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Cutting Fiber cement bd with wet saw?

mikelg | Posted in General Discussion on July 8, 2009 03:07am

Hi

Has anyone tried cutting fiber cement board wih a wet saw? Like a tile saw. You know to keep the dust down.

Thx

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Replies

  1. Marson | Jul 08, 2009 04:16am | #1

    Well, no.

    A. My tile saw has a sliding bed and a stationary blade. Pretty unmanageable to handle a 12' stick on it.

    B. I use a utility knife for cross cuts and nibblers for rips. No dust.

    C. Technically, you are supposed to prime cuts. Can't really do that if the stuff is wet.

    D. If you get it wet, efflorescence will form on the painted surface which is impossible to get rid of without repainting.

    1. User avater
      Matt | Jul 08, 2009 04:32am | #3

      You make some good points however:

      >> C. Technically, you are supposed to prime cuts. Can't really do that if the stuff is wet. <<  You sure about priming cuts?  Does it say that in the installation instructions or elsewhere?  Got a link?

      1. Marson | Jul 08, 2009 05:42am | #5

        Yep, right here. Page 15. http://www.certainteed.com/resources/fc017.pdf Butt Joint Applications.

        Edited 7/7/2009 10:43 pm ET by Marson

        1. User avater
          Matt | Jul 08, 2009 01:32pm | #7

          Sure enough.  I had only read the Hardie instructions.  Might be a reason not to use the Certainteed material.  Of course they are calling for "moderate contact" between butt ends.  Once you have seen a house full of puckered joints in the full sun that will cure you of that parctice in a hurry.  Maybe they changed the Hardie instructions too re end priming....

          1. Marson | Jul 08, 2009 02:05pm | #8

            This may well be a local urban myth, but I've heard that certainteed and Hardie are made in the same factory. None of the local yards around here carry Hardie for some reason.

  2. stevent1 | Jul 08, 2009 04:18am | #2

    Mike.

    Get some shears.

     

    Chuck S

    live, work, build, ...better with wood
  3. User avater
    IMERC | Jul 08, 2009 05:30am | #4

    no...

    use nibblers and scoring knief...

     

    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming

    WOW!!! What a Ride!


    Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

     

    "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

  4. gb93433 | Jul 08, 2009 06:02am | #6

    If you are able to do such a thing it will cut very slow. In addition the siding is not supposed to get wet.

  5. Scott | Jul 08, 2009 08:09pm | #9

    Like others have said, Hardi isn't supposed to get wet, especially on the exposed ends. I would also think that a tile saw would make a real mess on the siding, due to the slurry.

    I've got the Malco shears, a proper circ saw blade for Hardi, and some carbide tipped jigsaw blades. They all work well, especially the shears. The shears can be used on cordless or corded drills (corded goes faster).

    Scott.

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