Cut Sidewalk with a Circular Saw?
WaltHarris
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
I need to cut a few sections of sidewalk out to replace in front of my home. Can I simply put a masonry blade on my 15amp 8.25in worm-drive circular saw or do I need to purchase a masonry saw? I looked at a few masonry saws and noticed that they run at about twice the rpm. Would there be a high probability of burning out the motor on my worm-drive?
Replies
Hi Walt,
My bitl is a plumber and he helped me rough in and finish a basement bathroom. We had to cut thru the pad and run the pipe, (dummy who had the house built didn't opt for this $500 option). We rented a saw and bought a diamond tooth blade. It was a very dirt job to cut the concrete. I was happy to take the rental tool back to them. It was like a chain saw motor but spun a circular blade. It worked fast and cut through very hard concrete easily. I had 40-50 feet of 6 inch pad to go thru. I am a diy'er and I won't cut concrete with any of my tools. They aren't muscled up for it. Check with your neighbors before you rent the tool to see if they need to cut/remove some concrete and they may go in on it with you. Might even make sense to get a jackhammer if two or three people need the tools for the same purpose.
Ken
I watched some laborers use a gas powered saw like this Stihl...http://www.stihlusa.com/construction/features.html .......it has a connection for a hose and depending on the amount of water you run through it will make a really nice mess too but it will do the job..at least you wouldn't have to worry about cutting a cord.... oh yeah, it IS loud ......
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I've just spent two days cutting concrete patio stones with the Still wet saw. Much easier and faster than a circular saw. There is a quite a bit of slurry but no dust at all which really made the job a lot more bearable. I did find that if I let the slurry dry, it "cured" itself and was hell to get off.
that stuff etches aluminum too...IIRC
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., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
For just a few feet use your worst circular saw. But go to HD/Lowes in the tile dept and buya cheap diamond blade. You can usually find one for $20-30. It will cut much fater than an abrasive blade, and will last longer.
Or, if you need another tool, go to Harbor Freight and buy a cheapie 7" side grinder and a diamond blade."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Just go to your local HD Tool Rental and rent a gasoline powered concrete saw and diamond blade.
You could fit a diamond blade on your circular saw, but you won't be happy with the amount of time it takes to do it. It also raises a gawd-awful amount of fine dust that will get into the motor bearings and ruin the saw. The concrete saw can also handle having water splashed around the blade to keep it cool.
And yes, I've tried it. :-) That was my excuse to get a worm-drive saw after killing my old craftsman. Since you've already got the worm-drive, I don't see an upside here for ya.
Glen
I've done; it works fine. I cut a 24x48" sump through a 4" patio slab; deep as the saw would go, and hammered the rest.
I kept the hose dribbling water, and used a GFI outlet just in case. i used my "third best" saw (a hyphoid Makita), but its still fine years later.
Forrest
Been doin it for years with my Makita 5007NB. 40.00 diamond blade.
Don't know if a worm drive could handle it. <g>Live in the solution, not the problem.
A concrete saw will still take a while to carve things up into manageable chunks if you have to hand carry the pieces out. I recently had to do some sidewalk demo and busted the concrete with a Bosch "electric jackhammer". Worked surprisingly well and went very quickly. However, if you need absolutely smooth edges, then the outer edges need to be cut with the concrete saw. However, I have both the Bosch and an electric concrete saw, so I didn't have to hassle with the rental yard.
I've done it lots of times on green concrete. It's a quite a bit harder when the concrete is fully cured. Not worth burning out your saw. Sometimes it is best to just go rent a concrete saw.
Dave
Walt,
Are you replacing the concrete yourself?
I assume you are since you want to remove the existing, however on the off chance your not, let the concrete guys do it. They will have the saw on their truck and will be ready to go.
If this is your project start to finish, I would rent the concrete saw. You could easily have your work done in under the typical 4 hr. min. charge.
Done it with a Porter Cable.... 1/4" depth at a time. Worked then and the saw is still spinning after some cleanup.
CAUTION though... protect the saw foot (bed) with duct tape or it will be marred up a bit.
Troy Sprout
"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should also have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government."
-- George Washington
Considered that myself last year (had to put a fence post in where i'd stupidly poured a sidewalk earlier). Rented the saw from HD. A lot of dust and took some time, but it did the job. Don't try it on a circular saw made for wood.
A bit of advice: you might buy a few of the cheap composite blades rather than renting the diamond bit blade. They're cheaper and you won't be charged if you manage to screw up the rental blade (which is considerable for cutting concrete).
