How to Bolt Onto Railroad Ties

Railroad ties have many uses including bolting them into the ground to keep the railroad ties secure when using them for a landscaping project. However, to keep the railroad ties secure you will need to bolt them to the ground by using carriage bolts that have been inserted into a concrete footing. Bolting onto railroad ties will require you to first drill a hole before securing a railroad tie to the carriage bolts.

Tape measure
Felt tip marker
Power drill
Railroad tie auger bit
Washer
Nut
Socket wrench

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the location for the bolt holes with a tape measure and make a mark with the felt tip marker.
- 2
  Insert a railroad tie auger bit into your power drill.
- 3
  Place the power drill on the railroad tie so that it sits at a 90-degree angle to the tie. This will ensure that the drilled hole is straight.
- 4
  Press the trigger on the drill to start drilling into the railroad tie.
- 5
  Repeat steps 3 and 4 to drill additional holes into the railroad tie.
- 6
  Take the auger bit out of the power drill and insert a spade bit that is slightly larger than the hole.
- 7
  Drill into each of the holes about ½ inch to create a counter sink for the bolts.
- 8
  Place a washer into each of the counter sink holes.
- 9
  Set the railroad tie so the carriage bolts go into the holes.
- 10
  Place a nut at the top of each carriage bolt and tighten it with a socket wrench.

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