Suitability of Limestone

["daedelus lanthanien" <daedeluslanthanien@zzzzzzzzzzz>]

Graham,
Any advice that you can offer from your sawing experiences would be very
appreciated. The stone in the quarry is segmented by verticle erosion
channels 1" - 12" wide, to depths exceeding 15 feet. The "stone towers" if
you will, have natural strata. Weak seams have created plates "1 - 24" thick
in the first 10 feet which get tighter as you go down. The average pate is
6' x 8'  although some exceed 10' x 15'. After this stage it is solid parent
bedrock, albiet with some pressure induced flaws which tend to follow the
random cubic arrangement. Open horizontal strata at this level is extremely
rare, it is pretty tight.

I will saw 2' x 1' x 1' flawless blocks of this stone for $24.00 U.S. + S/H.
It is carveable, I made a coffee cup out of it. It is really hard limestone
though, do not expect to fly through it like Indiana limestone. You'll have
to also  be wary of hard strikes with the grain. It will have natural tight
strata visible when it is polished. I will make sure that you recieve a
piece of the white layer which is very clear of porosity and chert. There
are grey, blueish layers and a  nonporous white 12" layer with a 4" bright
blue porous band in the middle available too. If somebody could finesse a
carving out of this white/blue, it would look amazing. Personally, until I
do more with this stone, I will not try to carve anything with fine
appendages! I think it would make excellent reliefs and massier 3D work
though. It will take weather alot better than the softer limestones also,
thats definitely a big plus.

I thought I should mention that I know some folks that have art galleries
locally. Door county has a very active artist community, featuring artist
 from all over the world. If anybody would like to consider showing work
proffesionally at well established galleries, just let me know, they are
starving for stone carvers and the artists are getting good prices for their
work.

                                                             Have a good
weekend, daed