Splitting bricks

[Bert Coules]

Any hints, tips or otherwise about splitting bricks *lengthwise"? To make in effect a thinner brick?

I've had mixed results cutting bricks across their width, and for that I had a bolster chisel slighter wider than the bricks. Do I have any chance at all of success in the other direction?

I know that brick slips are available but I only need a few and there would be some satisfaction in, er, doing it myself.

Thanks.

[The Natural Philosopher]

angle grinder works well.

Score all rind and split the ast bit with a bolster

[Bert Coules]

I'm ashamed to admit it on this group and in this company but I honestly hadn't thought of using an angle grinder!

[alan_m]

Angle grinder, even if you only cut way through and then use a bolster

[Andrew]

Or a tile cutter like a circular saw on a bench, with a diamond blade. Cut top and bottom using plenty of water.

[John Rumm]

Have you learnt nothing in all your years here? :-)

Yup, a 9" grinder especially, with a diamond blade will make easy work cutting them on pretty much any axis. A 4" will certainly give a deep enough score all round to make the final cleave with a bolster easy.

[Dave Liquorice]

Is that trying to cut with a single whack on bolster from lump hammer or gentler hits to cut a grove in the brick first?

It probably depends on the type of brick and how thin you want the slip. Traditional bricks with/without a frog I'd expect to be easier than those funny modern things with holes through 'em. I'd expect to experiment a bit in how deep the hand cut groove needs to be and if it needs to go right around the brick.

Or you could cheat and use an angle grinder. B-)

[Bert Coules]

Thanks to all for the new replies. I'll give it a go.

[Brian Gaff]

No is my thought. They only do this when you don't want them to, and when they do its seldom straight and usually leaves a corner intact. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Erm, normally if you do this one half is the one useable and oh the dust... Brian

[Brian Gaff]

This sounds like the kind of thankless task given as a punishment to people in prison! Brian

[Andy Burns]

[Bert Coules]

I can't pretend that this was an unqualified success but I did manage to split a few bricks fairly neatly, albeit with a pretty large amount of dust and dirt and noise, not to mention wastage of the ones that failed. After a short while I gave up and - taking advantage of the fact that the bricks will be painted once they're laid - fashioned the final couple from aerated blocks, which can happily be sawn into shape.

Many thanks to all for the tips and suggestions.

[The Natural Philosopher]

If I had thought I have a quanity of what appear to be 1/4 height bricks

- are they called slippers? No SLIPS..