The Right Tool for the Job Tools, Tips and Techniques Discuss The Right Tool for the Job in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; This will probably get me into trouble here, but anyway……. Why does everyone using a wet saw to cut bricks? ...

[Nabber86]

This will probably get me into trouble here, but anyway…….

Why does everyone using a wet saw to cut bricks?

I went to HD last nite and an entry-level wet saw (7-inch blade) was ~$200, but it wont cut through a fire brick with one cut. The good wet saws (10-inch blade) start around $600. I though about it for a few minutes and ended up getting a 14-inch Chop Saw for $179 and a couple of mortar/cement blades for $6.29 each. After I got it home, I cut all of the bricks for my 42” oven floor in less than an hour. Works like a champ. Plus I can cut paver blocks and landscape timbers with one cut.

Wet saws are for tile. Chop saws are for brick.

[dmun]

Always protect your lungs when dry cutting. That dust is no good for you.

[fxpose]

Makes perfect sense to me. Tiles are one thing. I use an old dedicated circular saw just for cutting bricks and concrete blocks. On occasion I'll install a masonry wheel on my larger compound miter saw and use it to cut bricks.
Go to any construction site. Building blocks and bricks are dry cut.

[RTflorida]

I have to side with the wet saw. My backyard, front yard, or even my garage are not a construction site (for the most part); so the huge clouds of dust from dry cutting are a big deal (to me). Not to mention the respiratory issues.....this dust WILL penetrate anything short of a fine particulate respirator.
All that said, I already owned a wet saw as I have done a lot of tiling. Cutting firebrick finally did in my MK so I upgraded to the 10" Harbor Freight...as I've stated before, I am not a fan of cheap Chinese tools, but this is the best $200 tool money can buy. Very surprising. Unless you are a tiler by trade, no need to spend $600+ on a tile saw. I've since done a granite tile and 2 porceline tile jobs and no issues with the saw. Hell, I'm still using the original $30 blade I bought with the saw.

Please, just buy a good respirator if you choose to dry cut...or you may not live long enough to enjoy your hard work.

RT

[pwcoppard]

I used my compound mitre saw. Soaked the bricks well, and plugged a shop-vac into the back to suck up the dust. Wearing a mask is good advice.

Then used the dust underneath the hearth. Was able to do some pretty fancy cuts to help with the dome, particularly at the entrance.

[Ken524]

Nabber,

Many of us have bought the 10" Harbor Freight tile & brick wet saw: 2.5 Horsepower 10" Industrial Tile/Brick Saw

It can usually be found at local stores on sale for UNDER $200. For a cheap Chinese import, it rocks. I used this thing to cut all my dome refractory bricks, then all the decorative stone for my enclosure. Now, with a new diamond tile blade, I'm cutting the tile for 160 sq feet of outdoor counter top.

With bit of careful shimming, it can cut complex compound cuts for dome bricks.

I cut over 250 bricks for my dome, most of them had multiple, compound cuts. I can't image the dust issue I would have had without a wet saw.

That's why we are using a wet saw to cut brick

[Les]

FYI

I just saw an ad from Harbor Freight where the brick saw was on sale for $189.00 - that is less then I paid 3 years ago.

Les...

[fxpose]

Well, for $200, I might get just get that 10" wet saw for my planned WFO project.

[Nabber86]

You can get OSHA approved dust mask for 3 dollars. I understand the aesthetics of working without dust and the dangers of working with, but if you want performance for little capital outlay, a chop saw is a really good option.

If I would have found a $200 chinese wet saw in time for my project shedule, I probaly would have went for it (bad scheduling skills!).

[shuboyje]

I'm a union sheetmetal worker on jobsites every day in Detroit and every bricky I've ever worked with makes the vast majority of their cuts on a wet saw and ALWAYS has a wet saw on site setup right next to their staging area with their mixer.

Originally Posted by fxpose

Makes perfect sense to me. Tiles are one thing. I use an old dedicated circular saw just for cutting bricks and concrete blocks. On occasion I'll install a masonry wheel on my larger compound miter saw and use it to cut bricks.
Go to any construction site. Building blocks and bricks are dry cut.