Notgrownup
Well-known member
Well just cutting in the cold yesterday with the table saw it was chipping pretty good...does having enough blade backwards really make that much difference?
Cutting vinyl siding in the cold
- Thread starter Notgrownup
- Start date
dlcwent
Member Emeritus
That's the only way I've seen it done.(hot or cold)
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HoosierMark
Well-known member
I always use a fine tooth blade backwards. People also put it in a warm shed or garage until needed. I am sure the pros on here have some tricks we all can learn from. My brother never has a problem like this-- he just hires someone to do it for him LOL
awdblazer
Well-known member
yes backwards and cut it slow so it melts more than cuts
OP
Notgrownup
Well-known member
I guess I am getting a fine tooth blade then, the one I have is a medium blade.
awdblazer
Well-known member
medium should be fine too just got slow with it backwards
OP
Notgrownup
Well-known member
Ok , I will try that. Thanks fellow Canuck...
I believe my blade was originally a paneling blade that I run backwards. The house I'm working on right now, my buddy bought me a new blade just in case. It looks the same as mine but it says it's for vinyl siding.
EDIT: this is it.
http://www.menards.com/main/tools-h...-vinyl-siding-saw-blade/p-1802744-c-10082.htm
EDIT: this is it.
http://www.menards.com/main/tools-h...-vinyl-siding-saw-blade/p-1802744-c-10082.htm
finn
Well-known member
There is a dedicated vinyl siding blade available. I just use a normal blade and go slow, with minimal chipping.
Saw the dedicated blade at Menard's yesterday. Cost was minimal, if I recall.
Saw the dedicated blade at Menard's yesterday. Cost was minimal, if I recall.
gm54210
Well-known member
I always used snips as well. Easier especially when on scaffolding or ladders.
OP
Notgrownup
Well-known member
I Needed to rip a piece of fascia from 8" wide to 6" wide so the snips wasn't too good for that...I need to get used to scoring it and snapping it in stead... I have Prosnip cutters.. had them forever, maybe they are a bit dull...Sounds like a good excuse to buy a new one??? LOL.. I will probably get one of those fine tooth blades to see if it work better...
Hpozzuoli
Well-known member
I use snips...unless I have to rip a 20 footer then I use my vinyl blade
spike99250
Well-known member
Cutoff blade in a 4" grinder is great for cutting vinyl siding and soffit , especially rips like that.
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moparfreak
Well-known member
I just did about 12 square of vinyl siding on my new garage and although I was fortunate with unseasonably nice weather into September, I did figure out a few things:
1) I used two miter saws:
- My 10" dewalt that had a 80T fine finish blade, used this on most of the small trim pieces
- Borrowed a friend's 12" HF slider (junk!) where I used the blade that came with it turned backward to do cross cuts on the double wide siding pieces (about 9.5"). I think it was probably a 50T or so.
The fine finish blade cut better installed normally than the HF blade did turned backwards. Had a lot of chipping with the HF blade and saw. But, that was OK because those chips were all overlapped or hidden in channel. But, either way, folks are right, slower you go through the material usually the nicer the cut comes out and it's not hard to minimize.
2) Used aviation snips as needed. For long rip cuts, get a set with a strong offset jaw, you could find in the hardware or HVAC dept for $10 or so, well worth it for long rip cuts and a bit more friendly to your hands/wrists. This is the one I used, with orange handles and longer jaws than normal aviation snips:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Wiss-Long-Cut-Offset-Aviation-Snips-M400/202077454
3) Once that got real old, and when I had to do the severe angle cuts for fitting to the gables on my house where the snips couldn't cut nicely through the folds and bends of the vinyl, I switched to an angle grinder with standard abrasive blade (I like to use the thinner ones, Metabo brand I think). These cut like BUTTER through the vinyl and leave a chip-free smooth cut and was pretty much my go-to tool for the rest of the job. If you don't like the way your miter saw is working, you can just use the grinder for all your cuts. As long as you have decent skill you can make very smooth and straight cuts, and even if you don't, it won't be long before you do, because of the repetitive nature of the work. The other nice thing is you really won't wear your blade down at all on the plastic like you would if you were cutting a lot metal.
Just my experience....
Thanks,
Adam
1) I used two miter saws:
- My 10" dewalt that had a 80T fine finish blade, used this on most of the small trim pieces
- Borrowed a friend's 12" HF slider (junk!) where I used the blade that came with it turned backward to do cross cuts on the double wide siding pieces (about 9.5"). I think it was probably a 50T or so.
The fine finish blade cut better installed normally than the HF blade did turned backwards. Had a lot of chipping with the HF blade and saw. But, that was OK because those chips were all overlapped or hidden in channel. But, either way, folks are right, slower you go through the material usually the nicer the cut comes out and it's not hard to minimize.
