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Cutting Concrete blocks for wall

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Cutting Concrete blocks for wall timbirr 02-25-2008
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Posted by on February 25, 2008, 12:56 am
Well, dear wife wants a retaining wall for new garden area.

So, using some of those mortarless blocks...here's the Web site:

http://www.mutualmaterials.com/Homeowner_detail.asp?pt_id=64&p_id=266&subarea=Shapes%20/%20Colors&detail=85&detail2=122

I am building it. However, I need to cut some wierd angles. In the
past I have always used my handy dandy 7-1/4 inch circular saw and
some "fiber-type" masonry blades at $2.50 a piece from my local
hardware store to cut the things.

However, it has been about 10 years since my last foray. Am I getting
older, or did I forget....it's hard work to cut these things and I am
going through about 1 blade for every 2 blocks....

I poked about the Web and saw a few Hitachi blades, "diamond"
advertised for $30 to $70 ....and a few other brands for up to $380.

Now, I need to cut a number of these, I haven't quite figured out the
total, but a number of them on wierd angles and just a number of them
in half to meet her "highness's specs.

I am not expecting to cut them totally, just enough to split. I don't
want to rent a cutter, because I have no easy way to get it here and
they want $50 to deliver, plus the $66 rental charge for the day....

Anyway, would one of those steel Hitachi blades work better than the
fiber ones I struggled with today???

Posted by on February 25, 2008, 1:25 am
On Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:56:24 -0800 (PST), timbirr@mailcity.com wrote:

>Well, dear wife wants a retaining wall for new garden area.
>
>So, using some of those mortarless blocks...here's the Web site:
>
>http://www.mutualmaterials.com/Homeowner_detail.asp?pt_id=64&p_id=266&subarea=Shapes%20/%20Colors&detail=85&detail2=122
>
>I am building it. However, I need to cut some wierd angles. In the
>past I have always used my handy dandy 7-1/4 inch circular saw and
>some "fiber-type" masonry blades at $2.50 a piece from my local
>hardware store to cut the things.
>
>However, it has been about 10 years since my last foray. Am I getting
>older, or did I forget....it's hard work to cut these things and I am
>going through about 1 blade for every 2 blocks....
>
>I poked about the Web and saw a few Hitachi blades, "diamond"
>advertised for $30 to $70 ....and a few other brands for up to $380.
>
>Now, I need to cut a number of these, I haven't quite figured out the
>total, but a number of them on wierd angles and just a number of them
>in half to meet her "highness's specs.
>
>I am not expecting to cut them totally, just enough to split. I don't
>want to rent a cutter, because I have no easy way to get it here and
>they want $50 to deliver, plus the $66 rental charge for the day....
>
>Anyway, would one of those steel Hitachi blades work better than the
>fiber ones I struggled with today???

A diamond wheel in a side grinder does a good job. If you don't have a
grinder, now is a good time to take the plunge. It will end up being
one of your favorite tools

Posted by DanG on February 25, 2008, 5:51 am
A dry diamond on circular saw works well. You can get one for
about $10 at Harbor Freight. I buy Core Cut brand for about $60.
They work better to make several passes rather than trying to cut
full depth in one pass.

--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)
dgriff237@7cox.net



> Well, dear wife wants a retaining wall for new garden area.
>
> So, using some of those mortarless blocks...here's the Web site:
>
>
http://www.mutualmaterials.com/Homeowner_detail.asp?pt_id=64&p_id=266&subarea=Shapes%20/%20Colors&detail=85&detail2=122
>
> I am building it. However, I need to cut some wierd angles. In
> the
> past I have always used my handy dandy 7-1/4 inch circular saw
> and
> some "fiber-type" masonry blades at $2.50 a piece from my local
> hardware store to cut the things.
>
> However, it has been about 10 years since my last foray. Am I
> getting
> older, or did I forget....it's hard work to cut these things and
> I am
> going through about 1 blade for every 2 blocks....
>
> I poked about the Web and saw a few Hitachi blades, "diamond"
> advertised for $30 to $70 ....and a few other brands for up to
> $380.
>
> Now, I need to cut a number of these, I haven't quite figured
> out the
> total, but a number of them on wierd angles and just a number of
> them
> in half to meet her "highness's specs.
>
> I am not expecting to cut them totally, just enough to split. I
> don't
> want to rent a cutter, because I have no easy way to get it here
> and
> they want $50 to deliver, plus the $66 rental charge for the
> day....
>
> Anyway, would one of those steel Hitachi blades work better than
> the
> fiber ones I struggled with today???



Posted by Jim Elbrecht on February 26, 2008, 11:28 am
timbirr@mailcity.com wrote:

-snip-
>I poked about the Web and saw a few Hitachi blades, "diamond"
>advertised for $30 to $70 ....and a few other brands for up to $380.

I got a couple of the $30 ones from Lowes-- I finally killed the
first one with some hidden rebar in a slab. They last, and last,
and last. [dusty as all get-out, though]

>
>Now, I need to cut a number of these, I haven't quite figured out the
>total, but a number of them on wierd angles and just a number of them
>in half to meet her "highness's specs.
>
>I am not expecting to cut them totally, just enough to split. I don't
>want to rent a cutter, because I have no easy way to get it here and
>they want $50 to deliver, plus the $66 rental charge for the day....

Did you get them at a big box borg, or a landscape place? My block
supplies place has split many of them for me- no charge. I'm not
a huge customer, either. I doubt I've spent $3,000 there in the past
6 years, but when I told them what I wanted the guy offered to split a
couple dozen 6x18 solid blocks at no charge.

If you can't get that lucky, I found an air hammer and wide chisel
works better for me than my big hammer and mason's chisel.

>
>Anyway, would one of those steel Hitachi blades work better than the
>fiber ones I struggled with today???

By about a factor of 100.

Good luck-
Jim

Posted by ransley on February 26, 2008, 12:10 pm
On Feb 24, 11:56=A0pm, timb...@mailcity.com wrote:
> Well, dear wife wants a retaining wall for new garden area.
>
> So, using some of those mortarless blocks...here's the Web site:
>
> http://www.mutualmaterials.com/Homeowner_detail.asp?pt_id=3D64&p_id=3D266.=
..
>
> I am building it. =A0However, I need to cut some wierd angles. =A0In the
> past I have always used my handy dandy 7-1/4 inch circular saw and
> some "fiber-type" masonry blades at $2.50 a piece from my local
> hardware store to cut the things.
>
> However, it has been about 10 years since my last foray. =A0Am I getting
> older, or did I forget....it's hard work to cut these things and I am
> going through about 1 blade for every 2 blocks....
>
> I poked about the Web and saw a few Hitachi blades, "diamond"
> advertised for $30 to $70 ....and a few other brands for up to $380.
>
> Now, I need to cut a number of these, I haven't quite figured out the
> total, but a number of them on wierd angles and just a number of them
> in half to meet her "highness's specs.
>
> I am not expecting to cut them totally, just enough to split. =A0I don't
> want to rent a cutter, because I have no easy way to get it here and
> they want $50 to deliver, plus the $66 rental charge for the day....
>
> Anyway, would one of those steel Hitachi blades work better than the
> fiber ones I struggled with today???

Rent a potable wet saw from a tile store cutting concrete is extremely
dusty

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