Hello,

In the past I've always used an angle grinder to cut paving slabs. Is
that what everyone here does? I've got a tile saw that cuts with a wet
diamond blade and I have been told you can get a bigger version that
will cut slabs. I suppose this will have two advantages: it will cut
wet, so will produce less dust and it will have a fence to ensure a
straighter cut than a freehand cut with an angle grinder. Has anyone
used one of these? What did you think? What is the minimum spec I
should look for when hiring/buying? I presume motor power is important
to cut thick slabs.

Thanks,
Stephen.

Stephen wrote:
Hello,

In the past I've always used an angle grinder to cut paving slabs. Is
that what everyone here does? I've got a tile saw that cuts with a wet
diamond blade and I have been told you can get a bigger version that
will cut slabs. I suppose this will have two advantages: it will cut
wet, so will produce less dust and it will have a fence to ensure a
straighter cut than a freehand cut with an angle grinder. Has anyone
used one of these? What did you think? What is the minimum spec I
should look for when hiring/buying? I presume motor power is important
to cut thick slabs.

I used a 35 quid tile saw to cut 1" sandstone. It took longer than
driving to the hire shop, picking up an angle grinder w diamond blade,
cutting the slab and taking the grinder back :-)

No doubt a real industrial wet table saw with plenty of power and water
is THE way to do it, but the angle grinder works for me.



Thanks,
Stephen.

"Stephen" wrote in message
...
Hello,

In the past I've always used an angle grinder to cut paving slabs. Is
that what everyone here does? I've got a tile saw that cuts with a wet
diamond blade and I have been told you can get a bigger version that
will cut slabs. I suppose this will have two advantages: it will cut
wet, so will produce less dust and it will have a fence to ensure a
straighter cut than a freehand cut with an angle grinder. Has anyone
used one of these? What did you think? What is the minimum spec I
should look for when hiring/buying? I presume motor power is important
to cut thick slabs.

Thanks,
Stephen.

Unless you have a very convenient local hire shop, I'd invest in a budget 9
inch / 230 mm grinder and diamond blade. Maybe something like this?

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...LE+GRINDER.htm

Even the cheap blades (Aldi, Lidl, Screwfix) last pretty well. You will get
a lot of dust cutting dry (but I wouldn't try to cut "wet" with one). I
wouldn't try to cut a slab on a tile saw. The big grinders are a bit more
fierce than the 115 mm ones, especially if they don't have soft start. But
they are *very* effective.

There's a Silverline "soft start" on Amazon for less than £60 delivered,
including a disk.

On Apr 10, 2:12 pm, "newshound" wrote:
There's a Silverline "soft start" on Amazon for less than £60 delivered,
including a disk.

just pick a windy dry day ;))

Jim K

On 10/04/2011 13:40, Stephen wrote:
Hello,

In the past I've always used an angle grinder to cut paving slabs. Is
that what everyone here does? I've got a tile saw that cuts with a wet
diamond blade and I have been told you can get a bigger version that
will cut slabs. I suppose this will have two advantages: it will cut
wet, so will produce less dust and it will have a fence to ensure a
straighter cut than a freehand cut with an angle grinder. Has anyone
used one of these? What did you think? What is the minimum spec I
should look for when hiring/buying? I presume motor power is important
to cut thick slabs.

You can hire hydraulic slab cutters cheaply
http://www.hsstoolshop.co.uk/hydraul...ire-1614-p.asp


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Apr 10, 1:40*pm, Stephen wrote:
Hello,

In the past I've always used an angle grinder to cut paving slabs. Is
that what everyone here does? I've got a tile saw that cuts with a wet
diamond blade and I have been told you can get a bigger version that
will cut slabs. I suppose this will have two advantages: it will cut
wet, so will produce less dust and it will have a fence to ensure a
straighter cut than a freehand cut with an angle grinder. Has anyone
used one of these? What did you think? What is the minimum spec I
should look for when hiring/buying? I presume motor power is important
to cut thick slabs.

Thanks,
Stephen.

