Hydraulic ring saws concrete sawing
MegasawConcrete Cutting

Hydraulic Handheld Ring Saws – Dos and Don’ts

Are you looking to have some concrete cut? Hydraulic ring saws are an essential tool as part of the process. Let’s take a look at do’s and don’ts of using hydraulic ring saws in more detail below.

Hydraulic ring saws are powerful tools that can make short work of almost any cutting job, even cutting concrete. Like any power tool, however, they must be handled with respect.

A short lapse of attention, or a few moments of laziness, and you could lose an eye or a finger.

Staying Safe When Using a Ring Saw

DO: Wear appropriate safety equipment. Safety glasses, robust footwear, a face mask and gloves should be a part of your day-to-day safety kit when cutting concrete on the job.

Even if you’re wet cutting, wearing a mask will help to protect your lungs from any dust that gets kicked up.

The long-term impact of inhaling concrete dust is unclear, but it is known that inhaling large amounts of dust can injure the lungs, causing fibrous scar tissue to form, which can lead to a condition called fibrosis.

DON’T: Use a handheld hydraulic wind saw in bad weather. Heavy rain can lead to slippery surfaces, strong winds can make it difficult to control the saw.

Bad weather, in general, can make it difficult to concentrate and may lead to unsafe operation of the saw.

DO: Check the blade before operating the saw, and replace it if necessary.

DON’T: Operate any form of hydraulic or power tool while tired, intoxicated, or taking medication which could cause drowsiness.

DO: Ensure that you are wearing appropriately fitting clothing (no baggy sleeves or loose garments) and that any loose jewellery has been removed.

If you have long hair, ensure that it is tied back and suitably contained so that there is no risk of anything catching the saw blade while it is rotating.

DON’T: Attempt to use a handheld saw as if it were a fixed tool. If you need to cut a small item, use an appropriate tool for that job.

DO: Turn off the tool when it is not in use, and make sure that the safety/guard is in place if you are going to leave the tool unattended.

DON’T: Touch the tool immediately after you have been cutting with it. The blades of ring saws cut through abrasion and can get very hot. Always allow them to cool down before moving them.

DO: Make sure that the area around you is free from obstruction and that there are no children or pets nearby before you start cutting.

In addition, make sure that there are no loose items nearby that could cause distraction or obstruction, and that you have a stable foothold.

DON’T: Operate a ring saw in an area where you would be unable to summon help in an emergency. Ideally, there should be others with you when you are working.

DO: Take regular breaks. Operating this kind of machine can lead to nerve or circulation damage in the fingers/hands.

If you start experiencing tingling, prickling or altered sensation in the extremities, stop using the saw immediately.

The risk of nerve and circulation damage increases at colder temperatures, so more frequent breaks may be necessary during cold weather.

Putting Safety First

Modern hydraulic ring saws are incredibly powerful and can make short work of things that would have previously been challenging to cut. With the right blades, they can be a joy to use.

You and others on your site should get regular safety training to ensure that the machines are operated safely.

Whenever you are handling powerful equipment, whether it’s a hydraulic handheld ring saw, a drill, sander, or something else entirely you should always wear appropriate safety equipment.

Follow the manufacturer’s directions for using the tool to the letter and never cut corners.

A few extra moments doing things right today could save you from some expensive mistakes or a trip to the emergency room!

If you are looking for a specialist concrete cutting company who uses only the best practices to get the job done right, then please call us at Megasaw on 1300 920 419 or contact us through our website. 

MegasawUncategorized

Safety Measures Using Hand Held Concrete Saw

Today, lots of choices are available in saws. It comes with cordless electric motors, gas engines, or saws powered by pneumatics or hydraulics. All these equipments, by their nature, are highly hazardous tools if used recklessly. Safety, hence, is the most important aspect you need to consider before actually working with a saw.

Safety Issues

The foremost thumb rule is not to assume that anyone operating this equipment is well versed with the safely issues procedures. Each saw comes with a complete list of general safety rules that is compulsory to be followed, spanning from ensuring that electrical tools are unplugged prior to changing blades to just facilitating the tool it is meant for not something else.

Equipment Type

Hand-held cutting saws are meant to be used only where the larger self-supporting saws are not compatible.

Work Area

Hand-held saws is ideal to be used when the operator’s hands are lifted at waist height while holding the equipment when cutting horizontally and between the collar bone to the height of knee when vertical cutting is in progress. Operation beyond these guidelines may create hazards of injury to the operator.

Basic Safety Tips

Safety TipsIf the operator is using a non-trigger tool there must be a holder to grab the equipment properly. A proper grip for both left and right handed operators is imperative. Lighter the saw, better it is, as it will reduce risk of strain injury. Aptly balanced equipment must be packed with anti-vibration hand-grips to offer the best comfort to the operator and great support.

Improperly balanced equipment may require the operator’s to place his hands in risky positions close to the blade or it may vibrate unusually while using thus risking harm to the operator’s nerves, joints and circulation. Right diamond cutting should be put to use for the material being cut to void apply more force by the operator to perform the task.

Safety with Right Primary Checking

To cut concrete horizontally, the saw should move right to left and left to right without lifting or changing the blade or guard. It should have an automatic cutoff switch. If you are going to cut pipe make sure that they are having ample support and are properly chocked. Let the workers working in the close vicinity of the site have the information that drilling or cutting is about to commence. Put the ‘Noise Warning’ and ‘Danger Diamond Drilling’ indications in conspicuous places. Instruct the people helping the operator to stay away from any hazard of rapid saw movements or expulsion of fine pieces.

