Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Sawzall blades

From: "Arvid Jedlicka" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 07:26:51 -0500

I did not purchase this kit but I have used blades that are similar to "The 
Ax".

The issue I has hanging on to the Sawzall as the very aggressive teeth would 
grab on to what ever I was cutting and would shake the heck out of the 
person holding the Sawzall rather than cutting the wood. Assuming you can 
overcome that problem I don't see why it would not work.

Arvid

-----Original Message----- 
From: nick brearley
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2012 3:50 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: [Shop-talk] Sawzall blades

Got to remove a tree growing beside the shop and I've been wondering
about using a Sawzall type saw for cutting the roots. Getting tired of
swinging an axe in close quarters.

Looking on ebay I came across these   http://tinyurl.com/8fcvykz and
wondered if anyone had experience in using these, or similar, for this
type of job.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Nick Brearley
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From: Jim Stone <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 07:45:09 -0500

I have successfully used my reciprocating saw to prune trees and even cut down
some small ones with it.  The blade is more likely to bind when cutting live
wood, but it does work.  It helps to spray it with some kind of lubricating
spray when you aren't worried about killing the tree.  I have not tried the
demolition blades in your link, but am fairly certain you can buy blades made
for the task.

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From: Jim Franklin <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 08:47:44 -0400

On Aug 20, 2012, at 4:50 AM, nick brearley wrote:

> Got to remove a tree growing beside the shop and I've been wondering about
using a Sawzall type saw for cutting the roots. Getting tired of swinging an
axe in close quarters.
> Looking on ebay I came across these   http://tinyurl.com/8fcvykz and
wondered if anyone had experience in using these, or similar, for this type of
job.

I've used them for their intended purpose and they nicely cut through
anything. I probably used them for tree roots too, can't remember.
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From: "John T. Blair" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 09:07:06 -0400

At 08:26 AM 8/20/2012, Arvid Jedlicka wrote:

 >grab on to what ever I was cutting and would shake the heck out of 
the person
 >holding the Sawzall rather than cutting the wood. Assuming you can overcome
 >that problem I don't see why it would not work.

Arvid,

Yes you can.  I had to have a plumer replace the main sewage drain pipe at my
house.  He used a cordless saws-all to cut the root.  I'll send you 
some pictures
via private email.

John

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Va. Beach, Va                  Phone:  (757) 495-8229

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From: "Karl Vacek" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 08:22:26 -0500

I've cut lots of roots up to maybe 6", with my Sawzall, often just plunging
it down in the dirt.  I've had great luck with DeWalt blades.  Certain
Milwaukee blades (the Torch and Axe are among them) have worked well for me,
but many other Milwaukee blades have been short-lived, dulling or even
spitting teeth within a few minutes' use, and all Milwaukee blades are
expensive.

I've abused the heck out of DeWalt blades, binding them up and bending them
into pretzels while hot.  Let the blade cool a bit, roughly bend it back to
shape, and the blade seems to have a memory - with a few pushes this way and
that they're usually perfectly straight.  Cutting into dirt (especially our
very sandy soil) is gritty and tough on blades, but again the DeWalt blades
hold up longer than any others I've tried.

I do love my Milwaukee Sawzall, even if I'm not a fan of their blades.
Sometimes when we were cutting those roots the saw got too hot to hold even
with the rubber skin on the nose.  I'd give it half an hour to cool off and
go back at it.  That's a load of abuse for it, but it was the only way to do
the job (well, I also used an axe...).  Anyway, after 15 years of
mistreatment it still works good as new, though it looks pretty used.
Karl

-----Original Message-----
From: nick brearley

Looking on ebay I came across these   http://tinyurl.com/8fcvykz and 
wondered if anyone had experience in using these, or similar, for this type
of job.
_______________________________________________

[email-masked]

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From: Pat Horne <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 09:02:47 -0500

Nick,

I have used these blades on lumber and they work fine. A few points though.

