The New “King Cutter” – Revolutionary New Stone Trim Tool
Save Time, Energy, and Money On Your Next Stone Veneer Installation
Revolutionary new product for trimming all types of masonry veneers!
- Virtually zero dust so it can be used for inside or outside workstations
- Light weight design makes it perfect for uses in elevated work areas
- 100% solid steel construction
- Needs no source of power to operate
- Much faster than angle grinder or chop saw
- Always leave a natural edge on trimmed area
- Integrated handle makes it easy to carry
How it Works
The King Cutter is a device that helps eliminate some – no, a lot – of the tedious steps of cutting and trimming natural thin veneer. This lightweight, solid steel tool works faster than some saws or other cutting devices and leaves a natural edge to the cut stone. Crews can place it directly on scaffolding or workstations and trim stone inside the house. The King Cutter, an aptly named stationary chisel, can be used for manufactured stones, thin bricks, and even some flagstone for landscaping purposes. Its space-saving shape features a built-in handle, and does not require a power source. It prevents masons from having to use four-inch grinders, which stir up a cloud of dust and create a mess. Benefits of using the King Cutter include reduced noise and dust. And by minimizing dust, the King Cutter helps crews adhere to Silica Dust laws on their projects.
“It’s a simple tool that works,” says Brett King, who helped develop the tool for Natural Stone Veneers International. You might recognize Brett’s name from his appearances talking about natural stone veneer installation on “This Old House.”
It’s imperative to remember the King Cutter is predominantly used for thin stone. It works, for example, on manufactured thin veneer and flagstone. Stone thicker than two inches, however, becomes more difficult to cut. It works best on softer stones and anything between three quarters of an inch and two inches. “For sandstone or material that isn’t variegated, the tool will break in the desired place you want it,” King says. Sometimes, with material that has variegations, the
split is slightly less controllable. But variegated or not, masons have found the King Cutter useful on many different projects.
Consider one Madison, Wisc., project that involved about 35,000 feet of stone. “I gave one of the King Cutters to the mason contractor, who had about four or five crews on the project. The very next day he ordered five more units because the cutters worked so well,” King says. “He had access to other tools on the scaffold with it, but this was the one tool that was quick and fast to use. If the crews had to do intricate cuts, they’d still use a saw. But for laying the material with a natural edge, the King Cutter was perfect.”
Here’s how it works:
Secure the King Cutter with two screws onto the flat surface you’re cutting stones on. A lanyard gives an additional layer of safety when attached to scaffolding. Hold a thin veneer stone over the King Cutter’s edge. With a brick hammer, create a score line on the flat side of the stone. Hammer the line once or twice. As easy as that, the stone now bears a clean cut and is ready for buttering.