Fuelling must be done after switching off and keeping of the work space.The cutting area should be cleaned and have even surface. Executing concrete cutting & sawing indoors, ensure that the operator is using compressed or hydraulically-driven saw and also ensure that proper ventilation system is available.

Manually no cutting should be performed above shoulder height. Something placed at greater height should be performed using scaffold. Check for the hoses and right level of oil. Check the conditions of ground to ensure safety of operator. Put all electrical cables safely to the ground level. Make sure the engine is properly warmed up and the blade has started running at the right speed prior to commencing the cutting process.

Facilitate the handles instead of the belt guard to support the device. Cutting and drilling task must not be performed near combustible material, wet slurry, fumes, and electrically-powered device. Immediately stop the equipment if an unauthorized person enters the work area or in case you find fault with the machine or blade.

Safety While Operation

When the task is going to start using the saw, first mark the cut line using a waterproof crayon or permanent marker. Stand firmly placing one foot apart from other and one in front of the other, the balance of the body and the back should be close to vertical angle.

In case of cutting a pipe, keep the saw forward as the cutting should take place in the lower quadrant of the blade. Cut the top of the pipe by rotating the pipe between the cut. After using the saw for some time and changing to a second blade, ensure to align the blade in sync with the earlier cut before starting the cutting process. Operation should be done at optimum blade revolutions and a swishing sound can be heard from the blade when cutting properly. Ensure to release the triggers when the blade gets stuck up or jams due to any reason.

Maintenance Tips

The overall functioning condition of the equipment must be checked by the operator before actually commencing the cutting to make sure that the cutting device, leads, blade, guards, and hydraulic hoses are in best condition. The device must be checked and maintained thoroughly by the right technician. Just ensure that defective equipments may put the operator along with the people working in the close vicinity in danger.

Above stated are some of the safety measures that are requisite for operating hand held concrete saw. Following these safety measures will help the operator and the other people working in the same environment to maintain a good working environment and avoid any hazard to the lives of these people.

MegasawConcrete Sawing, Tools

Concrete Sawing – Handheld Concrete Saw or Walk Behind ?

A Concrete Saw is a powerful tool used to cut very hard objects, like concrete, asphalt, masonry, tiles etc. There are several types of saws like portable and hand held saws, a giant walk behind saw and different types of other saws used for various sawing purposes. In the same way it has various blades that are integrated in different types of saws for various types of cutting. A close overview of the types of saws blades and ways to concrete sawing is discussed below:

Types of Concrete Saws

Concrete SawingUsually there are two categories of concrete saws – small handheld and bigger walk-behind. The formal saws are lightweight and easily movable, compared to the walk-behind saw. These are, more often than not, facilitated to saw wall openings along with minor surface jobs like curbing holes for putting posts in a slab.

Walk-behind saws are used while standing behind the saw and operating it. These are faster cutting devices as they’re equipped with increased horsepower and its power can be increased while cutting. The heavy weight of these saws enables you to hold it down into the cut area giving a better and sharper cut. Due to having wheels and a guide indicator, it is very easy to work over a defined crayon line and get a straight cut. The blades in a walk-behind saw are mounted to one side to enable a cut closer to a standing wall.

Concrete saws are usually associated with gasoline fueled engines. These cannot be used in closed spaces or basements as it generates carbon monoxide fumes. If you are not going to saw much you should opt for a hand-held electric saw as it will eliminate any exhaust fume issue. However it is electric, you can’t facilitate water to settle down dust hence you need to cut dry. Preferably you should use any type of saw in open areas instead of a basement or closed ones.

A better option of using a saw in a closed space is using a pneumatic saw. Such saws functions on compressed air can be found in both hand-held and walk-behind saws. Mostly they are used in wet conditions but in both the atmosphere they perform. If you need to cut completely through a poured concrete wall, you may want to use a chain saw.

Types of Saw Blades

There are two major types of saw blades – abrasive and diamond blades. Abrasive blades are mostly used and found to be affordable, in terms of cost, for small projects. The blade’s full diameter is normally 14″, and it reduces in size as it is used for cutting purposes. Finally it may become too small at one time to cut up to the required depth and then it is thrown off and a new blade is put to use.

Diamond blades do not reduce in size over time due to continuous usage. The particles of diamonds are welded on it in the form of segments using laser to a steel hub. The diamonds keep dropping off as it wears out and a fresh row keeps appearing. When the segment finally wears down the blade is required to be replaced. Diamond blades are quite expensive aka abrasive blades but they last a lot longer than abrasive blades. In addition, they are quite longer and hold their depth of cutting better and are best for larger jobs. Diamond blades cut faster and require less concrete to remove and thus less dust is formed.

Saw Cutting Tips

Concrete contracts and expands when it gets cold or hot. Due to this, control joints are cut in the slab at every 10’ or to find a weak spot of the crack. It is advisable to cut 1/5th of the thickness of slabs so usually 4 inch slabs are cut at a depth of 1 inch. The slab will find the weakest point and crack right beneath the control joint and the cracks will not be that visible.

Concrete sawing is a vital aspect of any construction project and it is one of the most strenuous and important tasks that is done in any construction site. Knowledge of types of concrete saws available and the different types of blades matters a lot when you are actively involved in any construction business.

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