What is Hand Sawing?

Hand held sawing refers to portable saws that are fitted with diamond tipped blades or chains such as hand saws, rings saws and chain saws. These saws are convenient for smaller jobs, where manoeuvrability and space is limited and the depth of cut required is moderate.

Hand saw cutting is very versatile and can be used in almost any situation where cuts are required. Hand held saws have a maximum cutting depth of 325mm. Power options include petrol, hydraulic, electric and high-frequency electric.

Hand sawing applications

• Formation of new doorways and windows
• Expansion cuts in new slabs
• Demolition cutting of walls and floors
• Penetrations for service ducts
• Creating openings for electrical and plumbing services
• Sawing concrete pipe to length
• Precision trimming
• Cutting in confined spaces

What is Ring Sawing?

Ring sawing is a hand-held method of saw cutting, used to form cuts up to 325mm deep in all building materials, using a diamond tipped offset cutting wheel, either hydraulically or electrically driven. Ring Saws are commonly used where wall saws are not effective.

Ring saw cutting is ideal when dealing with restricted access and a clean cut is required. It is low noise and vibration free. The ring saw differs from other saws because the blade is not put on a spindle, the blade has no core (centre) and it rotates on a roller system. The depth of cut is limited by the blade diameter, with depths up to 325mm achievable.

Typical applications for hand sawing & ring sawing include:

• Formation of new doorways and windows
• Expansion cuts in new slabs
• Demolition cutting of walls and floors
• Penetrations for service ducts
• Creating openings for electrical and plumbing services
• Precision trimming
• Concrete pipes and man hole covers
• Cutting in confined spaces

What is Diamond Chain Sawing?

Concrete diamond chain sawing is a concrete cutting method used mainly to prevent overcutting as well as to cut unique shapes or cut lines where other concrete cutting equipment cannot achieve the entry point or freedom of movement that a diamond chain saw can provide. 

Based on the same principle as a wood-cutting chainsaw, a diamond chainsaw also has a power head (petrol, hydraulic, pneumatic, and hi-frequency electric driven) with a guide bar and chain attached. The distinct difference is that the cutting teeth attached to the chain for a diamond chain saw incorporate diamond segments in the same way as diamond blades do for other concrete cutting machinery. The diamond infused segments facilitate the cutting of concrete or other masonry type material. 

Several advantages are offered by diamond chain sawing, including the ability to prevent over cutting in corners since the chain saw can be plunged nose first directly into the corners to an overall depth of 600mm. This represents an alternative method to prevent over cutting which is normally performed by drilling core holes in the corner, yet the chain saw will provide a precise cut rather than a rounded finish.

Diamond chain sawing applications include:

• Preventing over cuts in floor slabs and wall
• Cutting unique irregular shapes involving freedom of movement
• Cutting features in concrete of sandstone
• Precise cuts and openings in concrete, brick and block walls to prevent overcuts
• Create perfect corners in doors and windows
• Deep plunge cuts – up to 600mm deep