ULTIMATE METHODS TO CUT STONE
Regardless of whether you plan to make a patio deck or make a model from stone, figuring out how to slice stone permits you to tweak the size and shape of your pieces. Cutting stone is difficult work, yet stone endures for quite a while. Try to work gradually when cutting stone. Play it safe, for example, wear a dust mask and safety goggles, to maintain a strategic distance from mishap or injury.
Quartz
From numerous points of view, quartz is cut a lot like granite. This is because quartz is hard, similar to granite. Actually, quartz has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. That is equivalent to the harder granites, which range from 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs hardness scale.
One thing to remember however when you cut quartz is that the composition is unique in relation to that of natural stone. True, there is natural material in it. However, there is a significant level of resin in the sheet (or slab) that you are cutting. This affects how you cut the material. In what manner or capacity?
The resins utilized in quartz surfaces can’t withstand incredibly high temperatures. This implies that when you cut quartz, you should keep the stone and the blade cool during the whole length of the cut. Else, you could make the material overheat. As a result, the stone can discolor from the heat. Utilizing a blade that is intended to disseminate the heat or potentially keeping the stone and blade cool with water are both useful when cutting quartz.
Tile Nippers
Basic tile nippers fill in as an effective instrument for cutting the edges of stone tile. For instance, nippers can be utilized to cut a notch in the edge of a tile to fit around a pipe or other impediment. Get the edge of the tile between the cutting edges of the nippers, at that point, firmly squeeze the handle to cut the tile. Utilize a grinding stone or sandpaper to smooth away rough edges when you’re finished.
Slab And Trim Saws
Lapidaries use slab and trim saws. The difference is the size of the blade they use. Trim saws have little, thin blades that eliminate a minimum of material. Slab saw blades are thicker because they are intended to do the heavier cutting. Trim saws utilize 4″ to 6″ blades that run somewhere in the range of .004″ and .012″ thick. Slab saw cutting blades run from 6″ to 36″ with a thickness of .025″ to .200″.
Chisel Along Your Line On The “Face Side”
The face side of a stone is the side that will face outward on a wall. The chisel will help accomplish a cleaner break than the grinder wheel. You’ll need a more even break for the face side, as this gives it a smoother look. Utilize your chisel and heavy hammer to start the cut on the face side. Put on eye protection before you begin utilizing the hammer and chisel, which can send sharp chips of stone flying.
Take your chisel and hold it in a vertical position on the stone, with the blade of the chisel on the line you wish to cut. Take your heavy hammer and hit solidly on the end of the chisel to make three or four little marks, about an inch separated, running along your line on the stone. At that point, fill in the spaces between these marks by again tapping your chisel with the heavy hammer.
Continue working the line until you have a grove the whole length of the face side. Utilize single, strong taps against the chisel with the heavy hammer, working to and fro up the line.
I trust that these tips and tricks are helpful to you in your stone cutting activities. You can also browse here if you need the ideal tools to do your stone cutting activities properly.
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