Help cutting brick

[SeanD]

I used my 4" grinder with a concrete cutting wheel to cut a couple of splits. It did a much better job than my splitting by hand. The problem is that I pretty much killed one wheel with just a couple of cuts. I can't imagine what will happen if I try to cut a full brick.

Should I just use it to score the brick and give it a hit or is there something else I should do to make the cutting more efficient? I'm not wetting the brick. Will that help?

Sean

[maple maniac65]

I used my table saw with a masonry blade. It did not help the bearings out much though but it was all I had. It was a inexpensive sears model. I cut probably 60 bricks on it.

[ringer]

I used a 4 inch grinder with a diamond blade made for cutting concrete and it worked fine, cut them dry no water. Good luck

[SeanD]

Did one diamond blade make all the cuts? Did you cut all the way through the brick?

[morningstarfarm]

I use the cheap masonry blades from home cheapo..secret is do NOT press down hard..just let the grinder do the work...cut about 1" deep and flip[ over..repeat..set on a hard stepped surface and tap end..they snap right off..I cut 20 or so on one blade and they were like 1.89

[killingworthmaple]

I have cut many a brick in my day. A good cheap way to do it is use a worm drive circle saw with a diamond tipped steel masonry blade $20 at Home Depot. If you use a regular circle saw the dust will ruin the saw very quickly if you have a lot of bricks to do. The worm drive will last for years. If you don't have one check with your friends.

[BryanEx]

Sean... I would say you are on the right track but if you are killing wheels that fast something isn't right. Diamond masonry wheels are fairly cheap to buy and you really only need to score each side to break it clean but perhaps you are forcing things or had a bad wheel?

- Bryan

[Tweegs]

Used the circular saw with a diamond blade.
Like morningstarfarm said, don’t put much pressure on the saw.

I cut close to 40 splits with one blade. Light passes along the line, back and forth, until you are through the brick. If you see sparks, you have the blade canted, square it back up.

The saw is still working fine, it’s a Skill, over 20 years old. I keep trying to kill the thing so I can get a new one, but she won’t die. :lol:

[cpmaple]

I've cut right around 200 full brick in the past 3 years with a diamond blade for my 4" grinder and it works great. Only trouble you have to flip brick to cut the whole thing only cuts in 2" on each side. Got the blade from lowes three years ago for $13. good luck cpmaple

[whalems]

Diamond blade for a circular saw works great and they last a long time. Lowes was the cheapest blades I have found. Under $30.00 for a 7 1/4 blade. Good luck, Mike

[SeanD]

Okay. Sounds like I need a diamond blade and to go a little easier on the pressure. I did see a few sparks. Thanks for all the responses!

Sean

[lastwoodsman]

80.00 tile saw from home depot worked perfect for angels and straight cuts.
Diamond blade, water bath----
Woodsman

[sugardaddy's]

I used a diamond blade. Dry. I'm sure wet is better. Less dust and debris anyway. I didn't cut all the way through, About a 1/4 of the way through on both sides. Then connected the cuts on the ends. (cut all four sides) Then just a light tap. I didn't have any split on me. I think cutting all sides is the key.

[briansickler]

I vote for the cheap wet saw with 7" blade. They cut a split in a single pass. The water not only eliminates the dust. It also keeps the blade cool. The blades last it seems like forever. If you plan to cut dry make sure you get a blade intended for dry cutting (the turbo blade) diamond blade.

Brian

[briansickler]

Actually, you can probably rent a 14" wet brick saw from home depot for the day for less than $80. Then you could cut the full bricks in a single pass. Just a thought. The right equipment makes all the difference in the world. saves time and headaches and your lungs won't be full of dust. Have a good one.

Brian

[wglenmapler]

Buy a diamond blade for your 7 1/4" circ saw. Then make a jig and guide so can slide the brick right under. It will cut it right in half.

[Brian Ledoux]

I rented a "paver saw" at home depot. (it's a wet saw) Cost $75 for 24 hours which was enough time. The blade was 12" or so. It worked extremely well. Has to be used somewhere heated if you are using it on a day that is below freezing... or else water will freeze! CIt worked great for me. The hand method is a nightmare in my opinion.

[pelz]

got a masonry wheel for my 14 in metal cut off saw, i recall it was cheap, worked well, safer because it clamps it in, and the dust is channeled away from you

[green4310]

That is what I use. Stand bricks on edge and cut across the one inch way. They cut like butter. As blade wears you have to cut from both sides.

[user587]

I just finished bricking my 2x8, used only (2) of the home depot cheap 4" masonry cutoff blades in a hand-held baby grinder. I cut from both sides of the block, about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way though the block from each side. Then a couple taps with a hammer and chisel and the blocks split easily. One could easily cut all the way through I think, with only a little more blade use.

I held the block on a table with one hand, and grinder with the other. Definitely let the blade cut at it's pace - don't push on it.

[briansickler]

I rented a 12" wet saw from our local rental place yesterday for $42 for 24 hrs. It worked really slick and fast. I had the salamander heater going all night. The 15 gallons of kerosene cost more than the saw rental. I cemented the last brick in at 2:30 a.m. I'll continue to heat the sugarhouse for 24 hrs. to fully dry the cement. Hope to build a small fire in it in the next few of days to slowly cure the cement.

Brian

[SeanD]

I'm glad I'm not the only one racing to brick an arch. I can't believe I'm at this point. I've had it for 2 months!

I picked up a turbo diamond blade for the grinder tonight. It's definitely not warm enough for a wet saw out there. I think my problem was that I was forcing the blade.

Unfortunately, I have to wait until the weekend to work. I have light in the shack now, but I need the daylight so I can cut bricks outside it.

So it looks like my weeknight projects are limited to pinewood derby cars. Weigh-in is Thursday.