The genesis of innovative manufacturing, Arbortech first started manufacturing woodworking blades back in 1988 and has continued to complete assembled power tools. From its humble beginnings in Western Australia, comes a cutting concept, and through painstaking engineering and meticulous craftsmanship, it has constructed and evolved the Arbortech Mortar Saw into the newest generation of mortar cutting technology to date. Having just celebrated its 25-year silver anniversary, Arbortech remains a designer of innovative artisan woodworking tools and carries its unique approach to cutting into other avenues.
IDEAL POWER TOOL
A clean and versatile cutting tool, the Arbortech AS170 has long since been a leading name in clean and dry masonry cutting. From this award winning power tool manufacturer comes a new innovation in industrial caulk cutting, making the AS170 a must-have multi-tool for the general contractor. Which brings us to the Arbortech All Saw, the most exemplarily and award-winning masonry saw in the construction industry to date.
The Arbortech AS170 is the ideal power tool for any contractor; it has numerous applications and can be easily brought to any jobsite. The Arbortech AS170 has been a growing name in the masonry field for almost a decade, and has now found a new standing of excellence in the waterproofing industry with the introduction of its new industrial caulk-cutting blades.
The AS170 kit as a whole weighs 18 pounds, while the unit itself weighs 9½ pounds. The complete Arbortech AS170 kit includes one each of our top three most popular masonry blades: the General Purpose Blade for large horizontal and straight cuts, such as door and window frames or A/C boxes; the Plunge Blade for toothing and brick removal/replacement work; and the Head Joint blade for tuckpointing and mortar repair. The kit also includes all the required accessories to immediately begin cutting: the blade-bolt tightening torque key, the blade-sharpening disk and instructions, spare belt, and additional blade bolts. The operators’ manual is included in the kit and can also be downloaded from Arbortech’s website along with other pertinent documentation.
INNOVATIVE CUTTING
The Arbortech AS170 utilizes two orbital cutting, independently moving, solid steel blades, alternating a very powerful extension and retraction action striking two rows of resharpenable silver-soldered tungsten carbide teeth against the cutting material. It is this unique cutting action that minimizes airborne debris and particles thereby reducing silica exposure, unlike a rotary diamond blade which traps brick and mortar particles against the disc and then pulverizes them into deadly crystalline silica particles that can lead to silicosis and lung disease. The hammer-and-chiseling action of the Arbortech AS170 produces rubble fragments much larger and heavier than a grinding wheel. Combine this with the attachable wet-dry/shop vacuum adaptor and dust boot, and the AS170 becomes one of few acceptable masonry saws capable to be used dry and indoors.
There are several after-market blade sets available for multiple applications and these can be found by visiting Arbortech’s website (www.as170.com) or by contacting an authorized Arbortech retailer. These blades include the Heritage Blade for tuckpointing narrow heritage and butter joints, the Switchbox Blade for small cuts like electrical light switch boxes, the XL General Purpose for your largest cuts, and the XL Wood Blade for lumber cutting.
INDUSTRIAL CAULKING BLADES
In addition to these masonry applications, the newest cutting feature integrated with the Arbortech AS170 is the Industrial Caulking Blades. Available in three different sizes (½ in, 1 in, 2 in), these blades have turned the caulk-cutting industry on its ear. Conventional methods of caulk-cutting are slow and tedious and lack any real power or automation, the same force used to cut a red stone brick in half is now being channeled into slicing a soft silicone-like material. Rather than cutting one side of a caulk joint at a time, removing the spent caulk and backrod, then refinishing the surface for recaulking, the Arbortech AS170 with the after-market caulking blades will plunge into the joint, slicing both sides of the caulk simultaneously, extracting the caulk and backrod all while tungsten-carbide toothed blades grind against the edges of the joint, prepping it for recaulking.
SAFETY FEATURES
Of all the improvements made to the AS170, the added safety features have been perhaps the most widely received. The dust-inhibiting centrifuge, a device designed to extract and prevent debris from entering inside the tool and damaging the internal mechanism, and the auto-cutoff carbon brushes, designed to automatically interrupt the circuit when the brushes have worn beyond their operational limit, are all designed to extend the durability and use of the AS170. Even the blades have received the upgrade treatment; from the tungsten-carbide teeth, to the solid steel frame, to the redesigned taper locking blade-bolts, the Arbortech All Saw continues to be reengineered and retooled to showcase its remarkable cutting abilities. ■
For More Information:
For more information on Arbortech’s motar saw, the AS170, visit www.as170.com.
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Modern Contractor Solutions, September 2013
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