Making a Piggery of it: stone slips

[ToughButterCup]

Knocking down the old piggery means we have a good deal of our own local stone with which to make some stone slips. And very many of the original local bricks.

Why slips? Well,  the ICF which we have substituted for the stone is 320mm wide. So adding a stone 'jacket' would mean  walls, half filled with concrete and overall more than half a meter thick. We aren't building an Observation Post for an artillery range.

Here's what the piggery looked like

 

I can buy stone slips. But.

They don't convince SWMBO. Might we be able to make our own from our own 'stock'?

 

I've done a good deal of research. I think the key problems I need to solve are

• Cutting the right quality of stone such that it doesn't delaminate (by cutting across-grain, rather than with the grain)
• Cutting the stones without wasting too much 
• Finding the correct tool to cut them 
• Using the waste stone appropriately

I've looked at this tool to cut them. But it strikes me that the 'bed' on which the stone is cut is at least as important as the cutting tool. And it's expensive, but I bet I can hire one.

 

I've spent hours on YooChube researching how to cut them for myself. Not a brilliant resource, but there are some nuggets of information.

 

And didn't you @Construction Channel, do a video review of a chop saw that might do the job?

Visiting Italy (Pisa) Debbie and I visited the marble mines nearby. They used diamond encrusted wire to saw the marble.

 

Might there not be some low-cost DIY equivalent?

[Construction Channel]

1 hour ago, recoveringacademic said:

And didn't you @Construction Channel, do a video review of a chop saw that might do the job?

Visiting Italy (Pisa) Debbie and I visited the marble mines nearby. They used diamond encrusted wire to saw the marble.

 

Might there not be some low-cost DIY equivalent?

1

 

why yes I did and it was nowhere near that price, it was about £240 IIRC with the extra diamond blade, But im not too sure it would be the best tool for the job if the stones are any bigger than brick size, 

you can hire the tool you linked but i fear that will be just as useless if the stones are any bigger than its max cut (110mm) 

 

have you tried splitting the stones by hand? if they have a heavy grain they should split pretty easy just with a cold chisel or a bolster, if not you could perforate them first with an SDS drill.

 

If that seems too labour intensive (probably not for that size of job but it will take a while) you could look into a "paddy saw"

 https://www.builders-equipment.co.uk/cut-off-saws/2588-stihl-ts-410-petrol-cut-off-machine.html

(first link from google so prices may vary)

 

with that kind of saw you would be able to attack the stone from wherever you want, BUT you will be cutting it on the floor stabilising the stone with your foot which is not the safest method but is generally how they get used on our sites, also it involves bending over for long periods so not the best for you back.

 

If it were me i would probably go for the sthil saw

Edit : I would actually go for this option as it is so much cheaper 

http://www.toolstop.co.uk/index.php?option=shop&page=shop.product_details&product_id=16198&l=uk&utm_source=google&utm_medium=base&gclid=Cj0KCQjwktHLBRDsARIsAFBSb6x12faRDuD7ZQgT1xiryassn57uhOFOTw7qfbqTQqPaAgzvwSpcnMEaAg5GEALw_wcB

 

HTH Ed

 

 

 

[Vijay]

Does that rage saw cut a brick length ways by any chance?

[Construction Channel]

1 minute ago, Vijay said:

Does that rage saw cut a brick length ways by any chance?

 

almost but not quite. it leaves about 3/4 of an inch in the bottom corner which you can easily just snap of turn it over to finish off. 

I have been very impressed with it in general, especially as i had snapped headers in my wall, Faye was quite happy to cut a lot of the bricks for me and every one came out square.(which a lot of people struggle to do with a paddy saw)

also it survived a fall from the scaffolding, bent the bed a little but not so much to affect its performance.  

[Vijay]

So the brick will fit in the vice but the blade doesn't get into the corner of the brick?

[Construction Channel]

hmmm, not too sure about fitting it in the vice as i took that off a long time ago. 

 

but yes it will cut all but the last little bit, (the bottom corner furthest away from the fence)

[Onoff]

This lad has made a jig for use with a Rage 3:

 

 

Tbh I reckon you'd be better (and quicker) getting your stone cut (for cash  ) at a friendly local water jet cutters.

[Jeremy Harris]

One problem with cutting slips is that you'll only get two per stone, assuming you want the outer face to look natural, rather than sawn. 

 

I think the way they are normally made is to cleave stone into sections that are a bit wider than two slips, then saw them down to size to get a consistent thickness.  That seems to be how our sandstone paving slabs were made; the face looks to be cleaved whereas the rear has clear saw marks.