Replies

1. 
   calvin | Jun 11, 2011 05:18pm | #1

   Well,

   if it was a less than a marginal saw, then the fibrecement blade in it would work if you could find one the right size.  Be forwarned that the dust might not be the greatest for the saw.  Nor would sliding the siding back and forth on the table.  Further, the slide movements and mitre operation wouldn't enjoy the grit either.

   There's more (airborn)  dust generated by a compound mitre saw.  The dust feature should for sure be used with a vac.  (which won't like the grit either, make sure the motor is protected with the appropriate filter.

   I had never heard of using a CMS for it but did look and there's some manufacturers that do show that saw, however with a fibrecement blade rather than a masonry blade.

   What about fibrecement shears-they don't make the dust fly.

2. 
   Scott | Jun 11, 2011 09:55pm | #2

   What Cal said.

   I once saw a guy using a miter saw with FC siding. Dust everywhere and I suspect the saw was never the same. The dust is known to be harmful (for you and the saw).

   Get some shears. I like the Malco ones that mount on your own drill, corded or cordless.

   Mike Guertin used to have a freely available video on this site about how to set yourself up for cutting FC, with a nice tip on a crosscut table. See if it's still there.

3. 
   bd | Jun 13, 2011 08:41am | #3

   As the other have said, It's not recommended, but I did use my DeWalt 12" slider for siding a 28 x 32 ft shed. I Used the Hitachi fiber cement blade in the slider & a 7 1/4" in an old circular saw. Dusty as all get out. Be sure to wear a good mask if you go that way. Don't think my saw suffered any real damage from the effort. Bearings are still nice and tight, but I kept an air hose on the table and blew it off frequently.

   Don't think I would do it again. When I did it, I hadn't read all the recommendations against using the sliders. While my saw still cuts fine, I think the bearings are a bit stiffer than they used to be. May just be my imagination, but if you do a lot of fine work with you miter saw, think about getting a cheaper one to do the siding.

4. 
   fingers | Jun 13, 2011 01:47pm | #4

   I've done a fair share of Fiber cement using a compound mitre saw.  I was not happy with the look or precision of using the shears so I bought a cheap Ryobi  10" compound mitre saw on sale at Home Depot for $79, outfitted it with a Tenyru fiber cement blade (I can't remember how much that was but it was probably more than the saw) and set up a nice cut station with 8' extensions on either side, built in measuring tapes and a stop for repeatable cuts.

   There was no need for me to use a slider compound mitre saw because I only used it to cut 5 1/2" wide  clapboards.  I've always used it outdoors with a vacuum hooked up with one of those automatic switches from Sears for about $20.  Also I've always blown out the saw with compressed air at the end of each day.  So far the saw seems to work fine but I can't imagine it will last as long as it would if it was only cutting wood, which is why I didn't use my good CMS in the first place.

   One time I used the set up on a dead calm day and the dust seemed to linger around a long time so I set up a box type window fan aimed at the saw to help blow away the dust that was not captured by the vacuum.  If there's a breeze it helps alot to move the dust.

5. 
   AndreaRichard03 | Jun 29, 2011 09:38pm | #5

   tile saw for replacement shingles

    We bought a home  with old fibrous cement siding. I was thrilled to find replacement shingles ("WeatherSide" from GAF).

   We've  used a tile saw to make detail cuts on these. It's a bit messy,  but the water stream does keep the dust down.

6. 
   Marson | Jul 01, 2011 07:14am | #6

   A masonry blade (as opposed to a fiber cement blade) will cut fiber cement but is slow and will produce much more dust.  

7. 
   angel321 | Nov 21, 2011 07:37am | #7

   HI..I think i have the answer for your question..I had gone through this website and found many of the tools related to cutting the fibre cement panels..And i hope it helps you too..

   http://www.toolbarn.com/hand/cutting-tools/fiber-cement.html

1. 
   MarkH | Nov 21, 2011 05:11pm | #8

   I like toolbarn, I ordered a box of staples and plastic caps for my button cap stapler from them, I had them in a couple days.  No one around here sells them to fit my griprite stapler.

   Someone may accuse you of spamming for a website, I can tell you're just trying to help.  Good selection of fibercement tools you linked to.

8. 
   angel321 | Nov 26, 2011 06:54am | #9

   As the other two have said it is not meant  for cutting fiber cement panels..As it is clearly mentioned the miter saw produces more dust which is not good for the saw and even for the operator..

9. 
   Hokuto | Nov 26, 2011 10:01am | #10

   In my foray into siding (Hardieplank, not panel) last year, I used two tools: a Pactool electric FC nipper and a Bosch jigsaw with dedicated Hitachi and Makita blades. When the job was over, the nippers were in fine shape. The Bosch jigsaw, on the other hand, was pretty badly clogged with the "mud" produced by the combination of FC dust and WD40 that I'd used, ironically, to clean out the former stuff on an everyday basis. In fact, it was so bad that the blade holder wouldn't release or accept blades without a workaround (which I won't describe). After finishing thejob, I sent it out for servicing and they charged me about $90 (Hey, this is Japan) for a combination of cleaning and replacement of a couple of critical parts in the blade holder.

      A carpenter I brought in to help just a bit at the last stages used a Makita circ saw with dedicated FC blade and vacuum attachment, but even with the vacuum attachment, it spread quite a bit of dust, and I don't know what it did to his circ saw.

   YMMV

     

10. 
    Amish Electrician | Nov 26, 2011 09:22pm | #11

    I'm surprised at the negative comments about shears ... maybe different tools are being discussed.

    The crews I've seen have been quite happy with the Kett shears with the specific fiber-cement cutting blades. I cannot speak for the results when ordinary metal-cutting shears are used.

    Likewise, the 'score & snap" tables (similar to what might be used by some tile guys) appear to work well.