Can I simply put a masonry blade on my 15amp 8.25in worm-drive
You can, but it won't be simple. Slow cutting, lots of dust and potentially hard on the saw. Probably what I'd do if I only had a few feet to cut.
More than a few feet to cut and I'd rent or buy a masonry saw with the water hook up.
Good luck.
http://grantlogan.net/
Sometimes, when I lie in bed at night and look up at the stars, I think to myself, "Man! I really need to fix that roof."
You could, but the diamond blade (abrasive blades are cheap, but you'd only get a few inches before wearing one out) may cost you more than simply renting a concrete saw, not to mention the wear and tear on your saw. You won't burn out the motor, but the concrete dust is tough on the bearings and brushes. And there is a LOT of dust!
If blowing dust is not a concern due to nearby neighbors, you can rent an electric concrete saw. If you need to control the dust, rent a gas-powered wet saw. If the concrete isn't too thick, you can also do this with an angle grinder with a diamond blade. You can use a mister nozzle on your hose to keep the cut damp to help with the dust, but be sure to plug into a GFCI.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
I appreciate everyone's responses. Looks like I'll probably rent a saw (the wife doesn't think I need anymore tools).
Walt,
Get the damn diamond blade. Yes, these guys have a small point about a bigger saw, but you would have been done with the project by now using the skilsaw.
A cheep skilsaw won't last. The dust and heat from the process will burn up the bearings before you're done. I've burnt up several.
A $139 Ridgid will do wonderfully. Sealed bearings, etc. With this, I've cut an awful lot and still have a newish saw. Just blow it off good with compressed air.
The bigger saw loses the ability to do careful cuts. It's heavy, loud, and freakin' dirty. Not to mention the time wasted running back and forth to the rental shop.
And we buy tools to do a job, not to keep them shiny and pretty. So what if you scratch the bottom of the saw's plate?
But back to this sidewalk: You don't mention where you're from. But here in Littleton, CO (and I've seen similar programs elsewhere) the city has a program where THEY fix sidewalks and curbs at a brain dead price. We can get a 6' wide Hollywood curb and sidwalk combo ripped out, reformed and replaced for $10 per lineal foot - to the HO. The city picks up the rest.
But let's assume you are on the hook for the whole thing. Cut your joints with the saw. It doesn't have to go thru the whole slab, just enuff to control the subsequent cracking when you get your wife or kid out to break it up with a sledgehammer. This goes remarkably fast, better if you pay the kid. Simply clean out your hole, regrade, stick your forms in place and place your ceement.
Renting that saw will double your costs and you won't have it for when the sidewalk goes bad again next year. This is a cheep project.
I have a Milwaukee 8 1/4" saw, and tried something like that a while back. I neded up breaking the arbor in the saw. Took quite a while to get another one.So like the other guys - I'd recommend renting a concrete saw.
Michael Jackson claims that his partners would sleep in the bed, while he slept on the floor. You know, it's the same arrangement the Clintons had. [Jay Leno]
How did you break the arbor? I have been using diamond blades on several 8" milwaukee saws for years and the only part that I have trouble with is the bearings and the gears wearing out after cutting thousands of feet of 3/4" and 1 1/2" granite. I have had to replace some brushes as well.In my experience the only real drawback to the milwaukee saws are their relatively heavy weight but their durability is excellent.Karl
I don't recall exactly what happened. I was cutting along, and the blade just stopped turning. I may have had the blade set too deep - That would be my best guess.
The saddest part of this Michael Jackson scandal is that all of this could have been avoided if he just stuck to grabbing his own crotch. [Craig Kilborn]
I'm like you. Over the years I have cut a least a couple of hundred feet of old and new concret with a Milwaukee circular saw and diamond blade. It is doable for a small job like the OP desribes. I just blow out the saw really well after using it for cutting concrete. One of my Milwaukee saws is 25 years old and the other about 16.
Dave
Many granite counter top guys cut slabs with common worm drive saws day in and day out. A diamond blade will cut three times as fast and by laying a hose on the slab and letting water flood the surface you'll have much less dust. A gfci is a good idea.
Cheers
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
I've cut plenty of granite with this homemade wet saw. Concrete would be easy. (Use a GFCI)Jerry
I like it.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
I guess I'm spoiled, having three Stihl TS 400's with diamond blades, but I can't imagine cutting more than a little bit of concrete with a circular saw. If you value your time or your circular saw at all, rent the right tool.
Bear