quarry methods

Quoted text begins.I know a guy who would get big chunks of alabaster , and test them out with
a 10lb. sledge hammer. If it held together, it passed. I personally thought
he ruined a lot of good stone!
End of quote.

George, this reminds me of the Witch Smeller character in the TV show
"Blackadder". His method of testing for presence of the Black Arts was termed
"Trial by Axe"... http://users.kiss.si/~k4ff0651/ba.htm

Quoted text begins.I've seen stone that was stained from water that seeps from the overburden,
and runs down the sides. If there is a lot of iron in the soil and water it
can leave a rusty stain. Sometimes its just the nature of the stone to
oxidize when its exposed to the air and water.
End of quote.

John, you mentioned that the stained cut faces of the stones are disintegrating,
maybe they have been lying face-down in sulphide-rich soil. Acids in the soil
could have been absorbed into the first few millimetres of the stone, causing
the bonds between crystals to break down.

Regarding the staining, it may be possible to treat the stains using chelating
agents such as oxalic acid or phosphoric acid, available from hardware stores as
stain-removing or rust treatment products.

Some granites contain sulphide minerals that cause staining after installation.
There is a stonemason's 'rust converter' product available from the Tenax
company, which stabilises the minerals in the stone.

Regards,
Simon