In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook demonstrates how to cut and shape stones for hardscaping projects with different tools.
How to Cut Stone With a Circular Saw Or Angle Grinder
- Begin by using an electric rotary hammer and masonry bit to drill holes spaced 4 inches apart across the stone face.
- Insert a steel wedge and pair of steel feathers (shims) into each hole.
- Use a hammer to alternately tap each wedge into the hole.
- Continue to lightly tap each wedge until the stone cracks in two.
How to Cut Stone With a Hand Tracer
- Set the tracer on top of the stone and tap it with the hammer. Move the tracer down an inch or so and strike it again.
- Continue in this fashion until you’ve a cut line across the stone.
- Move the hand tracer back to the beginning and repeat—tap it, move it, tap it, move it—until the stone splits in two.
How to Cut Stone With a Stone Buster Hammer
- Set the buster on top of the stone, then strike it sharply with a hammer to cut a line across the stone. Repeat until the stone splits.
How to Trim a Stone Tile Edge
- Hold the carbide handset at an angle to the stone, then strike the handset with a hammer to chip off small pieces of stone.
- Use a carbide-tipped hand point to chip protrusions and high spots off of a stone face.
- To smooth and even out the surface of a stone, lightly tap it with a bushing hammer.
- Continue to tap the stone until achieving the desired level of smoothness.
