cutting refractory bricks

[husky455rancher]

is there any trick to cutting them without an expensive saw i cannot afford? i tried scribing a deep line in it and breaking it in a vise but it still didnt break good.
i was trying to replace 2 bricks in my insert that wetre cracked and crumbling. they both broke but their still in better shaoe than the old ones so i put em in anyway. most of my bricks are getting very worn and pourous looking so it may be time to replace them.

 

[jackel440]

You need a diamond blade to cut hard refractory brick.A wet saw work real nic.,but for what your doing I would go to menards,lowes etc... Then purchase a 4 or 6" diamond blade to go on an angle grinder.Then use it to cut your brick.

 

[MN Ripper]

I cut some last year with a diamond blade on a Skilsaw that I had left over from cutting fiber-cement siding. Left a nice edge and didn't take much time. Extremely dusty. But I didn't have many cuts to make.

 

[jmye1524]

is there any trick to cutting them without an expensive saw i cannot afford? i tried scribing a deep line in it and breaking it in a vise but it still didnt break good.
i was trying to replace 2 bricks in my insert that wetre cracked and crumbling. they both broke but their still in better shaoe than the old ones so i put em in anyway. most of my bricks are getting very worn and pourous looking so it may be time to replace them.

I had several industrial quality refractory bricks to cut so I borrowed a brick masons table saw, didn't work at all...RPM was way to fast. What I ended up using was a 14" cut off saw from work, ran it as slow as possible and used plenty of water. Around here you can rent such a saw for about 60 bucks...good luck

 

[lfnh]

Try scoring all four faces with a brick set ('chisel') with flat to good side and use even strikes. Setting the FB on carpet make make it easier for you.

Withstanding that expense route, a masonry blade for a sawzall might do ok.

fwiw

 

[porta mill]

do you have a circular saw ? if you do you can buy a abrasive blade for it that will cut the brick. the blade will probally only be $10.00 one can also bought for a 4" angle grinder.

 

[spanky1205]

You know I would just mark my cuts real well with a sharpie and then hit up a local masonry crew working on a house or building. I seriously doubt anyone would have a problem taking up 3 mins of their time making a couple of cuts. It does not take much to run one of those saws. I have never had a problem doing small things like that. A six pack in hand would also help make things go smooth.

 

[pook]

do you have a circular saw ? if you do you can buy a abrasive blade for it that will cut the brick. the blade will probally only be $10.00 one can also bought for a 4" angle grinder.

this worx well. need mask, glasses & gloves too

 

[Haywire Haywood]

do you have a circular saw ? if you do you can buy a abrasive blade for it that will cut the brick. the blade will probally only be $10.00 one can also bought for a 4" angle grinder.

Have someone hold shop vac at it while you are cutting to collect the dust as you make it. I used a circular saw to cut a channel in the slab in a house I owned once and the dust was just unbelievable. If course I was in the enclosed basement, no place for it to go.

Ian

 

[husky455rancher]

i just had a thought can i just by the cement and make my own bricks? can i buy refractory cement at a reasonable price at home depot or lowes? or is it something different?

 

[amscontr]

this worx well. need mask, glasses & gloves too

For sure on the PPE. A good respirator might save you a lot of problems down the road.

 

[amscontr]

i just had a thought can i just by the cement and make my own bricks? can i buy refractory cement at a reasonable price at home depot or lowes? or is it something different?

If they don't have it, maybe try a fireplace store, a landscape supply center(one that sells brick etc.), or talk to a local bricklayer who might build fireplaces.
I used to haul firebrick and the related stuff from refractories to a lot of steel mills, factories, refineries, etc. in the day when this country made it's own stuff.

 

[SpiralAcacia]

You know I would just mark my cuts real well with a sharpie and then hit up a local masonry crew working on a house or building. I seriously doubt anyone would have a problem taking up 3 mins of their time making a couple of cuts. It does not take much to run one of those saws. I have never had a problem doing small things like that. A six pack in hand would also help make things go smooth.

:agree2:

+, for what I know, refractory cement is for bonding the firebricks, not as firebrick replacement, might work but will probably be weaker than a brick.
jm2a

SA

 

[4seasons]

Home Depot sells masonry abrasive cutting blades that will fit a circular saw, or a smaller one for an angle grinder. They are cheap and won't cut much before they wear out. Diamond blades are much more expensive and would only be worth the money if you have a lot of cutting to do. Another option would be to use a wet saw like they use to cut flooring tile. Again Home Depot sells these in the flooring department but I doubt you would want to put that much money in something to use much. For a job this small you might want to check Harbor Freight. Cheap tools but they might work long enough to do this small a job.

 

[komatsuvarna]

Home Depot sells masonry abrasive cutting blades that will fit a circular saw, or a smaller one for an angle grinder. They are cheap and won't cut much before they wear out. Diamond blades are much more expensive and would only be worth the money if you have a lot of cutting to do.

+1 Turn the water hose down real low, or take a handheld sprayer and keep the cut a little wet. No dust and longer blade life!

 

[ray benson]

The masonary blades for a circular saw are only about $3.
http://www.doitbest.com/main.aspx?pageid=64&sku=326143

 

[pook]

i just had a thought can i just by the cement and make my own bricks? can i buy refractory cement at a reasonable price at home depot or lowes? or is it something different?

cement costs more i think. stove mortar/cement in caulk tube patches firebrix & lasts well in my stove.

 

[CrappieKeith]

i just had a thought can i just by the cement and make my own bricks? can i buy refractory cement at a reasonable price at home depot or lowes? or is it something different?

It is something different. Bricks are made from clay.Clay has different densities and the denser brick you have the more thermal mass capabilities it has which is the purpose of firebrick.
Just like water in an OWB which is the medium the heat is stored in the more brick and the denser the brick you can buy the better the heat sink ability it will have.
The lighter the color clay the denser it is.

 

[1harlowr]

1+ on the abrasive blade for the circular saw. I've used them on a cement slab. A blade would last for all the fire bricks you'd ever need to cut.
A cheapo tile cutting saw from Lowes/Home Depot would work fine. $80ish last I saw

 

[husky455rancher]

ok thanks guys i guess ill be getting either a disc for my angle grinder or one for my circular saw or my metal chopsaw.