any tips for running a gas powered cut off saw?

[leeinmemphis]

Hey everyone,

I am going to cutting a rectangle in my garage floor to recess my motorcycle lift. I have a cut off saw that I have borrowed from a friend and I have a new Hilti concrete blade for it. I was wondering if anyone has any insight or tips from someone that has ran one of these before? I will be using an electric jackhammer for busting out the slab for demo.

Thanks.

 

[NJHandyGuy]

i use these alot for metal salvage i guess the only tip i can really give you is maybe to make a test cut to get the feel of it and read all teh safety warnings they are there for a reason

 

[NJHandyGuy]

oh yeah and if you borrowed it make sure to check the oiul before use

 

[littletoes]

Hold on tight, wear hearing protection, and a face shield. Oh, and if you ain't going to use wet methods, cover anything that you don't want covered with dust, and try not to breathe all that dust.

 

[Kurt4440]

For a small area:
lay out your lines with a marker or paint
cover everything you do not want concrete dust all over
be prepared to contain the slurry
gear up; dust mask, ear plugs, eye protection...
use a good diamond blade
score the concrete in a straight line and then cut deeper

 

[Mike662]

Take note of the direction of the blade rotation...all of the ones I have used rotate the opposite direction from a circular saw. So, you pull the saw towards you in the cut, rather than pushing it away from you.

 

[twocoda]

snap chalk lines and concentrate on staying on them(if your going to freehand)....it isnt that difficult but if you have long lines to cut ...mount the saw on a cart and save your back.....keep the *** of the saw higher then the front so the dust shoots behind you....wear hearing and eye protection...if your cutting to the wall.... the point of starting should be about 5 feet from the wall....cut to the first wall then turn around and cut facing the last wall for the final 5 feet from where you started...if the cuts are always going to be visible ....MAKE SURE THEY ARE STRAIGHT!!!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Be careful and use some safety glasses.

Get a good hold onto the thing. The spinning blade can build up some torque and get away from you if you're not careful.

 

[Frank The Plumber]

Never ever place the blade at an angle where it can Kick in a straight line towards you or in line with you. It will either shatter at you or jump on to you. Steel toes or boot guards are nice to have, keep the piggys attached in case she runs you over.

 

[TommyK]

If after cutting the "square" out you do a small pie cut in one of the corners you should be able to pick the concrete out with a bar and avoid the jack hammering. This assumes you can over cut the corners so you are fully through the concrete.

 

[coldfusion21]

Don't cut dry if possible. Unbelievable amounts of dust that sticks to everything. You will never contain all of it or clean it all up. Go wet and be prepared to deal with that.
Wear safety gear. Goggles/glasses and hearing protection along with some gloves.

 

[wheats71]

is there rebar in your floor?
it will messup a diamond blade real fast

 

[GarageEnvy]

I found it helpful to score a shallow line before I went full depth. It's difficult to see a line when using it wet. If you're going dry, you can virtually forget about seeing a line. As others have said, these are the grand champions of dust and noise creation (with the possible exception of an Osprey helicopter landing). I know you've already got this one for free.....but. I've used a walk behind on several occasions and it's much more tolerable. It's more controlled and you simply screw the blade down into the concrete and go. You're much further away from the dust or mud slurry being slung all over. Just a thought. I think I paid about $70 for the walk-behind rental.

 

[franzdom]

Wear a face shield AND protective eyewear, not just one or the other. Heavy duty gloves, and steel toe boots.

 

[ekeller]

Lay a wood 2x6 down and use that as you cutting edge.

 

[plinker]

Make sure you know the controls well (kill switch, saftey stops,ete..), Use the proper mix gas ratio if two cycle, wear all the saftey gear and maintain awareness while cutting.

And like with any cut off wheel, dont "pinch" the blade in the cut, they will shatter/explode/come apart.

 

[ZRX61]

With the right blade you can cut your way into armored cars full of cash

 

[Judd55]

I use these saws all the time, no worries, all the above is good info, only I recommend you cut going forward, the blade rotates to the rear, make sure you put the blade on in the right rotation. Now, let the saw do the work, don't force it and use water for sure, I use a pump up sprayer cuz, I'm rarely near a water source, a garden hose with a spray nozzle will work best and utilize the least amount of water, have a helper direct the spray at the blade itself, you will find the sweet spot where there is the least amount of dust. A pie cut in the corners as mentioned, leave for last, then hammer 'em out.

When jack hammering do not start at the cut line you will break the perimeter, start in the middle and work your way out towards the cut lines. You can use the saw to make a small square in the center somewhere then hammer out to the depth you want to go and then keep breaking small chunks off to that depth in an ever increasing circle, try to stay at a uniform depth or you will be doing it two or three times over to get the depth you desire. When you get close to the cut lines, be careful, try not to point the bit at the cut, always hammer away from the cut or straight down or again, you risk breaking the perimeter.

I use a Hilti TE 905 AVR electric breaker with a pointed bit, avoid a chisel bit, they don't work as well and they fire more shrapnel back in your face. Be sure to wear safety glasses and hearing protection for both operations.

Stone simple once you get going.................

 

[leeinmemphis]

well I got home early from work and got the cutting done. It only took about 30 minutes......the jackhammer on the other hand took a few hours and boy am I tired.

Going to start pulling up the debris in the morning. I'll post some pics once I get it all put together. Thanks again!