Cutting/drilling stone?

I want to make a vase out of a piece of stone (don't know what kind, found it at the beach). So I want to drill a hole in it for a few flowers, and cut the bottom flat. This is not a big stone, something to go on a desk with maybe 3 flowers in it.

Anyway, what blade should I use on my table saw and what bit in my drill press? Also what unusual safty problems might I encounter?

-Jim

Reply to
jtpr
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If you found it at the beach watch out for fishhooks!

-J

Reply to
J

You need lapidary supplies...not my field but the following link seems a reasonable start...diamond drills at $3.50/ea in reasonable sizes for what you want...the cutting and finishing are something different but looks like they've got that, too. Depending on where you are there may well be local suppliers, of course.

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Reply to
Duane Bozarth

Ones you're willing to ruin. along with the piece you're working on.

Stonecutting requires specialized tooling.

Similar to doing tile work.

flat cuts -- wet-saw with a diamond blade, and go _slow_,

drilling holes -- a diamond bit, and a goodly _flow_ of water (or "something") to carry the "cut off" stuff away from the drilling surface. For anything more than a trivial depth, you need to back out the bit FREQUENTLY, and flush out the hole.

Reply to
Robert Bonomi

Thanks. I have a wet tile saw, I suppose I could experiment with that for cutting. I'll try the water and go slow on the drill press.

-Jim

Reply to
jtpr

Goats that fight back and knock you off the bridge?

If you're serious (fat chance - you're posting from Google) then get yourself an angle grinder. 8" gives a better cut depth, 4 1/2" is generally more useful. Cheap grinders are _really_ cheap and work well, but they're twice the wright of a good one and don't last too well.

Stone grinding or cutting disks are cheap. A diamond cutting disk is reasonably priced these days and works far better.

Dust is a hazard and will destroy a good table saw. You can wear a respirator, your saw can't.

To drill it, either hire a core drill and drill for the day, or buy yourself an SDS impact drill (_not_ a regular hammer drill). Then chain drill small holes in a ring and chisel out between.

You can do all this in granite or serpentinite, which are the hardest beach pebbles you're likely to find. Anything softer is even easier. Generally the smoother the pebble, the harder the stone (soft ones just break up before they're polished).

Reply to
Andy Dingley

don't cut it on your tablesaw unless you consider the saw to be a disposable.

a good stout brick saw is the minimum machine to saw it with. know someone with one who might do it for you? else the saw can be rented.

buy a diamond core drill. set it up so the stone is solidly mounted in the drill press- like glue the flat face down with hot glue. set up dams or work in a tray and lubricate the drill with a steady stream of water. a liter soda bottle hanging above the press with a bit of surgical tubing routed to the stone has worked well for me. use a very light touch, just barely kissing the stone with the core drill and lifting up to flush the cut clean. pressure will eat the core drill and not make the hole go faster. a tip- adjust the quill balance spring so the quill with the bit in it is just at neutral weight. you're going to be standing there for an hour or so cycling the handle up and down and otherwise your shoulder will get mighty tired. DAMHIKT.

Reply to
bridger

I'd use a hand angle grinder with a diamond blade.

You are going to have trouble because the stone doesn't have a flat edge to rest on while you're cutting.

It's going to be difficult to get a perfectly straight cut, even with a brick saw.

Wear a respirator. Not one of those cheap paper ones. At bare minimum, get one of those $20 ones at the hardware store that have a plastic form and the rubber seals around your face.

Don't cut in the garage or house, cutting stone makes a ton of dust. Do it outside, as far away from the doors as you can get.

Reply to
bf

Sounds like he found it under a bridge.

Reply to
Gerald Ross

Thanks, but I don't get the goats joke...;+}

Work = google Home = Agent.

I'm talking about a relativly small stone here, maybe 8" to 12" high. So do you think the tile saw will work?

-Jim

Reply to
jtpr

Will Depend in large part on how hard it is I suspect...

Reply to
Duane Bozarth

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