At last a project where 'use an angle grinder' is correct answer.

Need to remove a load of poor pointing on a patio ... advice is to use a
mortar blade in a 4" angle grinder.

Anybody used these ....

They range in price from £9
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverline...-/200982659858


To Erbauer at £25
http://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-di...zJtAody EkAcw

To Spectrum at £31
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Powe.../sd1450/p87330


That is a fair range in price, any of you used these ?




--
UK SelfBuild: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/UK_Selfbuild/

If it's so poor how come you need to grind it out?

Jim K

Rick Hughes wrote:
At last a project where 'use an angle grinder' is correct answer.

Need to remove a load of poor pointing on a patio ... advice is to use a
mortar blade in a 4" angle grinder.

[snip]

I've not used any of the mortar diamond discs you listed, but I have
bought a few ordinary thickness ones. Couldn't give you any makes (one
might have been Erbauer) but they've never been expensive ones and I've
had good (DIY level) life out of them.

--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

On Monday, April 28, 2014 10:37:11 AM UTC+1, Rick Hughes wrote:

At last a project where 'use an angle grinder' is correct answer.
Need to remove a load of poor pointing on a patio ... advice is to use a
mortar blade in a 4" angle grinder.

Anybody used these ....
They range in price from �9
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverline...-/200982659858
To Erbauer at �25
http://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-di...zJtAody EkAcw
To Spectrum at �31
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Powe.../sd1450/p87330
That is a fair range in price, any of you used these ?

I've found cheap diamond discs work nicely, and last more than enough to justify their low price.

But as someone semi- pointed out, where the mortar's still tough it can just be left alone.


NT

On 29/04/2014 10:41, wrote:
On Monday, April 28, 2014 10:37:11 AM UTC+1, Rick Hughes wrote:


But as someone semi- pointed out, where the mortar's still tough it can just be left alone.


NT

Don't necessarily agree. If you have strong mortar sticking to one slab
but cracked leaving a small gap to the next slab, you are better to open
it out to get fresh mortar in to a decent depth.

+1
Someone else who has actually done it...

Jim K

On Tuesday, April 29, 2014 10:56:37 AM UTC+1, newshound wrote:
On 29/04/2014 10:41, wrote:
On Monday, April 28, 2014 10:37:11 AM UTC+1, Rick Hughes wrote:

But as someone semi- pointed out, where the mortar's still tough it can just be left alone.

Don't necessarily agree. If you have strong mortar sticking to one slab
but cracked leaving a small gap to the next slab, you are better to open
it out to get fresh mortar in to a decent depth.

Sure, that seems fairly obvious though. Attempt 2: where the mortar's still sound.


NT

On 29/04/2014 12:57, wrote:
On Tuesday, April 29, 2014 10:56:37 AM UTC+1, newshound wrote:
On 29/04/2014 10:41, wrote:
On Monday, April 28, 2014 10:37:11 AM UTC+1, Rick Hughes wrote:

But as someone semi- pointed out, where the mortar's still tough it can just be left alone.

Don't necessarily agree. If you have strong mortar sticking to one slab
but cracked leaving a small gap to the next slab, you are better to open
it out to get fresh mortar in to a decent depth.

Sure, that seems fairly obvious though. Attempt 2: where the mortar's still sound.


NT

*If* part of the problem is that the original mortar was made too
strong, or perhaps does not go "full depth" you might think that even
"sound" mortar could be vulnerable to cracking in future. But obviously
it all depends on the area involved.

On Tuesday, April 29, 2014 1:57:56 PM UTC+1, newshound wrote:
On 29/04/2014 12:57, wrote:
On Tuesday, April 29, 2014 10:56:37 AM UTC+1, newshound wrote:
On 29/04/2014 10:41, wrote:
On Monday, April 28, 2014 10:37:11 AM UTC+1, Rick Hughes wrote:

But as someone semi- pointed out, where the mortar's still tough it can just be left alone.

Don't necessarily agree. If you have strong mortar sticking to one slab
but cracked leaving a small gap to the next slab, you are better to open
it out to get fresh mortar in to a decent depth.

Sure, that seems fairly obvious though. Attempt 2: where the mortar's still sound.

*If* part of the problem is that the original mortar was made too
strong, or perhaps does not go "full depth" you might think that even
"sound" mortar could be vulnerable to cracking in future. But obviously
it all depends on the area involved.

All mortar is vulnerable to cracking in future.


NT

On 28/04/2014 19:50, JimK wrote:
If it's so poor how come you need to grind it out?

Jim K



because the joints have to be clean to 30mm depth ... need to clean out
what is left

--
UK SelfBuild: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/UK_Selfbuild/

On 29/04/2014 10:56, newshound wrote:
On 29/04/2014 10:41, wrote:
On Monday, April 28, 2014 10:37:11 AM UTC+1, Rick Hughes wrote:


But as someone semi- pointed out, where the mortar's still tough it
can just be left alone.


NT



Not in this case ... I am replacing all of the mortar, in total of 185
sq m ... as it has been such a bad job .... look at this pic ... you
can see how much has come out of this sect of path:
http://tinyurl.com/orckt99

I am going to redo the lost with VDW 800 .... not cheap but the best
there is:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-GaifTrGFg

Just shows you can't trust professional to get it right !



UK SelfBuild: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/UK_Selfbuild/

On 28/04/2014 10:37, Rick Hughes wrote:
At last a project where 'use an angle grinder' is correct answer.

Need to remove a load of poor pointing on a patio ... advice is to use a
mortar blade in a 4" angle grinder.



as an FYI if I use a pressure washer ... huge chunks of the stuff come
out ... so the mortar is not good, but in places it will need to be
raked out

It all went in as 3:1 ... some of it started coming away in less than 6
months ..... went back to contractor .. loads of responses such as 'I'll
be there as soon as a gap between jobs etc.' then I get a 'we have
ceased trading' ...

If I replace just part of it, it is likely to be a never ending job ...
so going to bite the bullet and replace the lot with a Resin 2-part mortar.



--
UK SelfBuild: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/UK_Selfbuild/

On 30/04/2014 14:13, Rick Hughes wrote:
On 29/04/2014 10:56, newshound wrote:
On 29/04/2014 10:41, wrote:
On Monday, April 28, 2014 10:37:11 AM UTC+1, Rick Hughes wrote:


But as someone semi- pointed out, where the mortar's still tough it
can just be left alone.


NT



Not in this case ... I am replacing all of the mortar, in total of 185
sq m ... as it has been such a bad job .... look at this pic ... you
can see how much has come out of this sect of path:
http://tinyurl.com/orckt99

I am going to redo the lost with VDW 800 .... not cheap but the best
there is:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-GaifTrGFg

Just shows you can't trust professional to get it right !



UK SelfBuild: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/UK_Selfbuild/

Regarding angle grinding, what I have used in the past is several thin
stone cutting discs stacks together to match the mortar width on the
same angle grinder's mandrel. Only works for up to about 3 or 4 discs
though as you run out of thread on the hub nut.

It helps if the mortar is considerably softer than the paving stones and
that the mortar lines are all straight... the cutter is then "self guiding".