Firebrick question

[buxtonboiler]

Ok, need some help here. I am putting in my firebrick and some of it needs to be cut. What is the best way to do this? I have already ruined 3 bricks.

[Flat47]

I've used an angle grinder with a cutting wheel in it (as opposed to a grinding wheel which is thicker). Just go slow and wear good goggles, a dust mask, and ear plugs - believe me. Those thinner cuting wheels will self destruct and scatter if you try and cut too much too fast.

There are some nice (but more expensive) masonry cutting wheels available. Just check with you local hardware store.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Buxtonboiler you fail to tell us how YOUR doing it. I would not use thin cutting disc's. Get a cheap masonary diamond wheel. They will not blow apart and they dont grab the brick as bad because they also cut on the sides into the kerf. Clamp the brick down and use both hands on the grinder. If you have a small cordless saw put the wheel on it:) If you only have a circular saw get a blade at the Depot for brick tape the switch down and clamp it to a bench and you have a poor mans tile saw. As Flat47 said goggles, mask,ear plugs and a fan plowing on the saw.

[red maples]

I had some of those masonary disks for a cicular saw 1 was mine a 4 were left by the old owners of the house. so I used those and they worked fine they get ground down quick so I had to buy 1 more. and I put a pallet on top of 2 saw horses threw on a little ply wood, clamped on a thin concrete block behind the brick I was to cut and it worked great. and only cost $7 for the 1 disk I had to buy!!! is there such a thing as a cheap diamond cutting blade?? before I started looked around and the cheapest I could find was I think just over $20. I recomend the diamond blade if you don't have access to free discs:)

[KenWP]

I have a tile saw for when I tiled the house and I figured I would need several blades. I picked up a bunch of the diamond blades that cost like two bucks a peice at a couple of different stores and ended up useing one of them. The saw looks like a lefthanded skill saw which was akward as all hell to use but it has a plastic tube attached that you hook to a water source and works well. I had never cut tile before and was ammazed how well that goofy blade with a couple peices of diamond on it cut . I also have a few blades that say on them to use dry if you want but never tried them out yet.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

You can buy a masonary blade for $ 3 or $ 4 @ Lowes for a circular saw and they cut faster than a diamond blade and work great. They will wear out after a few brick, but are cheap and work good.

[KenWP]

I used a masonary blade this last week to cut steel as I never had a metal blade hanging around. Worked okay just wore out fast. They would probbably work well for fire brick also and probbably better then the diamond blade thou they do cut through tile like butter.

[Haynes Forest Products]

What kind of fire brick are you using that wears out after a few bricks? I can go all day with a fiber disk cutting the high heat whiteis yellow brick. Heck for $1500 you can get a diamond blade for the circular saw.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

You can get a diamond blade for less than $ 20 for a skill saw, at least that is what they were last one I bought a few years ago. I don't know how many I can get out of a regular masonary blade, but a significant amount. Few would have been the wrong terminology.

[3% Solution]

Buxton,
Make yourself a jig to hold the brick so it can't move.
Cut them with your circular saw using a diamond blade purchased at Home Depot.
This worked real good for me and I have all my fingers.
I have a diamond blade now to make repairs if needed.
The masonary blades wear down real quick.
Hope this helps.

Dave

[KenWP]

What kind of fire brick are you using that wears out after a few bricks? I can go all day with a fiber disk cutting the high heat whiteis yellow brick. Heck for $1500 you can get a diamond blade for the circular saw.

I hope that was a Faux par because for $1500 bucks I could buy the whole top of the line tile saw and not just a blade. But I would say that firebrick is pretty soft from my experience.

[3rdgen.maple]

I watched a guy just score the bricks like a 1/4 inch deep then strike it with a hammer and it looked and worked pretty good. I wish I seen him do it before I bricked my arch cause I cut all the way through and in hindsight his way was much easier.

[jtthibodeau]

I watched a guy just score the bricks like a 1/4 inch deep then strike it with a hammer and it looked and worked pretty good. I wish I seen him do it before I bricked my arch cause I cut all the way through and in hindsight his way was much easier.

You took the words right out of my mouth. Scoring the brick causes a weakened area that will split when struck. Now, I would advise the use of a brick hammer. The so called claw end is only slightly curved and solid (no split for pulling nails). This allows the power of the blow to concentrate on the area as opposed to using the hammer head end. A well trained mason (at least the older ones) can cut/split a brick with the hammer by scoring all the edges with the "claw" end and striking the score with more force. Practice on a clay brick which is a bit softer.

With some after thought, you may be able to achieve the same results by using a steel chisel and a standard hammer. you will have to score on all sides of the brick (2 or 3 times around would be better). Just make sure your wearing your safety glasses and have the brick on a soft surface such as a piece of carpeting, at least when the final blow is delivered. This will allow the brick to "give" in the right place.

[MartinP]

Cutting with a hammer and chisel is exactly how I bricked the inside of my arch. Neighbor across the street is a mason and taught me how years ago when I helped out on the after hours jobs. Got a 5lb mason hammer and a masons chisel. Score across the face and then one hard wack and most of the time it breaks exactly where you want and looks alomost as cut. You can do it on cement blocks too.

[buxtonboiler]

Cutting with a hammer and chisel is exactly how I bricked the inside of my arch. Neighbor across the street is a mason and taught me how years ago when I helped out on the after hours jobs. Got a 5lb mason hammer and a masons chisel. Score across the face and then one hard wack and most of the time it breaks exactly where you want and looks alomost as cut. You can do it on cement blocks too

This is what I was trying to do.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Putting the brick on a cement block if what was causing the hit and miss breaking. If you watched the experts they would hold the brick in their hands to soften the blow and shock to the brick.

[MartinP]

Haynes,
I ment to say you could cut cement block also, not put it on a cement block.
Sorry for any confusion.

[3rdgen.maple]

Haynes that is exacally how the guy showed me. Scored the brick and held it in his hands and wacked it with a hammer. He also said that you could score both side and lay the seam over a dowel rod and put pressure on one side and lightly hit the other and would get a clean cut as well.

[KenWP]

What do you guys need hammers for your all hard headed it seems. I live in the granite capital of the country I will have to see how the old timers do things. They used to cut stone with hand tools I am told.