Asphalt cutting blade- 7 Quick Tips To Cut an Asphalt.

FACTS CHECKED BY  NICOLE PAV 

Over time, technology has rapidly brought forth the best equipment forged to help humans overcome and surmount the greatest challenge encountered in asphalt cutting blades.

Asphalt is a naturally occurring mineral resource or a refined product, as the case may be. It is an averagely hard mineral material famous for its use in road construction and other similar functions. However, as a user of Asphalt, you must understand that cutting a sizeable portion of asphalt concrete requires an adequate understanding of the suitable cutting tool. You must also understand the essential techniques to prevent damage to this asphalt cutting blade.

Table of Contents

Asphalt cutting using a Asphalt Cutting Blade

Figure 1: Asphalt cutting using an Asphalt Cutting Blade

1. What to do in the face of expanded Asphalt

Asphalt, as a civil works construction material, is exposed to the direct rays of sunlight. The road is a good conductor of heat. If you have ever tried walking barefoot on an asphalt-coated walkway, you can testify to its conducting ability. According to available statistics, Asphalt’s temperature can rise to 170 degrees under the sun’s intense heat. The alternate heating and cooling of Asphalt during the day and night, respectively, also largely contribute to the inelastic expansion of Asphalt.

Due to Asphalt being softer than concrete, the diamond saw blade should be the hard-bonded type against the soft-bonded. This diamond asphalt cutting blade has a hard-bonded diamond around its edges, mainly because it ensures a clean cut of the marked portion. The harder asphalt cutting blade gives off grit quickly and cuts accurately.

Another approach to solving this problem of expanded Asphalt is to run the cutting saw backward such that the diamond saw blade climbs out of the cut.

Lastly, you can thoroughly coat the surface of the Asphalt with a special sealant combined with unique antioxidants additive to ensure that sun rays do not dry out the moisture content of the Asphalt and cause cracks and expansion. This coating is appropriate once in two to three years.

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An expanded portion of Asphalt on a road

Figure 2: An expanded portion of Asphalt on a road

2. Make sure the cutting area is clean

Cleaning is yet another important activity in asphalt cutting. Using a diamond saw blade before cutting; clean dust, pebbles, debris, large rocks, and dirt lying around the work area. Clearing and Cleaning the area of interest, including the immediate surrounding environment, is primarily to avoid the cutting blade from being obstructed by them. This singular act eliminates all possible forms of work hazards surrounding the job.

This dirt and debris can damage your diamond saw blade and lower the quality of cuts.

Portion of an asphalt road cleaned of large and small rocks.Asphalt Cutting Blade

Figure 3: Portion of an asphalt road cleaned of large and small rocks.Asphalt Cutting Blade

3. Asphalt Cutting Blade- Use plenty of water (wet-cutting)

Having established that a diamond saw blade suits Asphalt cutting operation and that asphalt cutting is usually a deep cut, it becomes necessary to adopt wet-cutting.

The advantages of using wet-cutting are endless, but to mention a few, we have the following:

  1. Water helps reduce the cutting lade’s temperature due to the extreme friction that must have built up between the two surfaces.

2. Water removes dust and washes off dust particles.

3. Cooling with water further increases the lifespan of the asphalt cutting.

Failure to use wet-cutting diamond cutting blades can lead to the following:

i.Extreme damage to the blade

ii. High risk of blade failure in service.

iii. Failure might lead to serious injury to the operator or passers-by.

Portion of an asphalt road cleaned of large and small rocks.Asphalt Cutting Blade

Figure 4: Wet-cutting of Asphalt Cutting Blade

4. Sink into the cutting area slowly

Achieving a smooth cut is a mix of an operator’s patience, and the characteristics of the selected diamond saw blade, such as TPI, hook angle, etc. Just like the famous saying” slow and steady wins the race,” so does it apply to asphalt or any other material cutting.

Sinking is possible with an asphalt-cutting diamond blade with a higher TPI and slower feed rate. A slow feed rate gently helps you achieve your desired aim accurately and lower/entirely strikes out the possibility of an accident during cutting. Going too fast into the cutting area would only eventually leave you with a roughly cut surface.

Gradual asphalt cutting using a Asphalt Cutting Blade.

Figure 5: Gradual asphalt cutting using an Asphalt Cutting Blade.

5. Run the blade back to expose cut

This phenomenon is attributable to the angle of teeth. Backward-leaned teeth are generally known to have a negative hook angle. Backward-tipped blades are unique because they climb out of the cut. Running your blade back enables you to see your cutting path and avoid possible mistakes. Running the asphalt cutting using a low or negative hook angle blade produces a smooth and clean-cut, although it is slower.

The backward-leaned blade tends to help avoid self-feeding the material to be cut and is far safer to use than the forward-leaned blades. Whenever you use the backward-leaned blade for cutting Asphalt, you are sure to have full control without fear of the blade getting stuck in the workpiece.

Set of various backward leaned Asphalt Cutting Blade

Figure 6: Set of various backward leaned Asphalt Cutting Blade

6. Make the asphalt Cutting Blade at full speed RPM

The speed at which blades rotate due to the power supplied also creates a fast or slow cut. All manufactured saw usually has a specified limit of speed. It is best not to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation in running the cutting blade at the maximum speed. The manufacturer-specified rotational speed indicated on the saw blade is the maximum allowable speed still considered safe.

When buying diamond saw blades, it is important to ensure that the maximum RPM of the blade is lesser than that of the mounting saw. The idea behind running the saw blade at full speed is to ensure that the asphalt cutting blade runs faster.

Another interesting fact about speed is that the diameter of the blade also matters. Large modules run slower, while smaller leaves run at higher rates. A large blade’s outer edge runs faster than the short blade’s, even at the same speed. For a typical asphalt cutting blade, the rate is usually around 5000 to 6000 RPM with a regular diameter of 7’ to 8’.

Asphalt cutting blades could be gear driven, belt-driven, or even driven by a direct motor, which all have different implications on the final speed produced.

Generally, you need to know that the diamond saw blade’s high speed translates to the diamond’s high impact around the blade edges. If you want to run at high rpm, ensure that the blade is of excellent quality.

In conclusion, there should be an agreement between cutting speed, the concentration of diamonds around the blade segment, and the type of bond between the synthetic diamond particles around the section.

Set of Asphalt Cutting Blade showing speed specification indicated.

Figure 7: Set of Asphalt Cutting Blades showing speed specification indicated.

7. Getting your cable into the Asphalt

If you intend to run a cable through your asphalt-finished sidewalks, you need to learn a thing or two about how to go about it to avoid making a mess of it. For this purpose, you need to ensure you do the following;

  1. Get your asphalt-cutting tool ready; the exact type of tool you need depends on the thickness of the asphalt concrete.

2. Mark out the area equivalent to the diameter of the cable you intend to pass through using chalk.

3. Commence cutting by following the marked-out pattern.

4. In some cases, you might need a hammer and chisel to add some touches to the cut-out area.

5. Pass your desired cable through the gap opened.

6. Use a crack filler to close the gap after putting the wires in place.

You can watch this YouTube video for further assistance on asphalt cutting for laying cables.

Gap creation for cable laying.

Figure 8: Gap creation for cable laying.

Conclusion

Having understood the content of this article, you should have zero worries about asphalt cutting. Henceforth, asphalt cutting should be easy-peasy for you.

At NCCuttingtools, our range of services spans all forms and types of saw blades to satisfy your cutting needs. Do not hesitate to contact us for your next cutting tool purchase, as we would be more than willing to walk you through the selection process.

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