Since you are looking at a set of blades, are you going to need them in 
the future, or is this about all you plan on cutting? It will be cheaper 
to just buy a couple blades individually.

When I cut this kind of material I use a 8 " or 12" blade, something 
that is not in the set. You may not want to or not be able to  get the 
saw right against the root.

If you find that the saw gets stuck, you can always cut out a notch like 
you would with an axe to give you more clearance.

Last time I pulled a 12" stump we cut as many of the roots as possible, 
then called a wrecker to pull the stump out. It had a large tap root 
that we couldn't get to with any saw or axe.

Peace,
Pat

Thusly spake nick brearley, On 8/20/2012 3:50 AM:
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]
>
>
>

-- 
Pat Horne, Owner, Horne Systems
(512) 797-7501 Voice		5026 FM 2001
[email-masked]	Lockhart, TX 78644-4443
www.hornesystemstx.com
-- We support Habitat for Humanity - a hand UP, not a hand OUT --
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From: Rand E <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 07:15:15 -0700 (PDT)

Here's a set that Kmart currently has on sale for $9.99. 

http://www.kmart.com/craftsman-reciprocating-saw-blade-set-10-pk/p-005W840418110001P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

Randy

-----Original Message----- From: nick brearley
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2012 3:50 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: [Shop-talk] Sawzall blades

Nick Brearley

[email-masked]

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From: "Karl Vacek" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:12:27 -0500

Who makes Craftsman blades?  Cheap doesn't mean good deal, though expensive
doesn't guarantee good either.

And ditto on Pat's mention of a 12" blade for trees and roots - the only way
to cut that stuff with a Sawzall.  Those are the ones I've abused the most,
and the ones I've pretzeled and then had good results on straightening.
Karl

-----Original Message-----
From: Rand E
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Sawzall blades

Here's a set that Kmart currently has on sale for $9.99. 
http://www.kmart.com/craftsman-reciprocating-saw-blade-set-10-pk/p-005W84041
8110001P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1
_______________________________________________

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From: nick brearley <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:43:23 +0100

Karl Vacek wrote:
> into pretzels while hot.
Thanks Karl,

Now you mention it I remember someone else commenting favourably on 
Dewalt blades in the past. Since the saw is a Dewalt I'll look into 
their blades as well.

Glad to hear they can be used on roots. I've had some unhappy 
experiences with chainsaws and soil so that led to the question.

Nick

[email-masked]

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From: nick brearley <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:50:09 +0100

Pat Horne wrote:
> Since you are looking at a set of blades, are you going to need them 
> in the future, or is this about all you plan on cutting? It will be 
> cheaper to just buy a couple blades individually.
>
> If you find that the saw gets stuck, you can always cut out a notch 
> like you would with an axe to give you more clearance.
>
> Last time I pulled a 12" stump we cut as many of the roots as 
> possible, then called a wrecker to pull the stump out. It had a large 
> tap root that we couldn't get to with any saw or axe.
>
Pat,

I was looking at the set as a tester for various jobs as well as the 
tree roots. Since the Sawzall type saw is not much used on this side of 
the pond it's a case of finding out what it can do. They're mostly seen 
on TV shows like "Scrapheap Challenge".

Karl mentioned the Dewalt blades so I'll probably look at them too, in 
the 8 and 12 inch lengths you recommend.

Nick

[email-masked]

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From: John Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:02:51 -0700

> on TV shows like "Scrapheap Challenge".

I'm trying to come up with an appropriate sexual analogy for the 
throbbing energy of the reciprocating saw...

Seriously, though...whether you're hacking old shock brackets off a car 
frame, doing a little manipulation of wall framing, any sort of rigid 
plastic or metal piping except cast iron, it's hard to imagine life 
without one.

