All standard cutting methods work for straight cuts, but for curved cuts, use a circular saw or angle grinder. Score the curved cut along the top of the paver first, cutting about 1/8 inch deep.
A circular saw is a common choice for cutting paving slabs among landscaping experts. When using these cutting tools, it is essential to wear safety glasses and a dust mask as they produce large dust clouds which can often leave behind a lot of residue.
Grab your hammer and chisel to cut the pavers. Hold the chisel just outside of the line you've drawn on the slab and tap gently but firmly with the hammer until the brick splits. Use the chisel to knock off any sharp, uneven edges and help you create a neat finish.
Use a Chisel and Hammer to cut Paving Slabs:
Using a chisel and hammer to cut your paving slabs is the easiest and simplest method. While it may be more time consuming than using electrical tools such as a hand-held saw, this method requires the least tools.
An angle grinder is a power tool that can be used for cutting through different types of materials, including metal and other solid materials such as bricks, aluminium, stone and concrete.
Insert a masonry cut off disk into an angle grinder using the grinder's instructions. Put on a dust mask and safety glasses and turn on the grinder. Lower the blade toward the pencil line on the block and hold the grinder steady as it cuts through the limestone.
To cut slate, you need a diamond-tipped cutting wheel for your grinder. Because slate is layered, it's difficult to draw an accurate straight line on it. This task becomes easier, and you'll make a more accurate cut with fewer edge chips, if you first lay masking tape and then score the line into the tape with a knife.
Use a standard circular saw, equipped with a corundum or diamond blade, for small tasks. For slabs, it's best to cut through the top inch, then use a sledgehammer to break off the rest. The jagged edge left below the cutting line provides a good rough edge for the new concrete to bond to.
Compound miter saw heads, which can turn from side to side, are designed to make angled and beveled cuts. When fitted with a blade designed for dry masonry cutting, the saw can be used on concrete pavers the same way it is used on wood.
While 115mm angle grinders offer a maximum cutting depth of only 30 mm, they are precise, easy to handle and lighter than larger versions.
Limestone is extremely porous, which makes it easy to cut with hand tools. It is a mineral made from the sedimentation of organic materials and fossils, mainly the skeletons of marine organisms.
You will need a chisel as well as an electric grinder with a diamond cutting blade to cut the stone. [2] If your project is small, it may be less expensive to rent the grinder. You'll need a stone mason's hammer (these are similar to small sledgehammers). You will also need safety gear.
Sand stone is quite soft to cut, you would need at least a 9" grinder with a half decent cutting blade in it. Take it slowly and you will be fine.
A stone disc will cut steel, but never use a steel disc to cut stone.
There are a few ways to split bricks, patio blocks or pavers — with a drilling hammer and a masonry chisel or using a power saw. The chisel and hammer method is useful if you just have a few cuts to make. For a larger project or more accurate cuts, a circular saw with a concrete blade is a good option.
Turn on the circular saw's motor, and lower the saw's blade gradually onto one edge of the chalk or pencil line on the paver's upward-facing side. Use the saw to cut straight along the line across the paver, moving the blade slowly to the opposite side of the paver.
After a little research I realised that I could fit a diamond blade in to the Evolution mitre saw that I own. The blade arrived within a day or two and once fitted, made quick clean work of the concrete gravel board.
Prepare to make a straight cut, using the fence (the back) of the tray to hold your piece of tile squarely with the blade. Hold the tile firmly in place, using your hand. Squeeze the trigger on the saw and gently pull the blade downward into the piece of tile. Repeat this process for any type of straight cuts.
Cutting bricks is truly easier with a dedicated brick-cutting handheld or table saw, but is as easily accomplished with a simple miter saw. The key is in choosing the right blade for the saw. As long as the miter saw is large enough to penetrate through the brick, you can use it to cut any type of brick or paver.