2) Used aviation snips as needed. For long rip cuts, get a set with a strong offset jaw, you could find in the hardware or HVAC dept for $10 or so, well worth it for long rip cuts and a bit more friendly to your hands/wrists. This is the one I used, with orange handles and longer jaws than normal aviation snips:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Wiss-Long-Cut-Offset-Aviation-Snips-M400/202077454
3) Once that got real old, and when I had to do the severe angle cuts for fitting to the gables on my house where the snips couldn't cut nicely through the folds and bends of the vinyl, I switched to an angle grinder with standard abrasive blade (I like to use the thinner ones, Metabo brand I think). These cut like BUTTER through the vinyl and leave a chip-free smooth cut and was pretty much my go-to tool for the rest of the job. If you don't like the way your miter saw is working, you can just use the grinder for all your cuts. As long as you have decent skill you can make very smooth and straight cuts, and even if you don't, it won't be long before you do, because of the repetitive nature of the work. The other nice thing is you really won't wear your blade down at all on the plastic like you would if you were cutting a lot metal.
Just my experience....
Thanks,
Adam
moparfreak
Well-known member
Spike beat me to it, so +1 for the grinder. You can't go wrong.
justin1795
Well-known member
Just did 12 boxes of siding with blade backwards never chipped one.
OP
Notgrownup
Well-known member
Great tips, I am gonna get a very fine blade and one of those offset of long cut snips....all my chips are hidden so no harm...
Rodbuilder
Active member
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2010
- Messages
- 42
I use fiber blades most of the time. Smooth cuts no chips.
Architorture
Well-known member
Did 33 square a couple of years ago...built a table with straight and miter angle fences to use with a fine tooth blade on a circular saw.
Lots of gables and lots of soffit. For repeat cuts you just put a screw in st the appropriate length and go to town
Lots of gables and lots of soffit. For repeat cuts you just put a screw in st the appropriate length and go to town
OP
Notgrownup
Well-known member
Bought one of these today, well not the same brand but same style
OP
Notgrownup
Well-known member
Ok I bought me some of these long snips today and they cut so nice. My old pro snips were worn slam out
moparfreak
Well-known member
Glad to hear it works better. Those long offset jaws really help. Completely different than normal aviation snips. The offset jaws however have a hard time crosscutting through the ridges and folds of the siding. For anything like that you will want the angle grinder and then you'll never go back. Enjoy the rest of the job, just finished mine a couple weeks ago and am glad its behind me!
OP
Notgrownup
Well-known member
Well the temps are now just perfect to work outside....so I will try to make some progress today....did a charity ride on the bike yesterday to get ride of the cobwebs...lol
have fun hanging that siding, I'm planning on doing the same.
Where did you buy your snips at ?
OP
Notgrownup
Well-known member
Lowes, $14.99. Stanley brand.
Syberia
Well-known member
If the goal is to melt the siding and not cut it, and an abrasive blade on an angle grinder works well but is easy to not cut straight, is there any reason you couldn't put an abrasive blade in a table saw?
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
If you have to rip down some vinyl siding, you can just use a sharp utility knife and a straight edge. Slice along the straight edge, then just bend the siding, and it will snap clean.
You have to watch tipping a long piece in a saw because it will have a tendency to walk due to the siding wanting to raise by the blade.
You have to watch tipping a long piece in a saw because it will have a tendency to walk due to the siding wanting to raise by the blade.
OP
Notgrownup
Well-known member
Works lovely with the very fine backwards blade...
6768rogues
Banned
I installed vinyl siding in upstate NY for 20 years. I always used a 10" radial arm saw with a fine tooth plywood blade (not carbide) and I never ran the blade backwards. I worked on some days when it was well below 0-degrees with no problems; just slow down the cut a little.
I like the forward blade because it will cut 5 panels at a time and if you need to cut something else, just toss it on the saw.
I used a 16-foot 2x12 across the saw frame with a backstop a couple of feet on each side of the blade. Just toss the material on and saw, no using a square. Pile it up and cut 5 at a time. When cutting soffits, put a nail in the 2x12 at the soffit dimension and slide them over to the nail and cut, mass producing perfectly square cuts that are all exactly the same length.
I like the forward blade because it will cut 5 panels at a time and if you need to cut something else, just toss it on the saw.
I used a 16-foot 2x12 across the saw frame with a backstop a couple of feet on each side of the blade. Just toss the material on and saw, no using a square. Pile it up and cut 5 at a time. When cutting soffits, put a nail in the 2x12 at the soffit dimension and slide them over to the nail and cut, mass producing perfectly square cuts that are all exactly the same length.
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OP
Notgrownup
Well-known member
I appreciate all the help...I really do,
moparfreak
Well-known member
I don't have a Radial Arm Saw but that is an awesome idea. Wish I thought of something like that this summer when I did all my soffits. Damn...
Stevie-Ray
Well-known member
My house vinyl was done with tin snips, about 25 years ago. The plastic lattice on my deck was done by me with a circular saw and plywood blade backward. IINM, my garage vinyl was also done with snips 2 years ago.
n20junkie
Well-known member
I just keep a heat gun next to the saw and warm the cut area real fast. Takes 10 extra seconds.
Fine blade backwards as well.
Fine blade backwards as well.