Splitting Basalt

["Charles Kibby" <ckibby@zzzzzzzzzzz>]

I remember as a sculpture student in Eugene, Oregon (plenty of basalt in
that neck of the woods)watching a grad student use a "flame carving" rig,
essentially an oxy-acetaline rig with a special wand and tip designed
specifically for 'carving' in materials such as basalt and granite.  It was
a noisy sucker, sounded like Miami Beach at night, and he had to dress up
like an astronaut in his protective gear to avoid the popping stone
fragments, but the forms allowed by this technique were quite subtle and
engaging.

Don't know anything about the manufacturer of this equipment, but I would
think it possible to adapt existing equipment used in the stone industry for
flamed surface stock.

Chaz