cutting slate

["Ian Marr" <ianmarr@zzzzzzzzzzz>]

  In my own dealings with slate, my conviction is that the best value is in
employing industrial stone cutters to cut & shape pieces, in particular
salvage stone such as Karen has described.They do it all the time. It,s not
expensive. It saves (for me, anyway)anxiety & potential injury.(I know
personally two sculptors here who in the last twelve months have had bad
cutter/grinder accidents).It may sem a wimpy argument, but why not save your
strength for the fine & beautiful studio work?
      I don,t have an opinion on the identity of the stone, but here
terazzo(?)is the universal toilet cubicle divider ( or corrugated iron in
the bush).    Ian

Ian Marr, artist and lettercutter
http://www.ianmarr.com.au
 

-----Original Message-----
 From: Norman Watts [Norman_Watts@-------] 
Sent: Wednesday, 29 June 2005 8:09 PM
Subject: [stone] Re: cutting slate

Hi Karen,

As you know, I'm no expert, and like the others I have no idea what the 
stone is really like, but if you want to try the jigsaw approach again 
you can find diamond blades at GCT. I think they may be for a 
particular jigsaw (not sure) but and they are expensive, like $70. But 
 from the way you describe the stone I suppose you may not want to 
continue with it anyway.

n

Norman Watts, Ph. D.
National Institutes of Health
50 South Drive, Rm. 1509
Bethesda, MD 20892-8025
Phone: (301) 402-3418
Fax: (301) 480-7629