Techniques for break/cutting up base rock

[MontanaBay]

So I have some large base rock that I want to cut in half, any good techniques to this? I want to cut them in half to make shelf pieces.

I was thinking about drilling holes along where I want to cut it, then hitting it with a hammer.

Thanks,

Josh

 

[GreshamH]

Dependant on the rock you can use something as simple as a hand saw. I've seen people use hack saws on much harder stuff and normal hand wood saws for the less dense stuff

How thick is it? My tile saw can do 3" IIRC

 

[MontanaBay]

[quote author=GreshamH link=topic=4405.msg53539#msg53539 date=1219608170]
Dependant on the rock you can use something as simple as a hand saw. I've seen people use hack saws on much harder stuff and normal hand wood saws for the less dense stuff

How thick is it? My tile saw can do 3" IIRC
[/quote]

They are pretty big, foot size or bigger (~3-8" to cut). I need to get a new blade for the hack saw, wonder if they make one for ceramic/masonry applications.

How does the cut look afterwords? Does it look fake or will it be okay for the display shelving?

Thanks,

Josh

 

[GreshamH]

Well such clean cuts do look a bit odd. I've "roughed" them up in the past by simply hitting the clean cut with a small hammer in spots.

While in Denver Jake Adams was using a large hacksaw with a diamond blade. It cut through the gnarlist densest coral you'll ever come across like butter!! I'll call him and see where he got it

 

[MontanaBay]

just looked up cutting bricks with a hack saw, a carbide blade is what they recommend, should be even easier on coral base rock.

man, I feel bad, some of these pieces are show room big tank quality, two of them must be 16"x16", hand me downs from Phong->Boun->me, they just won't fit in my 40!

Cheers,

Josh

 

[GreshamH]

It's hard the first time but after a while you find yourself simply dropping large rocks on the ground to break the up a bit

You should have seem me at Deep Sea Depot once. I dropped like 30 huge rocks from an incoming shipment as they wouldn't fit for ship out that night (couldn't use the boxes they came in)

 

[fishnfst]

I wonder what happened to a couple of those huge pieces I gave to Boun

 

[MontanaBay]

he had one that filled half a brute can, I didn't buy that off him, was that yours?

 

[fishnfst]

hahahahah there were probalby 3 pieces of rock that would fill up a 20g brute easily