[billglas]

Looking for suggestions on a simple way to turn standard insulating bricks into various arch shapes. I'm thinking of making a jig made of cinder blocks set at the proper angles and into which the bricks could be set and easily ground back and forth to specs. Has anyone done such a thing?

[Marcia Selsor]

Hacksaws cut them easily and accurately.

Marcia

[Mark C.]

I cut my own arch bricks in a jig on a radial arm saw with a 12 inch blade-sand/grinding them will take a long while and be less accurate.
Cutting bricks means safety safety safety-dust control to the moon.
Mark

[JBaymore]

If you are needing a LOT of them...... nasty job. Doable....... but really hazardous (DUST!) If you cut....cut wet. Wet feed radial arm brick saw (which is expensive to buy or even rent). IFB doesn't need a diamond blade though... masonry blade works..... so that helps.

Might just be better to buy them.

best,

....................john

[perkolator]

I cut IFB all the time with just an old-school hand saw. You could easily make a jig to direct your hand saw with a few pieces of 1x4 lumber. (thinking of the hand-saw jig used on the DIY cutting cart at the molding aisle of HD/Lowes). For finializing a shape, I like to just rub it on the concrete floor, use a sanding block, or even a hard brick.

[JBaymore]

The amount of material you need to take off in the cuts to shape something like a #1 or even a #2 arch out of a straight is REALLY thin sections. And for a good arch.... they need to be pretty precise cuts. Even with a jig it tends to screw up. For a couple of bricks,...... reasopnable. Fo cutting 100....... well...... between screwed up bricks and the value of your time...... buy the arches.

best,

....................john