I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.

I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.

RPM and torque may be a probem. The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800.

Will it work?

Thanks for any comments, Gary

G Mulcaster wrote:
I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.

I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.

RPM and torque may be a probem. The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800.

Will it work?

Thanks for any comments, Gary

not without ruining it from the dust. try a tile wet saw

On Sep 30, 12:24*pm, "chaniarts" wrote:
G Mulcaster wrote:
I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.

I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw *would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.

RPM and torque may be a probem. *The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800.

Will it work?

Thanks for any comments, Gary

not without ruining it from the dust. try a tile wet saw

A very good application for a HarborFreight tool. I wouldn't hesitate
to use my 10" HF SCMS (it was fine for what I bought it for) or an old
circular saw. If he dust gets to it, no great loss.

On Sep 30, 1:19*pm, G Mulcaster wrote:
I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.

I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw *would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.

RPM and torque may be a probem. *The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800. *

Will it work?

Thanks for any comments, Gary

I'm not sure if this will matter since I don't really know about Allan
Blocks, but here's what happened to me after I cut some patio blocks:

They disintegrated after a few years.

I have a parking spot off to the side my driveway where I park so that
I don't block SWMBO's car. There used to be dirt next to the spot, so
I paved it with grey 8 x 16 patio blocks so I wouldn't be stepping in
mud all the time.

In order to follow the curve of the street and the driveway asphalt, I
had to cut a number of blocks at an angle. I used an old circular saw
and diamond blade.

After a few years, the cut blocks began to fall apart, from the cut
edge in, turning into little pea sized bits of concrete. At first I
thought it might be salt, but it only happened to the cut block, not
to any of the full pieces. In one case, where there was a fairly small
piece (1/4 of a block) the piece has been gone for years, but the full
sized block that was next to it looks as good as new.

In article ,
G Mulcaster wrote:
I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.

I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.

RPM and torque may be a probem. The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800.

Will it work?

Thanks for any comments, Gary

Diamond blade me be overkill & expensive depending on how many blocks
you expect to cut.

http://www.google.com/products?q=mas...chop+saw&hl=en



--
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation
with the average voter. (Winston Churchill)

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar. org

On Thu, 30 Sep 2010 22:52:02 +0000 (UTC),
(Larry W) wrote:

In article ,
G Mulcaster wrote:
I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.

I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.

RPM and torque may be a probem. The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800.

Will it work?

Thanks for any comments, Gary

Diamond blade me be overkill & expensive depending on how many blocks
you expect to cut.

http://www.google.com/products?q=mas...chop+saw&hl=en

Thanks for the URL. Will be cutting about 100 blocks (the top caps -
both sides) on this project. Two other projects are in the future.

I could rent a saw; however, may as well use this as an excuse to buy
another toy

Gary

On Sep 30, 3:33*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Sep 30, 1:19*pm, G Mulcaster wrote:

I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.

I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw *would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.

RPM and torque may be a probem. *The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800. *

Will it work?

Thanks for any comments, Gary

I'm not sure if this will matter since I don't really know about Allan
Blocks, but here's what happened to me after I cut some patio blocks:

They disintegrated after a few years.

I have a parking spot off to the side my driveway where I park so that
I don't block SWMBO's car. There used to be dirt next to the spot, so
I paved it with grey 8 x 16 patio blocks so I wouldn't be stepping in
mud all the time.

In order to follow the curve of the street and the driveway asphalt, I
had to cut a number of blocks at an angle. I used an old circular saw
and diamond blade.

After a few years, the cut blocks began to fall apart, from the cut
edge in, turning into little pea sized bits of concrete. At first I
thought it might be salt, but it only happened to the cut block, not
to any of the full pieces. In one case, where there was a fairly small
piece (1/4 of a block) the piece has been gone for years, but the full
sized block that was next to it looks as good as new.

That's an odd one. I've cut, and seen old cuts, that have experienced
no deterioration like what you describe, even after years of
exposure. You must have gotten a bad batch.

R

On Oct 1, 12:00*am, RicodJour wrote:
On Sep 30, 3:33*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:



On Sep 30, 1:19*pm, G Mulcaster wrote:

I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.

I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw *would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.

RPM and torque may be a probem. *The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800. *

Will it work?

Thanks for any comments, Gary

I'm not sure if this will matter since I don't really know about Allan
Blocks, but here's what happened to me after I cut some patio blocks:

They disintegrated after a few years.

I have a parking spot off to the side my driveway where I park so that
I don't block SWMBO's car. There used to be dirt next to the spot, so
I paved it with grey 8 x 16 patio blocks so I wouldn't be stepping in
mud all the time.

In order to follow the curve of the street and the driveway asphalt, I
had to cut a number of blocks at an angle. I used an old circular saw
and diamond blade.

