I built retaining walls this past week and need to break some of the bricks in half....my original plan of using a hammer and chisel is proving to be rather difficult and time consuming. Any one have any better suggestions? The bricks are 12inx8inx4in Castlewall from Lowes.

10/24/2010 3:27:58 PM

Did you purchase a cold chisel, a brick set (wider blade chisel), and a brick hammer?

that's pretty much what you need.

put the brick on the ground (dirt).

use the brick hammer with the cold chisel to gently mark (tap) the line that you want across the entire surface of the brick.

then place the brick set on the line that you marked and swing away. should snap apart.

or you could use what i did and get a masonry blade for a table saw or circular saw and cut the bricks.

[Edited on October 24, 2010 at 3:47 PM. Reason : d]

10/24/2010 3:46:09 PM

When I built my rock wall I had to break huge 60 lb concrete blocks along a straight line. As it turns out, they make a circular saw blade exactly for this purpose. The only problem is the blade only made it through about 45% of the brick. So I made a cut all the way around on each side, so only about 10% of the brick remained to be cut. I then used a chisel and it broke off what remained in a very neat, clean manner.



[Edited on October 24, 2010 at 4:07 PM. Reason : GRAMMAR]

10/24/2010 4:06:20 PM

I see most masons do any one of these:

1) Use a masonry saw to cut the block all the way through
2) Use a masonry saw to cut the block partially through. Position the saw cut over an edge and hit the free end with a hammer to break it the rest of the way. (see pic)
3) Position the block over an edge and hit the free end with the hammer to break it. (see pic, imagine no saw cut)

10/24/2010 4:44:29 PM

rent a quickie saw(masonry saw that looks like a chain saw with a round diamond blade.)

10/24/2010 5:30:06 PM

I did something similar and rented a guillotine for it. It's just a vice with a lever on it that splits concrete block fairly easily.

Much quicker than a saw.

10/24/2010 6:58:28 PM

mom's boyfriend is a mason. he said he usually just hits them in the middle with a masonry hammer.

10/24/2010 7:07:18 PM

I did mine with an angle grinder, masonry disc (4" or 5"), and hammer

[Edited on October 24, 2010 at 7:11 PM. Reason : ]

10/24/2010 7:11:14 PM

I THOUGHT THIS THREAD WAS ABOUT ANGRY BIRDS

10/24/2010 7:22:20 PM

Quote :

"rent a quickie saw(masonry saw that looks like a chain saw with a round diamond blade.)"

Pro Tip: If you use a quickie saw, put on a dust mask or connect water to the saw to keep the dust down.

[Edited on October 24, 2010 at 7:37 PM. Reason : tip]

10/24/2010 7:37:13 PM

1. get a blackberry
2. go to games
3. ...
4. profit

10/24/2010 7:40:21 PM

10/24/2010 7:46:41 PM

Hold the brick softly in your left hand. With the blunt end of the hammer(not the chisel side) hit the brick on the flat side in the middle, very near the face(the narrow side that faces out in a brick wall. Done properly you'll get a basically straight crack right down the face in about 2 seconds.

If you really want perfection, use a saw to score the face, then hit it like I described.

Oh wait, you don't mean bricks. For those concrete stones, it's easier to cut them. They don't shatter as simply as bricks do. Rent a gas saw, and try not to cut your foot off or catch silicosis.



[Edited on October 25, 2010 at 1:04 AM. Reason : .]

10/25/2010 1:00:31 AM

The bricks, the bricks
The bricks, the bricks

10/25/2010 1:34:05 AM

You can cut them with a hammer and chisel, you just have to lay them on a soft surface like sand and work your way all the way around. Don't hit it too hard, just keep working your line with the chisel. Once you've scored the perimeter, pick up one side of the block and smack it with the hammer to break it in two.

10/25/2010 1:35:34 AM

10/25/2010 8:12:44 AM

10/25/2010 9:39:36 AM

^lol

10/25/2010 9:57:33 AM

10/25/2010 11:45:59 AM