My Old Kentucky Dome

[dmun]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

I'm still baffled. The saw looks like it's not adjustable enough to do the precise cuts that some of you have been doing. It has a 45 degree miter fixture, but what do you do if you need a 12 degree cut?

It's true. A sine-plate like attachment would be a really good accessory to the HF wet saw. I made a fixed sloping attachment I bolted to the table for the many 7 1/2 degree cuts needed for my bricks. You can mark the angle needed with a protractor, and hike the brick up with a block of wood. You'll also get really good at freehand cuts with a little practice - that's how I cut all the complicated shapes needed to transition from the dome to the flue. Just make sure you have the smooth diamond blade rather than the segmented one if you are going to get up close and personal to it.

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

But I'm still baffled. The saw looks like it's not adjustable enough to do the precise cuts that some of you have been doing. It has a 45 degree miter fixture, but what do you do if you need a 12 degree cut?

Danny,

Sorry for the confusion. I don't have a compound miter saw, just the plain old simple Harbor Freight saw.

What I was trying to say is that I am making cuts like those you would easily make with a compound saw.

To make these types of cuts with the HF saw, you have to use clamps, scraps of brick, wood or whatever to position the brick exactly where you want it on the table. Once you have it set up, you can mass cut bricks.

A true compound brick saw would be wonderful for this!

[Dannyboyblue]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

No problem and thanks for the clarification. I suppose that a compound brick saw doesn't exist. At least I haven't found it. So I'm wondering what would be better (easier/faster/safer) in the long run cutting dry with a dual compound miter saw or fiddling with wedges and shims with the hf wet saw?

Also Dmun, can such an attachment as you showed be put on or was that just theoretical?

[Les]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Danny - go with the wet saw. It's really not that hard to get a close enough cut. You don't want to be anywhere near the amount of dust a dry blade is going to kick out.

Les...

[asudavew]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Danny - go with the wet saw. It's really not that hard to get a close enough cut. You don't want to be anywhere near the amount of dust a dry blade is going to kick out.

Les...

I second that ! I dry cut my whole floor and some halves... Messy work.. If I had a do over... I would of waited and saved for the HF saw!

[dmun]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Also Dmun, can such an attachment as you showed be put on or was that just theoretical?

Absolutely. You wouldn't want to use a real sine plate, of course. It would turn into a solidified mound of rust within a week.



This shows my 7.5 degree fixed angle jig, screwed to the table using angled strips. Now imagine if that piece of plywood was hinged to the table instead, next to the cut line. Then you could put blocks under the table to achieve any angle you wanted.

Here's how a sine plate works. The hinge, and a matching bar, fixed to the hinged table, are exactly five inches apart. A table in Machinery's Handbook, or a simple trig calculation, or a guesstimate with a protractor, will tell you how high to raise the table for every desired angle.

You can then tilt the brick on top of the tilted table for compound angles.

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Nice jig Dmun! That's a good idea.

Danny, I'll second (or third) the motion for using a wet saw over a dry saw. The dust goes EVERYWHERE. The few times I've used my wet saw without water for quick cuts, I've been sorry.

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

8th Course completed earlier this week before the rains.





The last photo shows where I corrected for the poor workmanship done on the transition (I fired that guy!). Everything should be close enough for the 9th course to be fairly level. I may hit a few edges with the grinder.

Hendo's pictures of his microscopic sized joints have inspired me to shoot for a bit of improvement for course 9.

Time to start cutting bricks before the next round of rain!

[Dannyboyblue]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Great job with the ajustment. I was wondering what you were going to do with that.

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

I was wondering what you were going to do with that.

Shims, wedges, scraps and mortar!

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

9th course is served...

I experimented a bit with this one. There was a very small change in brick elevation on this course so I didn't cut the bottoms of the bricks, I used scrap brick for shims to raise the bricks. Worked out very well.

The sides were trimmed just enough to give a close interior joint (no "V"). The exterior joints still have the "V" but that will be covered up anyway.

Cutting went quickly. It was a good compromise for nice looking interior joints vs. my short attention span for detailed precision cutting.

[asudavew]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Looking awesome Ken.

I respect your skillz. Even more so now! Especially after my last few courses!

Yikes!! Was it ugly.

I was cutting bricks into fours... trying to use old triangle shaped pieces.. etc. etc. And the last courses... More square I'd say than round !


Keep it up man!
Can't wait to see the final product.

BTW - Are you a pilot, or were you traveling on business?

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Looking awesome Ken.
Keep it up man!
Can't wait to see the final product.

ME TOO!

BTW - Are you a pilot, or were you traveling on business?

I'm a pilot for UPS. Here's my website (one of my other hobbies): DC8.org

[asudavew]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

So I guess you fly a DC-8?

I don't know much about airplanes or jets, but man that is cool!

I'm just a boring bean counter!

I do have a question for you.... On your website you have a part where anyone can submit a DC ad... Upon submission you can restore their old photo/ad.

My mom sent me an old picture of herself posing with her mother, father, and siblings. It needs restoration... Can you tell me the program that you use to restore old clippings and photos? I will be seeing her at Thanksgiving, and I would love to have it restored for her as a surprise gift.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks,

Dave

[asudavew]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Oh.. one more thing?


Would you have opened that last package?

Or left it alone.. i.e. "Hank's Style?"

(Somebody had to ask.....)