Cutting slate garden slabs without chipping?

Cutting slate garden slabs without chipping?

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Trikster

Original Poster:

818 posts

201 months

Monday 28th July 2014
quotequote all
Currently have a local, well regarded landscaping co working out back.

They are using a nice 1" thick machined slate for capping the walls and then, later, for the patio.

Having come home this evening to the start of the process it looks great from afar, but on closer inspection the edges they have cut are pockmarked with chips, some quite sizeable. Obviously will raise with them tomorrow as I've paid for a high end material for a crisp finish, not 3 sides perfect, one chipped - and I'm sure it'll be even more obvious when they start grouting, and will look even worse with the large area of the patio...

So, was just wondering, what are the views on the best way to cut this type of product to continue to get the crisp machined finish it's been delivered with?

x 7usc

1,421 posts

194 months

Monday 28th July 2014
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They are probably using an angle grinder with a diamond blade in it, for the best result they need to hire a wet table saw and to cut the slabs upside down as even wet sawn the slabs can chip and i have found upside down cuts cleanest.

edit to add, with blade set just a shade deeper than the tile i.e. about 10mm sticking through the bottom of the tile

Edited by x 7usc on Monday 28th July 19:44

Renovation

1,763 posts

120 months

Monday 28th July 2014
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Whilst some it technique, some is material the main thing is the blade.

http://www.uk-diamondblades.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d...

(Link was just to the first Marcrist supplier - but the blade choice depends upon the material)

B17NNS

18,506 posts

246 months

Monday 28th July 2014
quotequote all
As above, a wet diamond table saw. Nice and slow, let the tool do the work.

m3jappa

6,391 posts

217 months

Monday 28th July 2014
quotequote all
Wet table saw yes, but should be ok with a water spray on a disc cutter. Prob been cut dry if chipped.

However some real crap material about at the minute, most Chinese. That said last slate I did was soft as butter.