Hi all,
I need to cut some small driveway blocks. Though I know nothing about them
I've got into my head that I need a small angle grinder with appropriate
discs .. is this correct ? I'm surprised to see corded DeWalt models for as
little? as £40.
I'm having to temper my internet shopaholism with the need to find out what
will do the job best for a reasonable price tag. I'm not going to have to
cut too many and they're only 5cm thick - will an angle grinder do the job ?
I may have to extend it's use to cutting some natural sandstone paving
slabs - I don't mind if it takes a while.
I've only started looking into this tonight so please forgive my naivety.

Cheers,
Keith

KD submitted this idea :
Hi all,
I need to cut some small driveway blocks. Though I know nothing about them
I've got into my head that I need a small angle grinder with appropriate
discs .. is this correct ? I'm surprised to see corded DeWalt models for as
little? as £40.
I'm having to temper my internet shopaholism with the need to find out what
will do the job best for a reasonable price tag. I'm not going to have to
cut too many and they're only 5cm thick - will an angle grinder do the job ?
I may have to extend it's use to cutting some natural sandstone paving slabs
- I don't mind if it takes a while.
I've only started looking into this tonight so please forgive my naivety.

A small angle grinder fitted with a stone disk will do it, but it will
be slow.

--

Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

KD wrote:
Hi all,
I need to cut some small driveway blocks. Though I know nothing
about them I've got into my head that I need a small angle grinder
with appropriate discs .. is this correct ? I'm surprised to see
corded DeWalt models for as little? as £40.
I'm having to temper my internet shopaholism with the need to find
out what will do the job best for a reasonable price tag. I'm not
going to have to cut too many and they're only 5cm thick - will an
angle grinder do the job ? I may have to extend it's use to cutting
some natural sandstone paving slabs - I don't mind if it takes a
while.
I've only started looking into this tonight so please forgive my
naivety.

Cheers,
Keith

hire a block splitter

http://www.expresstools.co.uk/ishop/...92/bir1078.jpg

"KD" wrote in message
. uk...
Hi all,
I need to cut some small driveway blocks. Though I know nothing about
them I've got into my head that I need a small angle grinder with
appropriate discs .. is this correct ? I'm surprised to see corded DeWalt
models for as little? as £40.
I'm having to temper my internet shopaholism with the need to find out
what will do the job best for a reasonable price tag. I'm not going to
have to cut too many and they're only 5cm thick - will an angle grinder do
the job ? I may have to extend it's use to cutting some natural sandstone
paving slabs - I don't mind if it takes a while.
I've only started looking into this tonight so please forgive my naivety.

Go down your local friendly hire shop and hire a proper brick saw.

The message
from "KD" contains these words:

I need to cut some small driveway blocks.

Would this do?
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product...3&r=2089&g=112

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

"Guy King" wrote in message
...
The message
from "KD" contains these words:

I need to cut some small driveway blocks.

Would this do?
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product...3&r=2089&g=112

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

.... hadn't even seen this option .thanks :O)

"KD" wrote in message
. uk...
Hi all,
I need to cut some small driveway blocks. Though I know nothing about
them I've got into my head that I need a small angle grinder with
appropriate discs .. is this correct ? I'm surprised to see corded DeWalt
models for as little? as £40.
I'm having to temper my internet shopaholism with the need to find out
what will do the job best for a reasonable price tag. I'm not going to
have to cut too many and they're only 5cm thick - will an angle grinder do
the job ? I may have to extend it's use to cutting some natural sandstone
paving slabs - I don't mind if it takes a while.
I've only started looking into this tonight so please forgive my naivety.

Cheers,
Keith

if you want a really nice finish then they should be cut with a diamond disc
in a big, fixed cutter, if you are not bothered then use a brick bolster

mrcheerful

"KD" wrote in message
. uk...
Hi all,
I need to cut some small driveway blocks. Though I know nothing about
them I've got into my head that I need a small angle grinder with
appropriate discs .. is this correct ? I'm surprised to see corded DeWalt
models for as little? as £40.
I'm having to temper my internet shopaholism with the need to find out
what will do the job best for a reasonable price tag. I'm not going to
have to cut too many and they're only 5cm thick - will an angle grinder do
the job ? I may have to extend it's use to cutting some natural sandstone
paving slabs - I don't mind if it takes a while.
I've only started looking into this tonight so please forgive my naivety.

Cheers,
Keith


A small angle grinder is extremely slow and you can get through a lot of
discs. Best to hire a proper machine which works fine but can need a bit of
brute force. Much quicker and cheaper.

