed to rot out faster. Don’t have any scientific evidence, but just our observation.
Mark
David Russell said:David,
Richard, You guys are turning me on to the wood trestles a bit.....However... tell me about the deck girder? I'm thinkin' I wanna build a Howe Truss(this winter) outta what my local Lowes has in stock of aluminium.
The deck girder is from Garden Metal Products. It’s the 35" long version. Very nice bridges. They are steel and come painted black. You have to add your own lettering and/or weathering.
As commented upon above, Creosote is now banned (even in Australia), however we can now purchase a new product called Safe Creosote, have not needed to apply any yet so I cannot comment on its properties.
Danny Sheehan in Oz.
I found some dark stained copper sulfate mix (Jasco) at HD yesterday, along with a metal sprayer.
I also dug out my can of 20 year old creosote. My, it smells good!!!
I’ma thinkin’ I’ll forego mixing my own concoction. I’ll use the Jasco, and then dab a little creosote on the underside for “Aromatic ambiance”.
I’ll shoot a before-and-after pic and post it here later.
TOG