Chop Saw vs Tile Saw

[jonv]

I would agree with that. There certainly are good reasons to use a wet saw if you can; it's the right tool for the job (or a bolster, of course). I couldn't so the chop saw did the job for me.

[david s]

Hello Brick Oven World! I've dreamed about cooking in a wood fired Brick Oven for years and this past summer I finally started towards making that dream come to life. I've laid the foundation, set the CMU blocks, poured the hearth concrete and cut the ceramic insulation board to size. I'm preparing to start in on building the 42" Pompeii style brick oven in the coming weeks.

For the brick cutting, any suggestions? Home Depot sells an affordable 14" Chop saw. I've recently read on this forum that others were using a 10" tile saw from Harbour Freight. Any comments on which tool is better for this job? Should I be considering anything different?

Thanks and Happy 2017!

-Nick

While I'm all for adapting tools for purposes for which they were not designed, you need to be aware that a compound saw designed for cutting wood may not be a suitable solution. Brick dust is essentially tiny shards of fired clay which can be extremely hazardous to the silia in your lungs, as well as the risk of silicosis disease. Do a search on brick dust hazard to learn of the dangers, because it may affect your family and neighbours. Wetting the bricks prior to cutting will reduce the dust but not eliminate it. A purpose built wet brick saw will reduce the dust problem to a minimum, but a decent respirator, not just a dust mask (useless) is wise. Some home builders have arranged water feeds to the blades of their compound saws in an effort to reduce the dust, but unfortunately, as the saws are not designed to be operated with water there is then an electrical safety issue. In addition the cooling intake around the brushes and commutator allows the dust in and can decommission the motor. Where possible use the bolster to cut the bricks in half. It won't matter if the rough end sticks out to the outside because this will be covered by blanket anyway.
i'm not saying don't use it, but be aware. Good luck.

http://www.brickworker.co.uk/Cutting_Bricks.htm

[jonv]

I used an old 10" mitre saw for my build. I would have bought a wet saw if I could find one for a reasonable price here, but in the end the mitre saw did a good job - ideal for cutting the various angles needed, without having to build a jig.

With a couple of diamond blades it cut well enough. It did make quite a lot of dust, but not so much that I was bothered by it. Soaking the bricks helped a lot.

[UtahBeehiver]

The rectangular metal piece is a thermal break made from light gauge 316 SS rectangle tubing which is was scavenged from an old SS prep table. It is filled with leftover ceramic fiber blanket from the build. SS has a lower thermal transfer than carbon steel or aluminum. "U" channel will work too, The ceramic cord aka ceramic fiber rope is also part of the arch thermal break although I think I favor the "L" cut arch bricks now stuffed with the CF rope and high temp caulking. I suggest you look at the "treasure archives" sticky in the Newbie section for some of the more documented builds.

[Brick Oven Nick]

Awesome! Thank you Russell. That makes sense. Also, I have admired your build! Thank you for all of the great and helpful photos! Nice project!

On your build, what is the metal looking piece you installed on the oven floor at the opening? I'm assuming this is for the thermal break. Also, is that a ceramic cord for the thermal break as well? Do these items have specific names so I can track them down, or where did you get them? Do they get mortared into place or will that defeat the purpose of the thermal break?

Thanks!

[UtahBeehiver]

Chop saw is a dry cut and will be really dirty and dusty. I vote for a min. 10" wet saw such as the cheap HF saw. I see them for a little over $220 and you can sell once done. That said, it depends on what type of mortar joints you want, your budget, etc. I seen some good builds done with a hammer and a brick chisel to 1/16" mortar joints from wet saws. So it is your choice.

[Brick Oven Nick]

Hello Brick Oven World! I've dreamed about cooking in a wood fired Brick Oven for years and this past summer I finally started towards making that dream come to life. I've laid the foundation, set the CMU blocks, poured the hearth concrete and cut the ceramic insulation board to size. I'm preparing to start in on building the 42" Pompeii style brick oven in the coming weeks.

For the brick cutting, any suggestions? Home Depot sells an affordable 14" Chop saw. I've recently read on this forum that others were using a 10" tile saw from Harbour Freight. Any comments on which tool is better for this job? Should I be considering anything different?

Thanks and Happy 2017!

-Nick