I need to re-arrange some red patio stones (1-1/2" thk) to accomodate my new deck steps. Gotta cut/break some in half/quarter/etc. I don't have any chop/tile saws or anything to deal with stone. Any other methods to cut/break stone? Hammer/chisel? Stones just set in sandy mountain soil with almost instant drainage. Thnx.
nb
Angle grinder with masonry blade?
Speaking out of vast inexperience, I'd use either an appropriate hammer and chisels (mason's hammer and chisels, for instance--obviously not wood chisels!) or else a smallish set of feathers and wedges. Lee Valley sells one such set that sounds as though it should do the trick nicely.
I'd imagine a lot depends upon the structure of your red patio stones; if they're fairly soft or brittle and have a cooperative grain structure, it might be possible just to crack them carefully over e.g. an iron bar with a heavy hammer or whatever.
I suppose a third option might be to devise some sort of a "decorative accent" around the steps that happens to be made from smaller and possibly different-colored pavers.
Like a 4-1/2" right angle grinder? Do they cut thru or just mark for breaking? I know even less about stone than wood! ;)
nb
Do you have a circular saw? Get a masonry blade for it.
Max
or a cheap dry diamond blade in a (disposable) HF angle grinder. don't breath the dust. put a groove halfway through where you want the break, and crack over a dowel.
If it's what I'm thinking, your patio stones are actually concrete.
A mason's chisel and a 2 lb drill hammer worked for me when I built some stone planter beds many years ago.
YMMV
Lew
That's really all you need, and you will get good at it, fast. Any kind of masonry blade on a grinder or saw can help with the scoring accuracy, but when it comes down to the breaking, the sledge and chisel are usually the best.
If you want to get high tech, rent a 12-14 inch brick saw from a home center for $75 bucks.
Circular saw + masonry blade (disk, actually). And yes, you can easily cut completely through your patio stones.
Hi,
A hand held circular saw with a diamond blade with do the trick. I have used blades that were made of what looked like abrasive ceramic in a fiberglass mesh and have learned that a cheap diamond blade is much faster.
Thanks Roger
notbob wrote:
A diamond blade is the most accurate way to cut, but you can get pretty nice cuts with a brick set (aka chisel, they're as wide as a brick - don't waste your time with a smaller chisel), a 3 pound lump hammer, and a piece of angle iron. The heavier the angle iron, the better.
Put the point of the angle iron facing up on a hard surface, put some wood blocking on either side of the angle iron to support the two sides of the cut, align the desired cut line directly over the angle iron, place the brick set on the cut line (with your thumb tucked in so you don't ruin your thumb if you slip, or use a brick chisel with a plastic guard), then give the set a single nice and solid whack with the lump hammer.
That also worked for me, cut through paving bricks, no problem.
Dunno. You'd have to experiment. I've used masonary blades to saw through cheap Mexican brick and metal-cutting blades to gnaw through rebar. The trick might be finding the right blades.
Yes. Hand sledge and brick set more specifically.
Yes. That's what I did. DeWalt 7-1/2" disk for skilsaw. What shocked the heck outta me was, I decided to buy 3 stringer brackets for the steps. The masonary disk was $3+ and the stringer brackets (stamped galv sheet metal) were $4+ each! No wonder houses cost so much. :|
nb
I looked at those. I'm from the Bigger Hammer School of Mechanics and a 2lb sledge is a "must have" in my box. A 1/2" masonary chisel was $10!!
We be masonary disking.
nb
The abrasive masonry disks suck. They wear down quickly and have a tendency to shatter. You can get inexpensive diamond blades on eBay for small change, and they'll cut much quicker and last much longer than an abrasive disk.
R
I figured I'd grind a line and do a break. Can't imagine this thing cutting.
nb
Probably a wise idea. The abrasive blades can shatter when they bind in a deep cut.
Next time you have a need to cut something hard, look into the diamond blades. For ten or fifteen bucks you'll get something you can keep, doesn't throw grit everywhere, cuts lots more stuff than just masonry and you can say, "Diamonds are a guy's best friend."
R
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