Big A**ed chomper

I have about six tons of "Windsor Wall" blocks, plus a few tons of pavers I have to set. The "Windsor Wall" blocks are about 12" wide, 6" deep and 6" tall. There is a lip on one edge so one can stack them, and they form a receedin taperedg wall. The pavers are about 6" x 8" x 2".

I need to cut a lot of them, either to make them fit, or cut into halves.

I cut a couple with a diamond blade on a Skil M77 saw, and they did good, just a ton of dust, and a lot of time. Plus, blades are $20 per.

I can make a hydraulic press (I'm a welder) that will chomp these between two blades, but first I would score a line on each side about 1/8" deep. I have seen blocks and bricks cut with a wide mason's chisel, and done a few myself. It works good if you have a line scored, and make a good solid hit with a large hammer.

Has anyone had any experience with "chomping" these blocks/pavers between two sharpened steel edges using massive hydraulic pressure to achieve cutting force?

Steve

Reply to
Steve B
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Here's something similar to what you describe:

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but I've no experience using one.

Reply to
Denis G.

I've cut a lot of patio pavers and some retaining wall blocks... the wall is still there and looks as good as the time I built it about 25 years ago:-)).

I'd cut a groove with the diamond saw in the top and bottom in line with the proposed break of block to be cut, say 1" or so deep. I used water from the garden hose to keep the dust down and the blade cool... I found that this works really well and not much water is needed.

Then place the block on a strong surface with a piece of 2"x4" under each edge. On top place a single piece of hardwood over the cut groove. Give this block a good blow with a heave sledge hammer and walla, 2 halves. I use this method to break the cover blocks of the retaining wall into two as they were cast as two facing each other and the break line was cast in. The stone yard people were impressed with my methodology as they couldn't do it because their splitter operator was off on holidays and they didn't let me run the thing.

Wolfgang

Reply to
wolfgang

Was the saw that you used designed for wet cutting masonry or did you use a general purpose saw and took care not to splash water on the motor? Regardless, it sounds like the scheme that you developed had good success! I=92ve done smaller jobs using fibrous blades designed for dry cutting masonry and a 14=94 chop saw, but I=92ve probably inhaled more brick dust than I would have otherwise. It sounds like the masonry company that you visited was a bit inefficient with personnel. I wonder how much money they may have lost by having to rely on only a single stonecutter?

Reply to
Denis G.

On Sat, 5 Dec 2009 19:54:28 -0800, the infamous "Steve B" scrawled the following:

I've cut a dozen in half with the mason's chisel after scoring, as you stated, but I've never tried to automate it. And I've broken brick with a single tap from a flat-edged mason's hammer.

Either way, you'd have to score it first, then whap it soundly to cut. Maybe have the top cutting tool come down to hold it, have two sidecutters hit it at 60 degrees (scoring it), then lift the main cutter to come down and cut it?

Try building a pneumatic setup, Steve. It should give you the quick shattering whap you need to break brick. Anything else would probably not work well. I think it relies on the vibrations through the brick to help shatter it. I beleive that a slow, high-pressure chisel against it would tend to crush it vs giving you a clean break.

Let us know what you end up with, OK?

-- Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of 'crackpot' than the stigma of conformity. And on issues that seem important to you, stand up and be counted at any cost. -- Thomas J. Watson

Reply to
Larry Jaques

I saw some videos of block splitters, and they were essentially very close to log splitters. I'm going to try a couple of block tomorrow in the log splitter, and see what comes of it. The only thing I can see is that I will have to add a board on the base because it has two half rings welded on the base to hold the log in place.

Hey, it will work or it won't.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

On Sun, 6 Dec 2009 21:45:01 -0800, the infamous "Steve B" scrawled the following:

Yeah, if you only have small mason's bricks to split, it might work.

I still think the hammer&chisel-like system would work better, with a quick "whap" vs a steadily increasing force. Sonically enhanced, knowwhatImean,Vern?

The Blockshear which Denis linked to is essentially just your everyday press with some specific chisel shapes on it. It wouldn't take much to modify a standard shear to work like that. Weld up a bead on a piece of half inch plate, grind it to an arrowhead, add a couple shock absorber bushings, and go. ;)

It appears to use a standard 20T hydraulic jack, so the HF press

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$250 (half that on sale) would be a cheap starter if you (or a neighbor) don't already own one. If it's the neighbor's, you could fab up stuff to hang on his unit or make 2 sets so he could have one, too, if you're going to go this route.

For the log splitter, you'll need a little guide to hold 'em on while you run in the ram, and something to catch the halves so they don't break more from the drop, I guess.

Pics, please?

-- To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive. -- Robert Louis Stevenson

Reply to
Larry Jaques

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