A battery Sawzall (with two, maybe three if they're unbranded eBay 
Chinese, batteries) will take a complete IRS assembly out of a 
pull-it-yerself junkyard old-style Jag XJ in 20 minutes.  Cut the 
exhaust pipes, the driveshaft, cut above the trailing-arm mounts 
horizontally along the bottom of the floorpan (don't bother unbolting 
them, they're invariably rusted onto the pan and the bushing's trashed 
anyway), then cut the four cage mounts.  Plop, it falls to the ground. 
Now cut the parking brake cables and hoses, drag it out and go.

BTW, if you're foolish enough to listen to me, it's CRITICAL that you 
finish the undercar work BEFORE cutting loose the trailing arms, and you 
should in any case try to avoid EVER being directly under the IRS 
assembly.  Most of the time 1-3 of the cage mounts are broken anyway, 
and...well, if it drops you may well depart this mortal existence in a 
fashion too embarrassing for your descendants to explain, and without 
even a Nelson Rockefellerish dose of snickering prurience.

> the 8 and 12 inch lengths you recommend.

The yellow DeWalt 6 and 8in 14tpi blades are good general-purpose 
blades.  There's other brands that've worked well for me e.g. Blu-Mol. 
There are specialty blades from other mfrs that suit specific purposes 
well.  I wish I'd had a couple of the Milwaukee 'Torch' blades when 
cutting up that well-tinwormed Mk1 Cortina parts car into 
scrap-bin-sized chunks a little while back...

John.

[email-masked]

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From: Brian Kemp <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:08:08 -0700

Nick,

I have on old pruning saw that is set aside for roots, which may be an 
affordable option if you just have a little cutting and don't have the 
Sawzall type saw already.

As another option, I used my rotary hammer in hammer mode with a chisel 
blade.

We had a large tree fall down and rip out a retaining wall.  There was a 
cluster of roots remaining where the new wall needed to go. The roots 
were intertwined and full of rocks.  I tried a hatchet and pruning saw, 
but wore out my arm and chipped off the corner of the hatchet.  I wanted 
minimal dirt disruption to avoid settling of the replacement wall, so 
didn't want to make a big hole trying to dig out the roots.  I wore 
heavy leather gloves and used one hand to guide the chisel.

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-in-1-1-inch-sds-rotary-hammer-97743.html
and
http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-sds-masonry-flat-chisel-set-42651.html

$49 for the drill and $10 for the bits on sale.

It isn't necessarily efficient and it might have been quicker and easier 
to go with some of the blades mentioned in a Sawzall, but I didn't think 
about that.  I throw this out to the list as another choice and use for 
a fun tool.

I love the rotary hammer.  Wear hearing protection though as it is 
loud.  The only thing I use my regular hammer drill for now is precision 
stuff with small bits.

Brian

On 8/20/2012 1:50 AM, nick brearley wrote:
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]

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From: John Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:26:43 -0700

> loud.  The only thing I use my regular hammer drill for now is precision

You got it for $49?  Score!

Seriously, on the tool-quality scale it's a pretty rude piece.  The 
Makitas that Home Depot rents are a much, much nicer product, smoother, 
shock-damping handle, fewer knobs to twiddle to change settings, and 
just a more balanced feel.

But...those Makitas are something over $300 new, or close to $50 a day 
to rent, and I've never found one used at a price I'd pay.  So after 
renting those things for probably a total of two weeks over a four-year 
period I bought the Harbor Freight cheapie.  And it works.  As I said, 
not as well as the Makita, but it works.

A couple days ago I put a 1in hole for a piece of plastic conduit 
through the back of our brick outdoor kitchen island.  I no longer have 
to plan ahead when I want to put in anchor bolts for some fencing or 
gates, to ensure I can do them all in one four-hour rental.

