How to Cut Pavers (without a Brick Saw)

I have to cut about 20 cement pavers that are about 3 cm thick. A nice clean cut is required. Now if I wasn't such a tight **** I would hire a wet brick saw, but the asking price is $170 for a day (plus a charge for blade wear).

I can buy an el cheapo (ETC) metal cut-off saw from MagnaMart for $169. My idea is to buy a masonary blade to fit the cut-off saw and cut the pavers this way. Does this sound feasible or does somebody have other suggestions? If so, I am all ears.

I have tried a diamond blade in the small angle grinder but it tales forever to score a paver and then when I give it a wack with the bolster the cut is horrendously jagged and unsuitable to for where I need to fit it. Nor does the angle-grinder have the depth to go all the way through the paver.

Some garden centres and people who sell pavers offer a cutting service. Should be a heap cheaper.

Dan

Can't you cut from both sides? I did a heap of cuts in brick pavers with a diamond blade. I just cut as deep as I could all the way around, whacked it with the bolster, and then cleaned it up with the blade.

If you're going to pay $169 for the saw plus the cost of a few blades, you'll be spending more than $170. I know you get to keep the saw afterwards (if it hasn't burnt out) but I don't think you'll get as smooth a finish with a masonary blade as you will with a bricksaw.

Can you shop around? The Kennards I used in Sydney had half-day hire on most things. 20 cuts shouldn't take long.

Geno,
I was in the same quandary a few weeks ago as I needed to cut some exposed aggregate concrete about 3" to 4" thick and got the same price from Kennards. My son-in-law got a lend of a petrol driven saw with a masonry blade and it was taking forever and a day to put a mark in it let alone the amount of dust it created.

I ended up going to Bunnies and getting a GMC 230mmm 2400w angle grinder for $99 and also bought a 230mm wet/dry diamond blade to suit for $50. Brought it home set it up and it cut through the concrete like a hot knife through butter and didn't miss a beat.
I have been wanting to get a big angle grinder for some time so now I have my big angle grinder for other jobs etc and a diamond blade :):):)

Why don't you go around the building sites and look fo a brickie or a paviour and offer them a slab of tinnies and see if they would cut them for you.

The good news is that you haven't hurt yourself yet with what youv'e been doing.
The only safe and sure way is to spend the hiring fee and hire a brick saw. These saws are made to keep the blades cool and also reduces the dust.

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Originally Posted by Geno

I have to cut about 20 cement pavers that are about 3 cm thick. A nice clean cut is required. Now if I wasn't such a tight **** I would hire a wet brick saw, but the asking price is $170 for a day (plus a charge for blade wear).

I can buy an el cheapo (ETC) metal cut-off saw from MagnaMart for $169. My idea is to buy a masonary blade to fit the cut-off saw and cut the pavers this way. Does this sound feasible or does somebody have other suggestions? If so, I am all ears.

I have tried a diamond blade in the small angle grinder but it tales forever to score a paver and then when I give it a wack with the bolster the cut is horrendously jagged and unsuitable to for where I need to fit it. Nor does the angle-grinder have the depth to go all the way through the paver.

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Geno,

garden supply centres usually offer a brick/paving tile cutting service.

Last time I used them, which I admit was a little while ago, the charge was $1.50 per cut.

May I suggest you check out the garden supply businesses in your area?

Thanks for all the responses. I have actually counted how many I need to cut and it is 30, as opposed to the 20 I originally guesstimated.

In response to DanP and BarryWhites posts, I rang around and sussed out getting the local Tile\Paver supplier to cut them. They want $3.20 per paver. If I had bought the pavers from them it would be $2.20 per paver. However these are old ones I lifted from under my deck. Also, they only cut them on a Saturday morning. I then have to mark them all, cart them out there and back, and then hope they all fit as planned and it will still set me back $100 (i.e one brand new big mother angle-grinder).

I have just cut five pavers with the small angle-grinder using the SilentC method of chasing around and then giving it a whack with the bolster. This is actually working OK but is a bit slow and very noisy. Tomorrow I will buy a big angle-grinder (like Pete mentioned in his post) and a diamond blade. This should really do the business. I will buy some ear muffs as well.......