Introduction To The DeWalt Mortar Raking Kit
Introduction to the DeWalt Mortar Raking Kit
One of the greatest hazards of working with bricks and mortar is breathing in cement dust, which can lead to permanent lung damage.
DeWalt’s mortar raking kit is basically a medium-sized, 125mm angle grinder with additional special features that get rid of dust and make mortar removal quicker, safer and easier than using a standard grinder. This is particularly valuable to any professional builder or house restorer who regularly needs to repoint walls.
Advantages of the DeWalt Mortar Raking Kit
Extra features to make mortar raking easier include:
Built-in dust collection shroud
Airlock vacuum hose connector
Depth adjustment
Cornering door for access to tight corners
Steel construction
Twin-layered mortar raking wheel
Dust Shroud
As the wheel bites into the mortar, the built-in shroud traps the dust before it can escape and channels it through a port connected to your extraction hose. This not only saves you from breathing in clouds of harmful dust and debris, but also makes clearing up afterwards much quicker, reducing the time you have to spend on site.
Vacuum Hose Connector
The DeWalt Airlock vacuum connector is designed to provide an airtight connection between the dust port and the extraction hose that takes the dust to your industrial vacuum.
Once the connector is in place, you twist it clockwise to lock it on to the hose, and anti-clockwise to unlock it.
Depth Adjustment
An adjustable depth-of-cut shoe lets you easily alter the cutting depth of the machine so that it will remove mortar to a consistent level all the way along the wall.
You just loosen the locking knob, slide the shoe to the required position, then tighten the knob up again.
Cornering Door
The mortar rake includes a cornering door at the side to help you remove mortar on the inside of corners.
By turning a lever anti-clockwise, you can unlock the door and swing it out of the way so that the cutting disc is able to reach right up against the wall.
Steel Construction
Many angle grinders have plastic bodies, but the DeWalt mortar raking kit is housed in a steel casing to provide the extra durability required by professionals on busy work sites.
Twin-Layered Wheel
The mortar raking disc, known as a twin or ‘sandwich’ wheel, is made up of two segmented blades. This design provides less friction, resulting in an efficient and extremely fast cutting action. The discs are diamond-coated for long life and extra sharpness.
Tips on using the DeWalt Mortar Raking Kit
- Having set your desired depth of cut, allow the grinder to reach full speed before making contact with the wall.
- Stand so that the open underside of the shroud and the wheel are facing away from you.
- Place the edge of the shroud on the wall and begin to cut. Keep the edge of the shroud against the wall at all times to ensure the dust is collected properly.
- Move the grinder from right to left along the wall. For best results it should be angled at about 45° to the dust port.
- Remove the grinder from the wall before switching it off, and don’t put it down until the disc has stopped rotating.
What about attachments?
If you won’t need to remove mortar very often, you may prefer to buy a set of mortar raking attachments to add to a normal DeWalt angle grinder. See Wonkee Donkee’s separate guide Mortar Rakes to find out more.