After a few years, the cut blocks began to fall apart, from the cut
edge in, turning into little pea sized bits of concrete. At first I
thought it might be salt, but it only happened to the cut block, not
to any of the full pieces. In one case, where there was a fairly small
piece (1/4 of a block) the piece has been gone for years, but the full
sized block that was next to it looks as good as new.

That's an odd one. *I've cut, and seen old cuts, that have experienced
no deterioration like what you describe, even after years of
exposure. *You must have gotten a bad batch.

R

It may have been a bad batch, but like I said, none of the uncut ones
show any sign of deterioration.

They don't seal those things do they? I was thinking that maybe I
exposed the innards and allowed the bad stuff in.

Let me know how you get a big block in a chop saw. On the flat caps, yes,
you could do it in two cuts, but it would be iffy to get them straight.

Go get a used 10" wet saw with a big tray and a lot of travel. I bought one
about a year ago, and I have been using the heck out of it, now doing work
that I would have never considered before. One is now to do a 400sf
(approx) area in 4 x 8 pavers, 2" thick, having to cut some to make the
pattern, and some just to fit in odd areas. It's a dream to just put it on
there, saw, and it's done. No dust.

A 10" saw is a tool that is used infrequently, but when you do pull it out,
it does it right the first time. I think you could get a used saw for what
any chop saw would cost you, and the chop saw makes dust, which causes
silicosos, a very dangerous human ailment.

Mine cost me $60 at a yard sale. It retails for about $600. It's not new
and pristine, but it works, and I think it's worth what I paid for it.

Steve

Heart surgery pending?
Read up and prepare.
Learn how to care for a friend.
http://cabgbypasssurgery.com

keith wrote:
On Sep 30, 12:24 pm, "chaniarts" wrote:
G Mulcaster wrote:
I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.
I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.
RPM and torque may be a probem. The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800.
Will it work?
Thanks for any comments, Gary
not without ruining it from the dust. try a tile wet saw

A very good application for a HarborFreight tool. I wouldn't hesitate
to use my 10" HF SCMS (it was fine for what I bought it for) or an old
circular saw. If he dust gets to it, no great loss.
{harbor freight}

I just became a harbor-freight dude.
--
Uno

On Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:49:33 -0600, Uno wrote:

keith wrote:
On Sep 30, 12:24 pm, "chaniarts" wrote:
G Mulcaster wrote:
I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.
I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.
RPM and torque may be a probem. The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800.
Will it work?
Thanks for any comments, Gary
not without ruining it from the dust. try a tile wet saw

A very good application for a HarborFreight tool. I wouldn't hesitate
to use my 10" HF SCMS (it was fine for what I bought it for) or an old
circular saw. If he dust gets to it, no great loss.
{harbor freight}

I just became a harbor-freight dude.

check out their 10" wet saw-
http://www.harborfreight.com/25-hors...saw-95385.html
for $250 it aint bad- and when you're done you should be able to get
$150 for it easy- though you might decide to keep it once you use one
for a day.

Jim

Jim Elbrecht wrote:
-snip-

check out their 10" wet saw-
http://www.harborfreight.com/25-hors...saw-95385.html
for $250 it aint bad- and when you're done you should be able to get
$150 for it easy- though you might decide to keep it once you use one
for a day.

I meant to add-- Once you've cut on a wet saw after experiencing the
toxic, go-everywhere dust storm of dry cutting, it is hard to go back.
You'll start looking for blocks to cut in half.

Jim

On Oct 1, 12:05*am, "Steve B" wrote:
Let me know how you get a big block in a chop saw. *On the flat caps, yes,
you could do it in two cuts, but it would be iffy to get them straight.

Um... From the OP:

"I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to
trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h."

Not all cement blocks are 12" blocks.

On Sep 30, 7:28*pm, G Mulcaster wrote:
On Thu, 30 Sep 2010 22:52:02 +0000 (UTC),



(Larry W) wrote:
In article ,
G Mulcaster wrote:
I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.

I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw *would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.

RPM and torque may be a probem. *The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800. *

Will it work?

Thanks for any comments, Gary

Diamond blade me be overkill & expensive depending on how many blocks
you expect to cut.

http://www.google.com/products?q=mas...chop+saw&hl=en

Thanks for the URL. *Will be cutting about 100 blocks (the top caps -
both sides) on this project. *Two other projects are in the future.

I could rent a saw; however, may as well use this as an excuse to buy
another toy

Now *that's* the right attitude.

On Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:19:01 -0700, G Mulcaster
wrote:

I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.

I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.

RPM and torque may be a probem. The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800.

Will it work?

Thanks for any comments, Gary

A follow up:

I called both Porter Cable and Makita. The Porter Cable tech said
that the PC chop saw could not be used with a diamond blade. No
reason given.

The Makita tech rep said there would be no problem using a diamond
blade. The Makita chop saws are sealed units; that is, there is no
danger of cement dust getting into the bearings. He said to ensure I
blew out the unit with an air hose after use. (To get dust out of the
armature?)

