How do you cut flagstone?
Question:Cuts don't have to be perfect. I have a mallet and a chisel to work with. How much force do you use and how many strikes? Thanks!!
Answers:
This can be done with a hammer and chisel, if it is a small project, with a masonry saw, or, if you have a circular saw, with a masonry blade for your circular saw. Masonry saws can usually be rented, and will be faster than chisels or a masonry blade on your circular, but then you have the expense of renting the saw.
When cutting the stone, be sure to mark the line of the cut.
Using a hammer and chisel, as quoted from www.the-flagstone-experts.com: "If you cut the stone with a Straight Chisel, you need to strike along the line a couple of times and then flip the stone over and strike it on the other side. You'll have to repeat that several times until the stone finally busts. Don't pound too hard, or you'll crack the stone. It's fairly easy to do, so go slow!"
I've had to do this with flagstones in my garden, and you don't want to hit with all of your strength. You're just hitting hard enough to start fracturing the stone. I used a 3 lb steel mallet, and just hit the chisel with the same force as if I were trying to drive a nail into the wall to hang a picture.
There's more information at the link in the source list.
Good luck with your project.
Cutting stone is not magic and there is no fixed recipe. The important thing is to put the stone on a flat surface so that the force is only on the chisle edge and not moved elsewhere by irregularities in the working surface. In fact, another way to cut stone is to lay it on a metal rod and while holding one side down, hit the other side with a mallet. The force is concentrated along the rod where the stone will break, but don't expect a perfect line. The stone will break along its internal fracture lines near the rod, but not straight like scored glass.
This is one of those things best learned by experience. So try a few and see how it goes. It also depends on the stone. The stone from every quarry is different.
The harder part, I think, is in laying the stone to get a nice pattern. It takes an artistic eye and if you are setting them in concrete, you only get one chance.
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