The cheapie paviours are easily cut with a cheapie diamond disk in an
angle grinder.

However if you ever get hold of a "granolithic" slab you will get a
shock.
The only chance of a clean cut is with one of the very expensive
diamond disks, I think hey have more diamonds in them.

In message , Phil L
writes
Stephen wrote:
Hello,

In the past I've always used an angle grinder to cut paving slabs. Is
that what everyone here does? I've got a tile saw that cuts with a wet
diamond blade and I have been told you can get a bigger version that
will cut slabs. I suppose this will have two advantages: it will cut
wet, so will produce less dust and it will have a fence to ensure a
straighter cut than a freehand cut with an angle grinder. Has anyone
used one of these? What did you think? What is the minimum spec I
should look for when hiring/buying? I presume motor power is important
to cut thick slabs.

Forget the idea.
Highway maintenance people use wet cutters to cut through concrete etc, but
these are push along ones with 300mm discs, I think this is what you may
have been told about, but they aren't suitable for cutting slabs

er.. Why not?

I have a 300mm stone saw which I use for cutting concrete. Apart from
being disappointed with blade life when wet cutting I don't see any
obvious reason why it would not do a 2" slab.

regards


--
Tim Lamb

You can hire hydraulic slab cutters cheaply
http://www.hsstoolshop.co.uk/hydraul...ire-1614-p.asp


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Woo hoo, cuts 225 mm thick!

OTOH not so useful if you want to take out a rectangular piece of a normal
paving slab to fit around a drain or a post.

In message , Phil L
writes

I have a 300mm stone saw which I use for cutting concrete. Apart from
being disappointed with blade life when wet cutting I don't see any
obvious reason why it would not do a 2" slab.

regards

The ones I was talking about are used for cutting materials in situ, you are
talking about a large hand held grinder, the OP doesn't want that

Sorry.

I misunderstood your reply.

regards



--
Tim Lamb

On Sun, 10 Apr 2011 21:36:31 +0100, "Phil L"
wrote:

You've missed my point, the OP asked for a table type cutter, like for
tiles...try and slide a 60lb slab into a rotating diamond disc throwing
water all over the place...TIP: the number you want is 999 and ask for
'ambulance', don't forget to pack the severed body part(s) in ice and take
them with you

I hadn't thought about kick back. I can see how dangerous that could
be. And you are right, a 600x600mm slab is very heavy so would be
difficult to lift and slide. So it makes sense to keep the heavy slab
stationery and move the lighter angle grinder. Thanks.

"Stephen" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 10 Apr 2011 21:36:31 +0100, "Phil L"
wrote:

You've missed my point, the OP asked for a table type cutter, like for
tiles...try and slide a 60lb slab into a rotating diamond disc throwing
water all over the place...TIP: the number you want is 999 and ask for
'ambulance', don't forget to pack the severed body part(s) in ice and take
them with you

I hadn't thought about kick back. I can see how dangerous that could
be. And you are right, a 600x600mm slab is very heavy so would be
difficult to lift and slide. So it makes sense to keep the heavy slab
stationery and move the lighter angle grinder. Thanks.

The fact that it heavy makes kick back less likely. There isn't enough
energy there to throw a 60 lb slab at any real speed.
Its like putting a car on a rolling road and running it up to 70 mph and
stopping the road suddenly, the car just jerks and stalls as there isn't
enough energy stored to actually make it do much.

there is an episode of challenge Tommy where he hired a diamond bladed table
saw.
He used it to cut bricks, roofing tiles and slabs with ease.
They were not 2x3 pressed slabs so weren't particularly heavy, but I don't
suppose he thinks they are heavy as he moves heavy stuff around a lot.
BTW it didn't throw water all over the place (it was water cooled) and
didn't appear to suffer from kick back but it did have some sort of locking
bar to hold the work on the sliding table. Probably interlocked so you
couldn't use it incorrectly.
It would cut bricks in half in a few seconds, they didn't show him cutting
the others.

On other occasions he used an angle grinder and even a diamond chain saw
both of which were more dangerous.