Advice on cutting clay bricks

[sabinoerc]

I need to cut a 5/8" veneer off std sized red clay bricks. (long story - but I built a bench assuming brick veneer would be available but lead time is ~4mo - so I bought full size bricks to cut myself).
I have a 10" wet saw which I've used for tile. It cuts the bricks pretty easily but when slicing the veneer lengthwise the blade walks (always "out"/the same direction. I don't get uniform veneers and sometimes the saw loads up/binds.
I checked alignment of blade to the table/slide and it looks good.

Looking around a bit, it seems perhaps a segmented blade may be better for this?
or, perhaps this is what happens when cutting something thick with a worn blade? I've used the blade before over the years, but no memory on how much. Visually, I can't tell if it's bad, I still see some sparkles/diamonds in the cutting surface but don't know how much is normal. I've wondered if the blade is walking because one side is worn more than the other causing the curf to be biased towards one side.
I've not experience in this other than weekend projects and was looking for advice on what kind of blade might be better for bricks and/or other advice on what might be causing my problems.

Thanks in advance

 

[Hakeem]

Can you set the depth on the tile saw? Try cutting it in a few passes, progressively increasing the depth on each pass.

If not, maybe you can clamp some 1” material to the brick veneer as a guide for the blade?

Edit: whoops, misunderstood the question.

 

[PCustoms]

Old Mill Brick 7.625 in. x 2.25 in. x 0.5 in. Midtown Thin Brick Singles (Box of 50-Bricks) TB-270058CS - The Home Depot

Increase the value of your residential or commercial property by installing this Old Mill Brick Midtown Thin Brick Singles.

www.homedepot.com

There's a few options...

 

[rust in the eye]

Really need a bridge saw for cutting bricks. Rental?

 

[four.cycle]

^ One of my older sisters asked me to come over and cut some bricks for her for a "patio" project in the front of their house.
I already owned an angle grinder and respirator, so I went up to Harbor Freight and bought a pile of various blades.
After several not-so-successful and inaccurate cuts - none of which went all the way through, requiring me to flip the brick over and cut the other side - I went over to Home Depot and rented some sort of circular saw that had one hella sharp blade in it - went through those bricks like butter. Deposit was crazy, rental was crazy cheap (compared to buying all those blades!)
Be sure to wear a respirator!

 

[Old tool guy]

I would start with a new blade, it’s possible the diamond chips are worn off one side causing the blade to wander. Also be sure the blade nut is tight.

 

[Retroman]

Not sure on a tile blade but concrete blades I am talking 14" and up if they get hot (cutting without enough water) they will lose tension and won't cut straight. Not sure if that would apply to a smaller blade.

 

[cgrutt]

Sounds like blade is either shot or not the correct type for what you are trying to do. My good tile saw was (unfortunately no longer have it) an MK Diamond it handled everything i threw at it with no issues at all. They recommend a segmented soft matrix blade for wet cutting brick. https://www.mkdiamond.com/masonry/bld_wseg_10.html

 

[sabinoerc]

Thanks for the responses. I'll look for a new segmented blade and see how that does next.

 

[sabinoerc]

Old Mill Brick 7.625 in. x 2.25 in. x 0.5 in. Midtown Thin Brick Singles (Box of 50-Bricks) TB-270058CS - The Home Depot

Increase the value of your residential or commercial property by installing this Old Mill Brick Midtown Thin Brick Singles.

www.homedepot.com

There's a few options...

I need the brick veneer to match the brick patio. The local brick supply has many sample veneers in their showroom and I naively thought I could walk in and buy what I wanted/walk away. Walk in and buy yes - but the lead time is 3-4mo. The factory cuts to order.

 

[PCustoms]

I need the brick veneer to match the brick patio. The local brick supply has many sample veneers in their showroom and I naively thought I could walk in and buy what I wanted/walk away. Walk in and buy yes - but the lead time is 3-4mo. The factory cuts to order.

Is there an off the shelf option that's close enough to not tell?

I wonder if they cut or score / snap the bricks

 

[sabinoerc]

just fyi if anyone searches for same in the future.
I bought a Makita 10in segmented diamond blade at HomeDepot. It's significantly thicker than the diamond continuous blade I was using.
It cuts perfectly straight without any wandering on my wet saw.
thanks again for responses

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

 

[M635_Guy]

Be sure to wear a respirator!

A huge +1 to this. I was planning on wearing something, but when I cut up the cast-iron tub in the new/old house I just moved into I got this same advice, and went with what seemed like overkill...

...until I was in the job, at which point I was incredibly grateful to have gotten that advice. What I would have done otherwise wouldn't have been nearly up to the task.


So yeah OP - get a good respirator and wear it.