How to Make Stone Cuts Look Natural | Ask This Old House 

In this video, Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough explains how stone edges are cut to fit into a wall and how to integrate those cuts seamlessly with the rest of the stone wall.
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Mason Mark McCullough shows Host Kevin O’Connor the difference between the traditional way of cutting stone and the modern way. While many tools can be used to easily cut stone today, you often risk losing the character in the process. Mark and Kevin compare an array of old-school hand tools versus modern power saws and grinders that masons often use.
Time: A few minutes per stone
Cost: Based on tools and materials used
Skill Level: Moderate
What Tools Do You Use to Cut Stone?
Although Mark prefers to cut using traditional tools, he understands that it takes years of experience to properly cut a stone, not to mention more time. When a stone is cut using a power tool, it creates a manufactured, smooth look. Mark hates that, so he demonstrates how he would use a power tool and what he does after to give some old school character back to the stone.
Tools:
Tuckpoint grinder [amzn.to/2R1WwRP]
Brick hammer [amzn.to/3u2Bst6]
Shopping List:
Stones
Steps for making stone cuts:
1. Mark started with a tuckpoint grinder with a dust extractor HEPA vacuum attachment.
2. Cut around the part of the stone you want to take off, careful not to go all the way through in order to keep as much roughness as possible.
3. Take a brick hammer and hit the excess piece off.
4. Use the hammer to knock down the edges of the stone. This will create a more natural look.
Where to find it?
Mark discussed various techniques for cutting and knocking down edges of stones. The hand tools he used were a variety of chisels that can be found at some home centers and most masonry supply stores.
To cut the stone with the grinder, Mark used a 1775E Tuck Pointing Grinder [amzn.to/2R1WwRP] with a 9 gallon dust extractor HEPA vacuum with automatic cleaning [amzn.to/3eFNulv], which are both manufactured by Bosch Tools [www.boschtools...]. Using a grinder with dust collection helps keep silica dust down, which makes the job a lot safer.
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About Ask This Old House TV:
From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. Ask This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment-your home.
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How to Make Stone Cuts Look Natural | Ask This Old House
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