Cut Brick
Brick can be used to make a walkway or support a structure. Its durability and other practical benefits have helped maintain its use in construction. Cutting brick is often necessary when building with it, however. Here are some ways to cut brick.
Steps
- Use a pencil and a triangular layout square to draw a line on each side of the brick at the place it will be cut.
- Rest the brick on the ground or in a sand bed. Place a chisel on the brick's marked line at about a 60 degree angle. Tap the chisel gently with a brick hammer.
- Hammer the chisel gently all along the marked line, alternating the chisel's angle from side to side to form a groove 1/16 inch (0.15 cm) deep all the way around the brick.
- Take a brick set or chisel and place its cutting edge in the chiseled groove. The brick set or chisel's straight side should be facing you and the side of the brick that will be used after cutting. Tilt the cutting tool's edge slightly away from the portion of brick to be discarded.
- Hammer the brick set solidly once with the brick hammer. The brick should split along the chiseled groove line.
- Use the chisel end of the brick hammer to chip off any excess remaining brick.
Tips
- If a large number of bricks need cutting, then consider using a brick table saw, or brick saw, to get repeat accuracy when cutting. Equip the brick saw with a straight brick diamond blade for only cutting brick.
- Cutting brick with a hammer alone is best for normal cutting work, including making closure bricks to go around openings in a wall or finishing corners.
- Marking and chiseling a groove before cutting brick is helpful if you need to cut a brick to a straight line.
Warnings
- Wear safety goggles and a breathing mask if cutting dry bricks with a brick table saw to avoid getting brick dust in the eyes and airways.
- Be aware that bricks can be cut dry or wet in masonry. Cutting dry bricks may be faster but will create much dust. By wetting bricks in water before cutting them, dust will be decreased but a change in appearance could occur as chemicals from the bricks leach into the water they are left in, staining the remaining bricks.
- Do not hammer the chisel directly from the top or with great force when making the groove in the brick. Doing so could cause the brick to split and break unevenly.
Things You'll Need
- Brick
- Pencil
- Triangular layout square
- Chisel
- Brick hammer
- Brick set
- Brick table saw
- Safety goggles
- Breathing mask
