Tile saw Needed or not?

[brickie in oz]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

Well as it turns out I can get this one:
For about RMB$3,600.00 or US$580.00 or AU$595.00 same same?
Bob

Cool, how big is the blade?

[Filthymutt]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

You have to be kidding me, all the tools we buy here now are from China.

See if you can get hold of one of these its what I bought for bricklaying and its a beast, all made in China.
$Au700 here, Im sure you can get a better price over there.

Well as it turns out I can get this one:


For about RMB$3,600.00 or US$580.00 or AU$595.00 same same?
Bob

[Filthymutt]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

Thanks Dave, A chop saw I can get. I'm sure I can cut the bricks in half with the tools I have.
I've found a tile saw on line but the price is pretty high at about US$550.00 I think with a bit more hunting I might still be able to get something at a more reasonable price. If not the chop saw might be the route to go.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

Gudday
Finished a brick cover over my dome today. Like the rustic look so the old brick bulster did most of the work again. For the little tiddly bits at the top I used a borrowed 14 in metal chop saw. It did the job it's a brute of a thing. The dust however had to be seen to be believed! Definitly not in an enclosed space!
But it could be a lot more user friendly and I would think and the blades would last longer to if you could fit a water feed to it. So keep your eye out for one it could be easier to find that a dedicated bricksaw.
Regards Dave

[Filthymutt]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

No, HK is certainly not representative of the rest of the country. Not at all. The people, the culture, the way of doing business, it's like night and day sometimes.

Local shops? Been here for a long long time. Nothing of the sort that I've found thus far. There are lots of "shops" where you can buy stuff. Think of a self storage area, ground level, all roller doors, etc. Then when all those doors are open everything, in all its barely organized mess comes tumbling out. Then picture some guy sitting on a stool back up against the wall snoring away, cover all of it in an inch of dust and you kind of get the picture. Contractors to do the work can be found asking around. Then they will do the work if you ask. If you find a guy you think will do it.
I went to Masonry places and tool places, showed them photos on my ipad of tile saws, etc. they all said they'd never seen one before.

Even on Taobao, the Chinese Ebay there was nothing save one that was not quite right.

Anyway I will make do without.

Thanks

[mrchipster]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

I've no chop saw but I have an angle grinder and 4" marble cutter (mini circular saw) with a diamond blade so I'll see how it goes. Thanks

Have you tried going to any local shops that do tile or construction work and ask them where they buy their equipment.

I specifically remember sections of Hong Kong that had many shops in a specific area doing lots of mosaic tile work.

But Hong Kong is not typical of the rest of China so .....

Chip

[Filthymutt]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

Thanks, always best to stay safe. I seriously doubt I'll be able to find a decent respirator here considering the Chinese complete lack of concern for safety especially on the job site.
This is a place where you routinely see people using Jackhammers and hammer drills without any hearing protection, construction workers grinding metal, etc even welding without any eye protection. As a Helicopter pilot I always had hearing protection on hand and more than once offered fresh packs of ear plugs to workers doing loud work only to have them shrugged off as unnecessary.
I'll be looking.
Considering the air quality here in Beijing I do own a couple of face masks capable of filtering particles down to as small as pm2.5 which and I believe cement dust is only a pm10 particle so I should be ok with that in the meantime.

Bob

[david s]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

If cutting or grinding bricks dry, the dust is dangerous to inhale. Unlike unfired clay, the fired clay particles do not return to mud and tend to stay in your lungs as tiny sharp particles. In addition fired clay contains crystaline silica which develops during the firing process and is dangerous to inhale. A saw with a water feed dramatically reduces the dust problem. Get yourself a good respirator.

[Filthymutt]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

I used a chop saw with a diamond blade and an angle grinder with a diamond blade also.. it can be done!

I've no chop saw but I have an angle grinder and 4" marble cutter (mini circular saw) with a diamond blade so I'll see how it goes. Thanks

[Coloradoredusa]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

I used a chop saw with a diamond blade and an angle grinder with a diamond blade also.. it can be done!

[Filthymutt]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

You can build it without a saw. Simply cut the bricks in half with a brick bolster (like a really wide cold chisel) two blows with a hammer and you'd done. No brick dust. The rough end goes to the outside. You use more mortar, but if using the home brew it's really cheap. You can also do a lot with an angle grinder fitted with a diamond blade.

Plenty of people have built ovens without a saw.

I'll look for a bolster thanks. But I am sure they didn't have any at the B&Q, a truly poor copy of Home Depot but the only. Shop with even the faintest sense of being organized here.

I wasn't too concerned about chopping bricks in half but with all the tapering of successive courses I keep reading about, etc. not to mention those archway cuts. What's to be done there? I looked for a masonry hacksaw blade no luck though. Thanks

[cobblerdave]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

You can build it without a saw. Simply cut the bricks in half with a brick bolster (like a really wide cold chisel) two blows with a hammer and you'd done. No brick dust. The rough end goes to the outside. You use more mortar, but if using the home brew it's really cheap. You can also do a lot with an angle grinder fitted with a diamond blade.

Plenty of people have built ovens without a saw.

Gudday
It's very doable.... But as Dave's said the angle grinder/ diamond saw is usefull for some of those cuts particularly around the arch transition and at the top of the dome

Regards dave

[david s]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

You can build it without a saw. Simply cut the bricks in half with a brick bolster (like a really wide cold chisel) two blows with a hammer and you'd done. No brick dust. The rough end goes to the outside. You use more mortar, but if using the home brew it's really cheap. You can also do a lot with an angle grinder fitted with a diamond blade.

Plenty of people have built ovens without a saw.

[Filthymutt]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

I'm going to keep looking. But having been to the masonry places, the tile places and the biggest tool places already I'm not expecting much.

I can't even order from overseas as the cost of shipping would likely double the cost and the import duty would add still another 40% so it's not an option.

No, every thing might be made here but everything also gets exported.

[Greenman]

Re: Tile saw Needed or not?

I found a BT Bricksaw without the stand second hand for a good price. Like you say, it is a beast and did a good job for me. Strange but it didn't make me a brick layer either but it did make the build easier.

Cheers ....... Steve