How to Cut Brick for a Fireplace
- 1). Mark a line across the brick where you wish to make the cut. Place a speed square on the brick to guide your pencil mark to place your cut precisely.
- 2). Lay the brick onto a solid flat surface with a bit of give to it, such as a patch of dirt or a bed of sand.
- 3). Score the drawn line with the chisel. Place the blade of the chisel onto the line at a 60-degree angle to the surface of the brick. Tap the head of the chisel with the brick hammer gently to create a groove along the drawn line about 1/16 inch deep.
- 4). Place the blade of the brick set into the groove with the beveled edge of the blade pointed toward the portion of the brick that will go unused in the fireplace. Hold the blade slightly angled away from the unused portion and hit the head of the set firmly, with the hammer cutting the brick at the scored line.
- 5). Clean the cutline with the hammer and chisel. Place the chisel on any unwanted chips of brick that did not split cleanly and hit the head of the chisel with the hammer to cut the chips off.