KD wrote:
Hi all,
I need to cut some small driveway blocks. Though I know nothing
about them I've got into my head that I need a small angle grinder
with appropriate discs .. is this correct ? SNIPI'm not
going to have to cut too many and they're only 5cm thick - will an
angle grinder do the job ? I may have to extend it's use to cutting
some natural sandstone paving slabs - I don't mind if it takes a
while.

Small 115mm angle grinder won't cut a 5cm block in one go, the guard will
limit the depth of cut. You would need a 230mm machine.


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

On Wed, 10 May 2006 22:06:16 +0100, "KD"
wrote:

I've got into my head that I need a small angle grinder

No, you need a big one - more reach with the larger disk.

Cheap 9" grinders are 40 quid and weight twice as much as a good £80
one. Diamond disks are cheap these days and eBay is a good source.

Or hire something.

KD wrote:

I need to cut some small driveway blocks. Though I know nothing about them
I've got into my head that I need a small angle grinder with appropriate
discs .. is this correct ? I'm surprised to see corded DeWalt models for as
little? as ï½£40.

A block splitter will do it, but is a bit specialised. An angle grinder
is more useful as a general purpose tool.

Decent angle grinders are actually quite cheap. You will need a 230mm
one for that thickness of block. Get a decent diamond disk to go with it
and it will cut quickly and the disk will last for ages (i.e. longer
than 100's of ordinary abrasive stone cutting disks). Don't forget
decent ear, eye, and respitary protection when using a grinder for this
- they make serious dust!

Background info he

http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/powertools/anglegrinder.htm



--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Wed, 10 May 2006 22:06:16 +0100, "KD"
wrote:

|Hi all,
|I need to cut some small driveway blocks. Though I know nothing about them
|I've got into my head that I need a small angle grinder with appropriate
|discs .. is this correct ? I'm surprised to see corded DeWalt models for as
|little? as ?40.
|I'm having to temper my internet shopaholism with the need to find out what
|will do the job best for a reasonable price tag. I'm not going to have to
|cut too many and they're only 5cm thick - will an angle grinder do the job ?
|I may have to extend it's use to cutting some natural sandstone paving
|slabs - I don't mind if it takes a while.
|I've only started looking into this tonight so please forgive my naivety.

My small Lidl one would not be man enough for that job.
I would go to the local Tool Hire shop for a bigger one for paving slabs.
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk Google Groups is IME the *worst*
method of accessing usenet. GG subscribers would be well advised get a
newsreader, say Agent, and a newsserver, say news.individual.net. These
will allow them: to see only *new* posts, a killfile, and other goodies.

"KD" wrote in message
. uk...
Hi all,
I need to cut some small driveway blocks. Though I know nothing about
them I've got into my head that I need a small angle grinder with
appropriate discs .. is this correct ? I'm surprised to see corded DeWalt
models for as little? as £40.
I'm having to temper my internet shopaholism with the need to find out
what will do the job best for a reasonable price tag. I'm not going to
have to cut too many and they're only 5cm thick - will an angle grinder do
the job ? I may have to extend it's use to cutting some natural sandstone
paving slabs - I don't mind if it takes a while.
I've only started looking into this tonight so please forgive my naivety.

Cheers,
Keith

Thanks all for your advice. Looks like I'll probably hire one as I think
this may be a one-off exercise.

Cheers,
Keith

On Thu, 11 May 2006 07:29:09 +0100, "KD" wrote:

Thanks all for your advice. Looks like I'll probably hire one as I think
this may be a one-off exercise.

Read here first: http://www.pavingexpert.com/, and then you will better know
what to hire...


Thomas Prufer

"KD" wrote in message
. uk...

I need to cut some small driveway blocks.

I'm sure there are some blocks that a splitter works perfectly with, but
my experience with them was disappointing. To make a good job, the cut
faces need to be flat, and the splitter left my (Marshall concrete)
blocks anything but flat. Their main advantages are speed and freedom
from dust.

I had a lot to do, so I bought a chop saw (similar to
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p=060710014
and a diamond disc - it made an excellent job, for straight and angled
cuts, even for long slices down to 3/4" or so. It's also useful, with
an abrasive disc, for cutting steel sections. I also bought a
secondhand Stihl saw, again with a diamond blade, because I had a number
of hefty edging blocks to cut.

A stihl saw would be OK for your blocks and your sandstone, and there
are plenty for sale in local free ads papers. They need a certain
amount of care and reasonably strong wrists and forearms to use safely.
A small angle grinder might cope, if you use a diamond disc and don't
mind cutting from both faces, but a 9" one would be better.

