Polishing granite columns

["Charles Kibby" <ckibby@zzzzzzzzzzz>]

An interesting article I've been studying concerns the latest methods in
polishing granite columns.

Simon, interesting to hear you refer to the older methods of abrasion and
abrasive particles.  I remember tooling around the old Apuan quarries above
Carrara too many years ago, and I was struck by the technological archives
still standing all around in the form of a central power plant surrounded by
a forest of poles with pulleys.  These were strategically located to run the
braided wire loops that ran into the holes drilled for the purpose of
cutting blocks of stone.  At each entry point into a hole, sand or some form
of abrasive media mixed with water was dribbled into the hole with the wire
carrying it through to help complete the cut. Nowadays they use diamond
chainsaws, big ones.

As to the question of "was it better then or now?", I can't help but feel
that things haven't changed much in terms of the final result. The principal
of rubbing a relatively softer medium with a harder, and progressively
finer, one is still the same.  It's just done more efficiently.  Besides,
it's harder to get people to work for 25 cents an hour these days.

chas