Cutting setts - Best method

[surreywill]

Hi all,

I'm nearly done on my patio project, which turns out to have been a real labour of love!

My final substantial hurdle is that I have a number (~40) of 100x100 sandstone setts to cut. Some into halvsies, some into triangles.

I've plenty spare so have my pick of riven-ness and depth (which various from 40mm to 80mm, but mostly about 50mm.

I tried splitting by hand with a bolster and it certainly worked and made a lovely cut, but is quite hard work.

Looking for advice on a tool to make it easier and quicker - not sure whether a block-cutter would work on such small elements?

A power-saw / angle grinder is the other obvious option - I guess then I need to be really careful and use a vise. May need some fettling afterwards too.

Will.

[higgness]

40 pieces cut by bolster...... doesn't sound to bad, safer than an angle grinder for a DIYer.
Last year, ran out of 100x100x80mm granite setts, customer was going to go mad, had a bright idea, 200x100x80mm split in 2 = 100x100x80mm, poor guy in the yard is never going to speak to me again.
He split about 2000 with a bolster over 2 days, nobody noticed the difference.

[surreywill]

Thanks for the reply higgness.

Maybe I'm doing the bolster technique wrongly. I was working on some sand, but maybe it's better on a firmer surface?
I tried scoring on all four sides and then took about 6 or 10 really big whacks to split it. It did split nice.

Perhaps it should be simpler - put it on something firmer and whack away? Do I need to do the scoring?

I have hired a 9in power saw on someone else's recommendation so I guess I've got that as an option too, but would like to make the bolster method work, as you say a bit safer.
I was kind of wondering if I could give them a light "tickling" with the saw - maybe half way through - and then snap them off on that line.

[higgness]

Try a hard surface first, see how you go.
If you have any doubts about the saw, stay away

[surreywill]

Thanks higgness, will do.

[Carberry]

Relevant video from Londonstone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhc7Y61-nyQ

[surreywill]

That is awesome.

[dig dug dan]

what you need is a hydraulic splitter

splitter

[surreywill]

Update: job done.

I persevered with splitting by hand but just couldn't figure it out. I've tried it successfully with thinner flags but just can't get the hang of splitting these small and thick setts. Must be a combination of lack of talent and possibly decent equipment.

The 9in electric power saw worked a treat. Not too happy with my friendly local pavier's suggestion that I just "put my foot on it", I tried numerous wacky schemes to hold the setts still but eventually relented and actually found the foot method to be by far the most secure. Naturally had googles, respirator, gloves and safety boots going on, and always careful to keep all parts of my body well to the side of the line of the saw.
It's a beast of a machine, but straightforward enough to use - feels more like one of the larger circular saws to handle than an angle grinder. Once you get used to the mean kick on starting it up it's real steady - except the occasional little twitch when you get to the front of the piece.

The amount of dust kicked up is unbelievable though, which is fairly unpleasant. My poor neighbours must be glad I've finished now.

I settled on a technique of cutting about half way through from the top, and then giving a neat tap on the underside with a bolster to split it completely - halved the dust that way and avoided repeatedly running the saw into the hard concrete paver I was using as a sacrificial base.

Ironically, I sustained two injuries only after packing the saw safely away: whilst fettling my edges a shard of stone somehow flew up under my googles and nicked me just below my left eye; and on bedding the penultimate cut sett I gave myself the most monumental blood-blister with the rubber mallet. It's like the dome of St. Pauls.

[lutonlagerlout]

welcome to the paving game wills
pictures please
LLL

[surreywill]

Here you go:



:;):

[surreywill]

Before:






After:







It's a bit of a shame (for the pictures) the colour of the sandstone has been slightly altered by the polymeric pointing compound, which I'm assured is a strictly temporary effect.

Still need to do a bit of tidying around the edges - will be using decorative pebbles, etc. The raised bed needs fixing and straightening and the wooden fence panels will be replaced and gravel boards fitting.

My wife is over the moon, which is really all I could have hoped for

[lutonlagerlout]

I would be happy with that
fair play to you will
LLL

[dig dug dan]

Is that a beehive in the first picture?

[surreywill]

Wormery.
Worms died so we got a cat instead. She's doing better than the worms.