Firebrick: Score & Break vs. Saw

[mpholland]

I have a 14" chop saw with an abrasive blade. I have been experimenting on how to cut my firebricks and have found that if I just score it top and bottom with the saw and then tap it with a rubber mallet that it breaks in two pretty easy. This would be much less sawing and dust. I end up with two halves with one "bad" edge on each half brick. Since this edge would be facing out from the oven interior, seems like it wouldn't matter.

Has anyone done something similar with OK results? Or am I putting stress in the brick that might cause it to fracture later?

Thanks.

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Firebrick: Score & Break vs. Saw

I used a tile saw that would only cut part way through the brick, I then broke them in half. You want the finished side pointing in to the oven anyway...worked out fine...
Drake

[amber]

Re: Firebrick: Score & Break vs. Saw

I can't see why scoring would be a problem, as long as you're getting them all in half so you have the same size. You're more talented than I

[egalecki]

Re: Firebrick: Score & Break vs. Saw

I'm with Drake. I did the same thing- sawed them half way thru and broke them the rest of the way. Worked fine.

[dmun]

Re: Firebrick: Score & Break vs. Saw

I hate the smell of those chop saw blades, like burning I don't know what. See if you could fit a diamond blade to one, it's be a lot less dust for one thing.

There's no problem with score-and-break. If you can get the trick of using a brickset, you could just break, no problem. Firebrick has no grain structure that I can tell.