I have a few of those not-very-good-but-great-for-occasional-use HF 
tools, like this thing:

http://www.harborfreight.com/compact-2-speed-1-2-half-inch-right-angle-drill-97622.html

Bought it when we were remodeling the house back in '03 and needed to 
put a whole lotta holes in studs, plates and fireblocking for gas, 
water, and drain pipe.  When I got it, it sounded like it was eating 
itself. I opened it and cleaned out the rendered goose fat or whatever 
their supplier greases the gears with and refilled it with Redline axle 
grease; it sounded a bit better.  Ran it hours and hours a day for three 
straight weeks and it far more than paid for itself; still use it 
occasionally.

John.

[email-masked]

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From: nick brearley <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:58:45 +0100

> throbbing energy of the reciprocating saw...

I see where you're coming from...  For me the ultimate tool is the Stihl 
cut-off saw, just the right combination of size, noise and sparks.

> I wish I'd had a couple of the Milwaukee 'Torch' blades when cutting 
> up that well-tinwormed Mk1 Cortina parts car into scrap-bin-sized 
> chunks a little while back...
>
A nailfile should deal with Cortina parts by now!

Nick

[email-masked]

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From: nick brearley <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 09:03:09 +0100

Brian Kemp wrote:
> As another option, I used my rotary hammer in hammer mode with a 
> chisel blade.
>

Thank you Brian. You've just given me an excuse to buy another tool...  
Seriously though that's a good suggestion. I do have an SDS drill 
smaller than the one in your link but it does have stopmotion. I'll give 
it a try to see how it goes.

Given a sharp chisel it should be good since it can be focussed as you 
describe.

Nick

[email-masked]

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From: Pat Horne <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 07:17:51 -0500

An additional point for tree cutting. The blades I use for this work are 
variable spacing tooth blades. They vary from 2 to 4 per inch, not 
something you want to use on thin stock.  Yes that is very coarse, but 
they cut thick wood very fast, though ugly.

Peace,
Pat

Thusly spake John Miller, On 8/21/2012 12:02 AM:
> Seriously, though...whether you're hacking old shock brackets off a 
> car frame, doing a little manipulation of wall framing, any sort of 
> rigid plastic or metal piping except cast iron, it's hard to imagine 
> life without one.
>
> finish the undercar work BEFORE cutting loose the trailing arms, and 
> you should in any case try to avoid EVER being directly under the IRS 

[email-masked]

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From: "Eric J Russell" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:29:25 -0400 a=P2oOn6vrs4wA:10 a=8nJEP1OIZ-IA:10 a=P_grQCu1cUQA:10 a=wJjgFq53tGJlaoXvjQHWgA==:17 a=Ojocn2TjAAAA:8 a=xwPayol1AAAA:8 a=TiPSbQP1M4vKoOMuC5QA:9 a=wPNLvfGTeEIA:10 a=8kFsaLc9TUUA:10 a=wJjgFq53tGJlaoXvjQHWgA==:117 reip=0.000, cl=1, cld=1, fgs=0

> throbbing energy of the reciprocating saw...

*NSFW*  http://www.stockroom.com/Fuck-Saw-P2931.aspx 

Eric Russell
Mebane, NC
http://home.mebtel.net/~ejrussell
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From: Dave C <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:22:52 -0700

I got one of those years ago for probably less than that.  It lives at 
school most of the time because the high school is mostly concrete 
(think prison construction with less stainless steel) and someone always 
wants to hang a poster or white board on a cast in place concrete wall.  
Shop teachers get all the fun jobs.

On 8/20/2012 10:26 PM, John Miller wrote:
> Makitas that Home Depot rents are a much, much nicer product, 
> smoother, shock-damping handle, fewer knobs to twiddle to change 
> settings, and just a more balanced feel. 

[email-masked]

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From: "Jack Brooks" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2012 20:45:13 -0700

I have some "Greenwood" tree trimming blades and they work, but are almost
useless compared to a chainsaw. 

Jack 

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked]
[mailto:[email-masked]] On Behalf Of nick brearley
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2012 1:50 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: [Shop-talk] Sawzall blades

Nick Brearley

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