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A method and apparatus for cutting a fiber-cement material. An apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a blade assembly having an alignment member with a first finger portion and a spaced apart second finger portion. Each finger portion has a guide surface and the two g

A method and apparatus for cutting a fiber-cement material. An apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a blade assembly having an alignment member with a first finger portion and a spaced apart second finger portion. Each finger portion has a guide surface and the two guide surfaces define a guide plane. A reciprocating cutting member is pivotably coupled between the finger portions and is moveable relative to the finger portions transverse to the guide plane between a first position and a second position. The cutting member has a blade portion with outwardly facing side surfaces that have a first axial dimension when intersected by the guide plane with the blade in the first position and a second axial dimension, approximately equal to the first axial dimension, when intersected by the guide plane with the blade in the second position. The cutting tool can cut the fiber-cement material along an arcuate path having a radius approximately equal to the first and second axial dimensions.

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1. A blade assembly for a reciprocating fiber-cement cutting tool, comprising:an alignment member attachable to the cutting tool and having a first finger portion with a first guide surface and a first interior surface transverse to the first guide surface, the alignment member further having a seco

1. A blade assembly for a reciprocating fiber-cement cutting tool, comprising:an alignment member attachable to the cutting tool and having a first finger portion with a first guide surface and a first interior surface transverse to the first guide surface, the alignment member further having a second finger portion with a second guide surface and a second interior surface transverse to the second guide surface, the first and second guide surfaces defining a guide plane, and the first and second interior surfaces being spaced apart from one another; anda reciprocating cutting member between the first and second finger portions and moveable relative to the finger portions along a path transverse to the guide plane between a first position and a second position, the cutting member having a blade portion projecting from the guide plane when the cutting member is in at least one of the first and second positions, the blade portion having a first side surface facing an opposite direction from the first interior surface of the first finger portion and a second side surface facing an opposite direction from the second interior surface of second finger portion, the blade portion having a first axial dimension at a first location when intersected by the guide plane with the cutting member in the first position and a second axial dimension at a second location when intersected by the guide plane with the cutting member in the second position, the first axial dimension being approximately equal to the second axial dimension. 2. The blade assembly of claim 1 wherein the cutting member has a cutting surface between the first and second side surfaces, further wherein the cutting surface defines an s-shape. 3. The blade assembly of claim 1 wherein the first axial dimension is about 0.250 inch or less. 4. The blade assembly of claim 1 wherein the blade portion has a lateral dimension transverse to the first axial dimension and a ratio of the first axial dimension to the lateral dimension is about 1.0 or less. 5. The blade assembly of claim 1 wherein the blade portion has a lateral dimension transverse to the first axial dimension and a ratio of the first axial dimension to the lateral dimension is about 0.8 to about 1.2. 6. The blade assembly of claim 1 wherein the cutting member and the first and second finger portions are rotatable as a unit through an arc having a radius of less than three inches about an axis extending transverse to the guide plane. 7. The blade assembly of claim 1 wherein the cutting member and the first and second finger portions are rotatable as a unit through an arc having a radius of less than 1.0 inch about an axis extending transverse to the guide plane. 8. The blade assembly of claim 1, further comprising a first spacer between the first finger portion and the cutting member and a second spacer between the second finger portion and the cutting member. 9. A blade assembly for a reciprocating fiber-cement severing tool, comprising:a first finger having a first guide surface and a first interior surface, the first finger being attachable to the cutting tool;a second finger having a second guide surface and a second interior surface, the second finger being attachable to the cutting tool to position the first and second guide surfaces in a guide plane and to space the first and second interior surfaces apart from one another; anda reciprocating cutting member between the first and second fingers, the cutting member having a blade portion projecting from the guide plane, the blade portion having a first side surface facing an opposite direction from the first interior surface of the first finger and a second side surface facing an opposite direction from the second interior surface of second finger, the blade portion having an axial dimension and a lateral dimension when intersected by the guide plane with the lateral dimension transverse to the axial dimension and transverse to the interior surfaces of the fingers an d a ratio of the axial dimension to the lateral dimension being about 1.0 or less. 10. The blade assembly of claim 9 wherein the axial dimension is about 0.250 inch. 11. The blade assembly of claim 9 wherein the lateral dimension is about 0.25 inch. 12. The blade assembly of claim 9 wherein the cutting member and the first and second fingers are rotatable as a unit through an arc having a radius of less than three inches about an axis extending transverse to the guide plane. 13. A blade assembly for a reciprocating fiber-cement severing tool, comprising:a first finger having a first guide surface and a first interior surface, the first finger being attachable to the severing tool;a second finger having a second guide surface and a second interior surface, the second finger being attachable to the severing tool to position the first and second guide surfaces in a guide plane and to space the first and second interior surfaces apart from one another; anda reciprocating cutting member between the first and second fingers for severing fiber-cement along a cutting path, the cutting member having a blade portion projecting from the guide plane, the blade portion having a first side surface facing an opposite direction from the first interior surface of the first finger and a second side surface facing an opposite direction from the second interior surface of second finger, the blade portion having an axial dimension along the cutting axis when intersected by the guide plane of about 0.250 inch or less. 14. The blade assembly of claim 13 wherein the cutting member has a lateral dimension transverse to the axial dimension when intersected by the guide plane and a ratio of the axial dimension to the lateral dimension is about 1.0. 