Ok guys I need your collective wisdom. I need to know what is the best way to cut 500' of asphalt. A store here in town wants me to turn in a bid for removing some asphalt and much of it needs to be neatly cut. I know from experience that a regular concrete blade doesn't work real well. Is there a special 14" blade that would work? I just haven't had to cut that much asphalt in my short career, we just usually end up removing it all.
Good idea have you actually used this technique or are you theorizing? I suppose any oil would do but has anyone used a particular type with any success? Peanut Oil, Motor Oil, Buffalo Gourd Oil?
I was thinking of a blade lubricant myself, - - can't say I was thinking oil, - - I was thinking more on the line of a 'waxy' surface or a dry silicone lubricant . . .
You don't need any special lube or anything other than water.
We cut asphalt occasionally and use a walk behind wet saw with a diamond blade.
Last month we had some curb to remove and some asphalt to cut (about 100 feet). We rented a 16" walk behind saw and purchased a 16 diamond blade rated for cured concrete.
Cut up the concrete curb then, turned around and sliced through the asphalt with the same blade. It does not "gum up".
An asphalt rated blade has something called undercut protection which will make the blade last longer but you don't necessarily "have" to use an "asphalt" blade to cut asphalt. These are diamonds you know.
I would recommend a 16" or 18" blade over a 14" blade so you can be sure you are getting through the pavement.
The 16" we used cost less than $250 including overnight Saturday shipping. The blade still looks nearly new and I am sure we cut well over 400' of combined concrete/asphalt.
SUB IT OUT! It oughta' be way shy of $2 / foot depending on thickness and what kind of MOT (maintenance of trafic) needs to be done.
The blade segments for concrete are different than those for asphalt and segments designed to cut "either or or" (allegedly) aren't very efficient. An inexperienced saw operator can (will) wreck a $300 blade in a heartbeat by trying to cut too fast, binding the blade, plunging it into the subgrade below or cutting through two different materials (asphalt over concrete for example).
If you rent a saw, be sure you understand how they charge for blade wear and rent a saw one size bigger than you think you need.
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