So, I purchased a Makita 2414NB on sale

Thanks for all your responses.
Gary

G Mulcaster wrote:

On Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:19:01 -0700, G Mulcaster
wrote:

I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.

I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.

RPM and torque may be a probem. The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800.

Will it work?

Thanks for any comments, Gary

A follow up:

I called both Porter Cable and Makita. The Porter Cable tech said
that the PC chop saw could not be used with a diamond blade. No
reason given.

The Makita tech rep said there would be no problem using a diamond
blade. The Makita chop saws are sealed units; that is, there is no
danger of cement dust getting into the bearings. He said to ensure I
blew out the unit with an air hose after use. (To get dust out of the
armature?)

So, I purchased a Makita 2414NB on sale

On that basis I'd buy the Porter Cable. The bearings may be
sealed-- but the motor & brushes aren't. When the motor sucks dust
filled air through it you will be coating the armature with dust that
will only come off if you completely dis-assemble the saw.

You will be cutting the saw's life in half at best. [which is fine if
it will just sit on a shelf for most of the next 20 years-- but I'd
rather get the right tool for this job- and sell it later. [the right
tool in this case if a wet saw of any description-- not just for the
saw's life-- but for the 1/2 acre or so that get's covered with dust
after a few dry cuts]

OTOH- did you record the tech's conversation? I'd put a copy of
that with the warranty and cite it when the saw fails prematurely.

Jim

On Sat, 02 Oct 2010 08:18:17 -0400, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:

G Mulcaster wrote:

On Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:19:01 -0700, G Mulcaster
wrote:

I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.

I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.

RPM and torque may be a probem. The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800.

Will it work?

Thanks for any comments, Gary

A follow up:

I called both Porter Cable and Makita. The Porter Cable tech said
that the PC chop saw could not be used with a diamond blade. No
reason given.

The Makita tech rep said there would be no problem using a diamond
blade. The Makita chop saws are sealed units; that is, there is no
danger of cement dust getting into the bearings. He said to ensure I
blew out the unit with an air hose after use. (To get dust out of the
armature?)

So, I purchased a Makita 2414NB on sale

On that basis I'd buy the Porter Cable. The bearings may be
sealed-- but the motor & brushes aren't. When the motor sucks dust
filled air through it you will be coating the armature with dust that
will only come off if you completely dis-assemble the saw.

I was told the PC was not suitable by the PC tech rep. The Makita
tech rep said the Makita chop saw was suitable - just blow the dust
out after use...

Also, the hardware store advised me against PC because in the
PC/Delta/DeWalt franchise, the PC's quality is now the low end of the
three, unlike the past where PC was top notch.

One thing voting for the PC was price - $110, the Makita was $150.

I have to admit that I'm a Makita freak. I started buying Makita
tools in 1980 and have never been dissapointed.

Cheers, Gary

G Mulcaster wrote:

On Sat, 02 Oct 2010 08:18:17 -0400, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:

G Mulcaster wrote:

On Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:19:01 -0700, G Mulcaster
wrote:

I'm building an Allen Block (cement) retaining wall and need to trim a
large number of top caps which are 11"w x 11"d x 3 3/8"h.

I'm wondering if a 14" chop saw would work if I were to put a diamond
blade in it.

RPM and torque may be a probem. The one I'm looking at (Porter Cable)
is 15A with an RPM of 3800.

Will it work?

Thanks for any comments, Gary

A follow up:

I called both Porter Cable and Makita. The Porter Cable tech said
that the PC chop saw could not be used with a diamond blade. No
reason given.

The Makita tech rep said there would be no problem using a diamond
blade. The Makita chop saws are sealed units; that is, there is no
danger of cement dust getting into the bearings. He said to ensure I
blew out the unit with an air hose after use. (To get dust out of the
armature?)

So, I purchased a Makita 2414NB on sale

On that basis I'd buy the Porter Cable. The bearings may be
sealed-- but the motor & brushes aren't. When the motor sucks dust
filled air through it you will be coating the armature with dust that
will only come off if you completely dis-assemble the saw.

I was told the PC was not suitable by the PC tech rep. The Makita
tech rep said the Makita chop saw was suitable - just blow the dust
out after use...

I guess I wasn't clear. The PC guy told the truth. The Makita guy
was wrong- either through ignorance or because of greed. The dust
you will create will be unbelievable. My job was 150' from a road,
but cutting one 4x8x12 in half stopped traffic if the wind was wrong.

There is not just a lot of it- it is sticky and abrasive. It will
ruin your saw.

Buy/rent/steal a wet saw.

-snip-

I have to admit that I'm a Makita freak. I started buying Makita
tools in 1980 and have never been dissapointed.

So buy the Makita chop-saw- and saw wood with it. Don't ruin it
with masonry dust.

Jim