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Occasional tile/brick saw?

rickchem | Posted in Tools for Home Building on June 28, 2004 07:37am

Hey all-

I need to cut a mix of 20 brick (clay) pavers and cinder-type pavers for an existing patio.  I’ve done it with a chisel in the past, but have lost the touch and don’t have the extra materials or time to mess with it.  So I was wondering if you all had a recomendation for a cheap tile saw that could double as a occasional brick saw.  I do about one tile job a year or so, but could use a saw for occasional masonry/repair tile jobs, sans nippers.

I saw the MK-170 at amazon for 129. . . any thoughts (7 inch)?  Would the tile blade cut brick effectively? Since I will only use it now and then, I don’t want to sped much more. . .and a rental costs half as much as that saw! 

 

Thanks!

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Replies

  1. PhillGiles | Jun 28, 2004 07:45am | #1

    For the pavers, our local Rent-all rents out 7.25" diamond blades - you pay for the wear.

    .

    Phill Giles

    The Unionville Woodwright

    Unionville, Ontario

  2. joeh | Jun 28, 2004 08:46am | #2

    El cheapo diamond blade for a 4" grinder.

    Joe H

    1. FastEddie1 | Jun 28, 2004 03:34pm | #3

      Agree with Joe ... if you already have a side grinder, buy a $15 dry blade.

      Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!"  Then get busy and find out how to do it.  T. Roosevelt

  3. User avater
    JeffBuck | Jun 28, 2004 08:18pm | #4

    once more for a grinder ....

    I have the little MK -170 ...

    it's a good little saw ....

    not sure if it'd cut pavers or not ... I've never had occasion to cut a paver ....

    I imagine it would ...

    but ... a good grinder and an assortment of blades would cut lots more.

    when setting tile ... I use my grinders as much if not more than my wet saw ....

    I'd say get the grinder for the pavers ... and pick up a decent snap-scorer for the next tile job .... what thge hell .. get the little wet saw too .... only $130 ...

    Jeff

    Jeff

    Buck Construction, llc   Pittsburgh,PA

         Artistry in Carpentry                

    1. jarcolio | Jun 28, 2004 08:32pm | #5

      get a 7" diamond blade for your circular saw -- as little as you use it, it will last your life time -- they cut the things you need cut very, very easy -- bricks cut like butter --

    2. rickchem | Jun 29, 2004 07:17am | #6

      Thanks for the angle grinder suggestion.  I'm always worried about the dry cut dust mucking up the bearing/motor though.  That is why I liked the tile saw.  Maybe I'll give MK a call and ask about the MK170.  You've had good luck with it?  I keep meaning to buy an angle grinder too though!

      1. User avater
        JeffBuck | Jun 29, 2004 07:44am | #7

        I've had my little MK for about 2 or 3 years now ...

        maybe go thru 6 or 7 tile jobs a year? Usually a full master and/or kitchen.

        Have cut lotsa very hard tile and stone(slate) with it ... no problems.

        I have a makita 4" grinder ... which did burn up right before out of warrenty ... got a rebuild out of it ... and a 4.5 Milwaukee which replace the Mak while it was in the shop.

        I like the little Mak for precision tile work cuts ...

        the Mil now is on heavy duty work ...

        I burnt the Mak out cutting thru very thick plaster ... thicker than the blade depth ... with wire mesh imbedded in there .. I knew I was pushing it ... smelled it ever step of the way .... one of those times ya just gotta get the most out of the tool.

        Haven't beat on it anywhere near that much since the rebuild.

        I save that stuff for the old Mil ....

        Both are sealed pretty good ... standard tile cutting won't hurt them one bit.

        Jeff

        Buck Construction, llc   Pittsburgh,PA

             Artistry in Carpentry                

      2. Karrl | Jun 29, 2004 06:29pm | #9

        As a stone fabricator I am constantly "mucking" up my grinder bearings with volumes of dust. The only failure I have ever had was either worn brushes or stuck "on" switches. Both replace for less than ten bucks.

        The tool repair tech says to blow it out with air daily and I will avoid most of the switch problems. I subject my grinders to MASSIVE amounts of dust and even though I don't always have access to air at installation sites the grinders just keep going.