15. The blade assembly of claim 13 wherein the cutting member and the first and second fingers are rotatable as a unit through an arc having a radius of less than three inches about an axis extending transverse to the guide plane. 16. The blade assembly of claim 13 wherein the cutting member has a generally triangular cross-sectional shape when intersected by a plane transverse to the guide plane. 17. A blade set for a reciprocating fiber-cement cutting tool, comprising:a first finger having a first guide surface and a first interior surface, the first finger being attachable to the cutting tool;a second finger having a second guide surface and a second interior surface, the second finger being attachable to the cutting tool to position the first and second guide surfaces in a guide plane and to space the first and second interior surfaces apart from one another; anda reciprocating cutting member pivotally coupled between the first and second fingers, the cutting member having a blade portion projecting from the guide plane, the blade portion having a first side surface facing an opposite direction from the first interior surface of the first finger and a second side surface facing an opposite direction from the second interior surface of second finger, the blade portion being configured to make an arcuate cut in the fiber-cement having a radius of less than three inches. 18. The blade set of claim 17 wherein the cutting member has an axial dimension when intersected by the guide plane of about 0.250 inch or less. 19. The blade set of claim 17 wherein the cutting member is pivotable relative to the first and second fingers between a first position and a second position, further wherein the cutting member has a first axial dimension when intersected by the guide plane with the cutting member in the first position and a second axial dimension when intersected by the guide plane with the cutting member in the second position, the first axial dimension and the second axial dimension being approximately equal. 20. The blade set of claim 19 wherein the blade portion has a lateral dimension transverse to the first axial dimension and a ratio of the first axial dimension to the lateral dimension is about 1.0 or less. 21. The blade set of claim 17 wherein the cutting member and the first and second fingers are rotatable as a unit through an arc having a radius of less than three inches about an axis extending transverse to the guide plane. 22. An apparatus for severing fiber-cement, comprising:a cutting head;a first finger attached to the cutting head and having a first guide surface and a first interior surface transverse to the first guide surface;a second finger attached to the cutting head and spaced apart from the first finger, the second finger having a second guide surface and a second interior surface transverse to the second guide surface, the first and second guide surfaces defining a guide plane;a reciprocating cutting member between the first and second fingers and moveable relative to the fingers along a path transverse to the guide plane between a first position and a second position, the cutting member having a blade portion projecting from the guide plane when the cutting member is in at least one of the first and second positions, the blade portion having a first side surface facing an opposite direction from the first interior surface of the first finger and a second side surface facing an opposite direction from the second interior surface of second finger, the blade portion having a first axial dimension at a first location when intersected by the guide surface plane with the blade in the first position and a second axial dimension at a second location when intersected by the guide surface plane with the blade in the second position, the first axial dimension being approximately equal to the second axial dimension; anda drive assembly coupled to the reciprocating cutting member, at least a portion of the drive assembly being movable with the cutting member between the first and second positions. 23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the cutting head includes an aperture having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, further wherein the cutting member has a fork portion extending into the first end of the aperture, the fork portion including two spaced apart teeth, further wherein the drive assembly includes a drive shaft rotatable relative to the cutting head and extending into the second end of the aperture, the drive shaft having an eccentric lobe positioned between the teeth of the blade, the drive shaft being rotatable relative to the cutting head. 24. A method for severing fiber-cement, comprising:engaging a first surface of the fiber-cement with guide surfaces of two spaced apart finger portions of a severing tool, the engaging surfaces defining a guide plane;aligning a blade of the severing tool between the fingers of the severing tool with the blade facing a second surface of the fiber-cement;reciprocating the blade between the fingers in a direction transverse to the guide plane between a first position and a second position with an axial dimension of the blade when intersected by the guide plane being approximately the same when the blade is in both the first and second positions; andseparating a first portion of the fiber-cement from a second portion of the fiber-cement along an arcuate path by turning the severing tool about an axis transverse to at least one of the first and second surfaces of the fiber-cement. 25. The method of claim 24 wherein turning the severing tool includes turning the blade through an arc having a radius of less than three inches. 26. The method of claim 24 wherein turning the severing tool includes turning the blade through an arc having a radius of about 0.250 inch or less. 27. A method for severing fiber-cement, comprising:engaging a first surface of the fiber-cement with engaging surfaces of two spaced apart fingers of a severing tool, the engaging surfaces defining a guide plane;aligning a blade of the severing tool between the fingers of the severing tool with at least a portion of the blade facing a second surface of the fiber-cement, the second surface facing opp osite the first surface;reciprocating the blade between the fingers in a direction transverse to the guide plane; andseparating a first portion of the fiber-cement from a second portion of the fiber-cement along an arcuate path by turning the severing tool through an arc having a radius less than three inches about an axis transverse to at least one of the first and second surfaces of the fiber-cement. 28. The method of claim 27 wherein severing the first portion of the fiber-cement includes turning the severing tool through an arc having a radius of about 0.250 inch or less. 29. The method of claim 27 wherein reciprocating the blade includes engaging a portion of the blade with a rotating eccentric cam lobe.