Happy New Year all!
I need to cut 3 pressure treated 4x4's into 36" lenghs for a small project I am doing. Will the 4x4's do any special damage to my saw blades (I was going to use my 10" sliding miter saw) or should I take them outside and use a chain saw? I know there is arsenic in the pressure treating material so I will wear a respirator in either case but I'm concerned about dulling my blade.
TIA.
Dick Snyder
that's only a few cuts, Dick. plywood and mdf is MUCH worse on your blades. You cut them, don't you? :)
Dave
I'm not so sure about the arsenic. It is being highly regulated these days for use in lumber.
If you bought it recently it probably does not have arsenic in it.
Check out:
The most important thing about cutting pressure treated lumber that is fresh is to clean the blade when you are done - the combination of the chemicals and moisture make quick rust on most blades.
Hard Maple puts more wear on my blades than pressure treated.
If you bought the boards in the last 18 months - there is no arsenic in them...some copper...but no arsenic.
Make sure if the project is go> Dick Snyder wrote:
NO arsenic in modern/current pressure treated lumber like you can get at your home center. Now it is a copper based chemical treatment, VERY corrosive to iron/steel, so although I would NOT avoid using my table saw/miter saw to cut pressure treated lumber, I would be sure to clean all sawdust/residue - and probably pull the saw blade and give it a good bath in blader cleaner or something like SimpleGreen
John
If it is the old "green treated" you should be fine.
I cut a piece of scrap after and vacuum the sawdust out of the cabinet.
The newest "treated" stuff seems extremely corrosive. I cut it outside with a sawz-all . Wipe down the saw and clean the blade in paint thinner.
I can't argue with the corrosive nature of the copper compounds they use in PT these days, but I can say I have never cleaned my blades after cutting the stuff. I never gave it a thought. I've cut hundreds of board feet of the newer stuff if not more, with my circular saw and there's no visible signs of corrosion or other detrimental effect to the blade. Not to suggest you shouldn't clean your blade... just relaying my experience.
This stuff is probably 4 years old. Based on all of your guidance. I will cut it and clean my blade with something (I like Simple Green).
Thanks as usual to the group for all the help.
If my framing crews stopped to do that, they would never get any work done. With experience you will most likely find that it's not really necessary, but if it makes one feel better, a clean blade is not a bad thing.
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