From:
"George Graham" <georgergraham@zzzzzzzzzzz>
Date:
Thu, 15 Sep 2005 11:12:35 -0400
Subject:
quarry methods
John asked,
Quoted text begins.Are you able to tell if a stone was quarried with explosives by examining
it? If so, what do you look for? Or do you have to actually go to a
quarry
and inspect their processes?
End of quote.
I thought this was a great question, so I'll add my 2 cents on it.
Finding fractures in marble does not always prove that is was quarried by
explosives. A lot of stones have natural stress cracks and fractures. One of
the reasons that some stone is so expensive is that a large percentage of
what is pulled out of the quarry has to be rejected for any number of
reasons.
When a quarry gets to the point where they are seeking high quality blocks
for consumers, they will always use methods that do the least damage so they
can cut do on the waste. Drilling splitting and sawing blocks from a quarry
wall or floor is expensive to say the least.
Old set aside stock may be there because the company did not have an order
to fill that needed that particular stock. It's often the case that its
cheaper to set something aside and not waste any more saw time on an unsold
stone. Old stock can sometimes be had for a song!
If you are looking at crates of sharp edged rough stone at a landscapers
yard , it probably was exploded at the quarry. If it looks shatterd and
fresh, expect fractures. Carve at your own risk, and keep epoxy handy.
If the stock has been sawed and saved , chances are that its pretty decent.
If its old and exposed to the elements, you will be able to see major
fractures easily, so do a good inspection and mark the cracks.
As you said, asking the quarry about its methods is a great idea. If they
know the history of some old stock they usually will freely tell you.
good luck,
George Graham
- Follow-ups
- message 00772: sympaticosium - Tomas Lipps (27 Sep 2005)
- message 00676: quarry methods - John Halter (15 Sep 2005)
- message 00675: quarry methods - sue (15 Sep 2005)
- References
- message 00663: Alabama Marble? - John Halter (14 Sep 2005)
- Previous by Thread: message 00663: Alabama Marble? - John Halter (14 Sep 2005)
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