Labor Day weekend will soon be here, and with it, some sun, fun, and the last chance to take care of your home improvement projects before fall.
Saws are an essential part of any homeowner’s toolbox. Besides the typical hack saw hanging in everyone’s shed, some jobs benefit from the power that only a specialty saw can bring. Even a manual saw can become a specialized tree trimming machine with the right attachment.
Trim Branches Quickly with a Manual or Powered Limb Saw
The hot and humid summers here in Missouri can cause our vegetation to grow a little wild when we’re not looking. It’s easy to lose track of the trees and hedges on our property that, when allowed to grow free, can become a home and safety liability. It’s best to take care of these problems now so you can have peace of mind later.
Limb saws are perfect for reaching stubbornly high branches on your yard’s towering Red Cedar or Sugar Maple tree. Since powered and hand-powered saws can both meet your needs, it’s best to learn the pros and cons of each.
Powered limb saws run on gas and are just as powerful as a regular gas-powered chainsaw. Because they can be just as loud as their larger cousins, you should always wear ear protection when you operate them. There’s no saw better for getting through thick branches quickly, but remember to be considerate of your neighbors when you decide to rid your property of unruly branches.
Hand-powered saws have the benefit of being quiet in comparison to their gas-powered cousins. They are better suited for lighter branches and take a bit longer, but you don’t have to worry about purchasing fuel or making too much noise for the neighbors.
How to Use a Limb Saw
When you start your cut, make sure you place the saw teeth on the top of the branch and slowly pull the blade towards you, then carefully push it away from you. Continue pulling it back and forth, using the entire blade length. Remember to go slow and be especially careful at the end of the branch so that the saw breaking through doesn’t catch you by surprise.
When trimming any tree or shrub, it’s important not to cut branches flush with the trunk. Branches cut this way don’t seal up properly and can invite disease and pests into the tree, damaging it. Instead, make sure to cut the branch just outside the branch collar (the swollen area where the branch meets the tree). This ensures that the tree can stay healthy and properly recover.
Limb Saw Safety
It’s vital that before operating any saw, you should put on a protective layer of clothing. Sturdy gloves, long sleeves, full-length pants, and safety glasses or goggles should be worn. For gas-powered saws, ear protection, like earplugs, is recommended while the saw is in operation to avoid hearing loss. And finally, if you’re trimming tree limbs above your head, make sure to wear a hard hat as a falling branch can knock you unconscious or worse.
How to Cut Bathroom and Kitchen Tiles with a Tile Saw
Inside the home, two areas that often need work are the bathroom and kitchen. When replacing the tile in either area, it can be challenging to finish the job once you need specially cut tile. Luckily, the tile saw is here to the rescue, specializing in L-shaped cuts and internal cutouts to help you fit tiled edges and corners. Don’t worry; tile saws are no more complex to use than other basic power tools.
But what is a tile saw, and how does it work? Tile saws are electric saws (similar to an electric miter saw) that possess a diamond-coated blade and water-cooling system. Because the blade must remain wet to prevent overheating, they are also sometimes called wet saws. The water is stored inside the tile saw’s reservoir tank underneath the cutting board. This prevents water spillage and ensures that no water gets into the electrical portions of the saw.
How to Operate a Tile Saw
Before using a tile saw, it’s good practice to place it on a heavy, flat table or the floor. A table saw on an unstable surface can result in inaccurate cuts and might cause serious injury. Also, make sure the water reservoir tank is filled to the fill line.
Make sure that your tiles are properly marked in pencil, then place the tile you intend to cut onto the cutting table. Adjust the fence to ensure that the tile’s pencil mark lines up with the tile saw blade. Keep the widest part of the tile between the fence and the blade; this extra space will keep your hand as far away from the blade as possible.
Turn the tile saw on and make sure that water is being sprayed on the blade, as an overheated blade can cause the tile to crack and put more dust into the air.
Feed the tile into the blade slowly with a steady grip. Be extra careful not to push the tile into the blade too fast around the edges, as this is where most breakages occur.
When done, turn the tile saw off and remove the tile and other cut pieces away from the blade. Once the cutting table is clear, you’re ready to place another tile down in preparation for another cut.
Tile Saw Safety Gear
When operating a tile saw, it’s essential to wear protective gear. Goggles, ear protection, and dust masks are all recommended to keep your eyes, ears, and mucus membranes safe and free of any potential dust and noise hazards.
Cut Concrete with an EDCO Walk-Behind Saw
Some jobs are just too big to tackle with hand tools, even powered ones. Cutting concrete slabs and floors requires the type of power that is only possible with a big saw like the walk-behind saw.
These large power tools can make straight and deep cuts, cutting asphalt, concrete, and masonry stone and are often used on sidewalks, driveways, basement floors, warehouse floors, and even highways. Like tile saws, walk-behind saws are wet saws that incorporate diamond-coated saw blades with water to reduce dust and keep surfaces from cracking.
How to Operate a Walk-Behind Saw
When deciding to use a walk-behind saw for your project, preparation is vital. Wet concrete is challenging to cut through, and fully cured concrete is too brittle. You want your concrete to be in the middle; try to time your cuts so that you’re cutting your concrete when it is half cured.
Before you ever try to make your first cut, make sure that you’ve appropriately marked all the places you intend to cut with either chalk or crayon. Then, put a strip of duct tape along the bottom of the saw that touches the concrete to prevent it from scratching the surface as it cuts.
You’ll also want to make sure you have a guideboard ready along the outside of your marked line. Then, position your saw along the guideboard and turn it on. Keep a firm grip on the handles and push the saw slowly and tightly against the guideboard. You’ll need to go back and forth, making a series of shallow cuts, slowly adjusting the blade depth as you go. Remember, like with other saws, never force the blade. Let it do the work for you; your job is to guide it.
Walk-Behind Saw Safety
Finally, when using a walk-behind saw, remember to stay safe. Protective gear like heavy long-sleeved shirts, pants, steel-toed boots, gloves, face shield, hearing protection, and dust masks are all recommended. The walk-behind saw is a powerful tool that can cause serious injury if mishandled; keep the area clear be vigilant while the device is on.
Saws are great tools that can help you accomplish some of the bigger tasks you might have on your “to-do list” this Labor Day weekend. From power and hand saws to tile and walk-behind saws, these heavy-duty tools will let you finish your home improvement tasks quickly so you can enjoy the rest of your time off. But owning and maintaining every tool under the sun can be expensive. That’s where tool rental can allow you to get all the benefits of having a tool without having to worry about its storage and maintenance. Wildcat Tool Rental has all the saws mentioned above to help you get the job done right. Give us a call at (417) 753-8665 or visit us today to get the jump on your next DIY weekend project.