As an aside, are you sure about using 50mm blocks? I'm not convinced
they're thick enough. Not that they'll break, but the limited thickness
doesn't provide the "wedging together" effect of thicker blocks that
block paving relies on.


--
Kevin Poole
**Use current month and year to reply (e.g. )***
Car Transport by Tiltbed Trailer - based near Derby

In article ,
KD wrote:
I need to cut some small driveway blocks. Though I know nothing about
them I've got into my head that I need a small angle grinder with
appropriate discs .. is this correct ? I'm surprised to see corded
DeWalt models for as little? as £40. I'm having to temper my internet
shopaholism with the need to find out what will do the job best for a
reasonable price tag. I'm not going to have to cut too many and
they're only 5cm thick - will an angle grinder do the job ? I may have
to extend it's use to cutting some natural sandstone paving slabs - I
don't mind if it takes a while. I've only started looking into this
tonight so please forgive my naivety.

A slow but safe way is to use one of the larger wet tile cutters which
will cost about 50 quid in the sheds. You'll probably have to do it a side
at a time if you want a perfect edge, or just split it after making one
cut.

I'm terrified of angle grinders for this sort of thing...

--
*Tell me to 'stuff it' - I'm a taxidermist.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Harry Bloomfield wrote:
KD submitted this idea :
Hi all,
I need to cut some small driveway blocks. Though I know nothing about them
I've got into my head that I need a small angle grinder with appropriate
discs .. is this correct ? I'm surprised to see corded DeWalt models for as
little? as £40.
I'm having to temper my internet shopaholism with the need to find out what
will do the job best for a reasonable price tag. I'm not going to haveto
cut too many and they're only 5cm thick - will an angle grinder do the job ?
I may have to extend it's use to cutting some natural sandstone paving slabs
- I don't mind if it takes a while.
I've only started looking into this tonight so please forgive my naivety.

A small angle grinder fitted with a stone disk will do it, but it will
be slow.



A stone disc will be a waste of time - get a diamond one. You could
use a small grinder to cut the surface then use a bolster to split the
brick.

In article
KD wrote:
Hi all,
I need to cut some small driveway blocks. Though I know nothing about them
I've got into my head that I need a small angle grinder with appropriate
discs .. is this correct ? I'm surprised to see corded DeWalt models foras
little? as £40.
I'm having to temper my internet shopaholism with the need to find out what
will do the job best for a reasonable price tag. I'm not going to have to
cut too many and they're only 5cm thick - will an angle grinder do the job ?
I may have to extend it's use to cutting some natural sandstone paving
slabs - I don't mind if it takes a while.

You can do it with a small grinder - score all round then finish the cut
with a hammer and bolster. Concrete paviours don't split as cleanly as
clay bricks though.

"Autolycus" wrote in message
...

"KD" wrote in message
. uk...

I need to cut some small driveway blocks.

I'm sure there are some blocks that a splitter works perfectly with, but
my experience with them was disappointing. To make a good job, the cut
faces need to be flat, and the splitter left my (Marshall concrete) blocks
anything but flat. Their main advantages are speed and freedom from dust.

I had a lot to do, so I bought a chop saw (similar to
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p=060710014
and a diamond disc - it made an excellent job, for straight and angled
cuts, even for long slices down to 3/4" or so. It's also useful, with an
abrasive disc, for cutting steel sections. I also bought a secondhand
Stihl saw, again with a diamond blade, because I had a number of hefty
edging blocks to cut.

A stihl saw would be OK for your blocks and your sandstone, and there are
plenty for sale in local free ads papers. They need a certain amount of
care and reasonably strong wrists and forearms to use safely. A small
angle grinder might cope, if you use a diamond disc and don't mind cutting
from both faces, but a 9" one would be better.

As an aside, are you sure about using 50mm blocks? I'm not convinced
they're thick enough. Not that they'll break, but the limited thickness
doesn't provide the "wedging together" effect of thicker blocks that block
paving relies on.


--
Kevin Poole
**Use current month and year to reply (e.g. )***
Car Transport by Tiltbed Trailer - based near Derby
Hi,
Thanks for all the advice. I hadn't really thought about it but I reckon I'm
alright using the 50mm stuff; it's just for edging a garden and a small
path. Plus, it was on offer :O)

Cheers,
Keith

Guy King wrote:
"KD" wrote:

I need to cut some small driveway blocks.

Would this do?
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product...3&r=2089&g=112

How ... rustic ..

Paul.