        I have a good sized target tilesaw that I never use. I am like Jeff in choosing a grinder with a diamond blade 9 times out of 10 over the tilesaw. A grinder beats a skilsaw in almost all my uses.

        One blade I seldom see in use but swear by is one that is drilled to screw it to a flush cutting hub. The hub then threads onto the grinder shaft in such a way that you have the entire surface of the blade entirely accessible to clean up square notches, etc.

        For soft material ( concrete, brick, soft tile) cheap blades are fine. If you go to cut granite, porcelain and other hard materials be sure to get a higher quality blade with a "soft bonding matrix" otherwise it will lose cutting ability quickly and require frequent dressing to restore its cutting ability.

        Some marble and limestone will only cut cleanly with an electroplated diamond blade. I don't always see electroplated blades for sale but I think harbor freight may sell them ridiculously cheap. If you do order from them get the electroplated diamond drum set in 3/4 by 1" and 1"by1" for less than ten bucks. They are fantasitic for cleaning up radii. I chuck them into a drywall cut out tool. They vibrate the bearings like crazy but sure cut fast. They don't seem to wear out even grinding granite.

        Karl

        1. rickchem | Jul 01, 2004 03:38am | #10

          Hey-

          I'm wondering about cutting with the grinder- and how you do this exactly without flinging the brick across the yard.  How do you hold the grinder?  Just turn it on its side with the dust spitting away and touch down into the brick?  Is it that simple?  I guess I've always seen the saws with the moveable platform.  The one time I used a grinder on a tile some years back it flung a tile into my face, so I have been hesitant ever since. . .

          1. Karrl | Jul 01, 2004 05:03am | #11

            Good question on cutting technique using a grinder. Anyone cutting stone slabs long learns to cut in multiple passes and I have transferred that same technique to using diamond blades in handheld tools like grinders and skillsaws.

            What you want to do is mark your cut line and cut along it in a light pass. Use the groove created in that first pass to guide each succeeding pass with the saw blade. I don't know what will be the best depth of each pass in your material but 1/4" is a good rule of thumb.

            You will get much straighter cuts using this technique in hard materials like granite.

            I have rarely had a blade bind and grab the material but wear gloves, eye protection, ear protection and a good dust mask (if you cut dry).

            The flush cutting blades and hubs are great if you havent bought a blade for your grinder yet. I know you can get one from Braxton Bragg or Granite City Tool.

            Good luck, Karl

          2. rickchem | Jul 07, 2004 06:26am | #12

            Just wanted to say thanks for the advice.  Never gave the grinder too much consideration until mentioned here.  I bought one (makita w/ free diamond blade!) for $20 more then renting a brick saw.  Cut through the pavers/bricks like a knife through butter, and now I have a grinder to add to my collection of tools.  That is a mean little tool!

          3. joeh | Jul 07, 2004 07:28am | #13

            You're right in more ways than one.

            It'll grind fingers as well as it grinds bricks.

            Joe H

          4. Karrl | Jul 07, 2004 07:46am | #14

            Glad to hear it worked for you.

            Coincidentally, I stopped by my moms last week and she asked me to cut a couple of bricks for her garden path. I had a grinder with a diamond blade in the truck that made quick work of it. Cutting from both sides wouldn't quite make it all the way through but it was easy to break apart.

            I didn't used to bother with ear protection but now I hate to go near a loud power tool without them. Definitely have yours handy if you run that diamond blade for long.

            karl

  4. User avater
    wyowolf | Jun 29, 2004 06:21pm | #8

    i used a diamond blade for my circular saw... cuts like butter, but a lot of dust but not too bad i guess. blade cost 30$ at Lowes...

    We were the winners, cause we didnt know we could fail....

    Waylon...

  5. 4Lorn1 | Jul 07, 2004 07:51am | #15

    A friend, seeing as that he was planning a bath, kitchen and Mexican tile job for his porch, got a cheap used chop saw at a garage sale. Porter Cable I think. He said it was pretty well used but still had some like left. Got it for something like $15. On this he mounted an abrasive masonry blade. This got him through al his initial projects in good order.

    He was thinking that if it got him through a couple projects it would be worth it. He was planning to let it wear out and junk it after the jobs but the saw failed to cooperate. It is still was going strong.

    He is now saying that the next project he might buy a diamond blade for it. Irony being that the blade would cost more than three times the initial cost of the saw.

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