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Message |
    
dhacker
Senior Member
Username: Dhacker
Post Number: 1455
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 12:57 pm: | 
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My wife has involved me in building a new patio. She wants to call it a "Beer Garden". (translation . . her ulterior motive for getting me interested in lifting and laying heavy flagstones).
This is a first for me. We are using slabs of tumbled Pennsylvania Blue Stone. That means that the unbroken pieces have a nice rounded edge.
My question is this . . Is there an easy way of rounding/ smoothing the edges on the broken pieces, or those I have to break for the small filler-inners?
If anyone has experience, or even a plausible idea, I'd be more than happy to hear it! |
Ron Siddall
Advanced Member
Username: El_cid
Post Number: 579
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 06:14 pm: |
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Damn dhacker, my back hurts just from reading your post.....
As I understand it, you are not interested in how to cut the stones, just round the edges right?
Most of the rounded edges I have seen come from the stone being tumbled by a great big ol' machine. I doubt you have one of those.
There might be a stone masons file that you can use or a hammer with light pressure. There might be a grinder you can put on your angle grinder and use that.
Good luck and buy some Motrim. |
Paul Hayslett
Senior Member
Username: Paulhayslett
Post Number: 1683
Registered: 02-2002
| | Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 01:52 am: |
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It's funny. My summer/vacation job through most of high school and college was as helper to a stonemason. Yet I can't ever once remember rounding the edges on anything, nor can I remember any tools in the box which were identified as being for that purpose.
But I would guess that Ron's right and that Home Despot will sell you some sort of carborandum disc you can put on your angle grinder. If you go that route, **PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE**:
1) Keep the material wet at all times to cut down on the amount of dust in the air.
2) Buy, maintain, and WEAR a good-quality HEPA mask that fits well. Check the fit and make whatever adjustments necessary, including shaving if you have facial hair.
I know I sound like a nervous Nellie. But silicosis is a horrible, nasty, incurable disease. Think emphysema on steroids. And it is caused by breathing the dust created when grinding stone. You really don't want to go there. |
dhacker
Senior Member
Username: Dhacker
Post Number: 1456
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 02:48 am: |
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Thanks for the sympathy pains, Ron. 
Paul, you just kinda freaked me out! 
Wetting the stones is a great idea. I'm thinking that because the blue stone is a variety of sandstone, it might erode much easier than if I was working with say, granite or marble. I thought I might see if I can sort of, somehow mount my belt sander in a vertical position and roll the sharp edges along the belt to acheive the rounded corner. The good news is that this will be done on the small broken pieces so if it works at all, it should be pretty quick per piece. BUT, I will dampen and re-dampen the stones as neccessary to keep the dust to a minimum. Should that fail, I might try the grinder method . . . |
Paul Hayslett
Senior Member
Username: Paulhayslett
Post Number: 1684
Registered: 02-2002
| | Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 04:59 am: |
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Sorry! But that was kind of my intent. I'm not kidding that silicosis is evil ••••.
Do think about a mask. They've gotten a lot more comfortable over the years. I remember the one I had to wear in lab in college. I figured that whatever disease I might get had to be better than wearing the mask. I didn't wear one again for more than 20 years.
But I've recently had to revisit the issue and I found that they are massively more comfortable now. Amazon is selling this one:
http://www.amazon.com/AO-Safety-Quicklatch-Respirator-95090/dp/B0000DCBDQ/ref=pd _sxp_f_pt
for $35. Not a bad investment in your health. |
dhacker
Senior Member
Username: Dhacker
Post Number: 1458
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 11:03 am: |
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I do have something very similar I use when mixing pyrotechnic chemicals.
Barium . . bad . .very bad!
Lampblack?? Not as bad unless you don't want to blow black boogers for a month. |
Ron Siddall
Advanced Member
Username: El_cid
Post Number: 580
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 04:07 pm: |
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Barium is bad?
No wonder I never liked the barium enemas! |
dhacker
Senior Member
Username: Dhacker
Post Number: 1460
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 04:24 pm: |
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The form used for fluoroscopic images of yer innards is different than the dry powder form used to make 'green' in fireworks.
bad . . very bad! |
Ron Siddall
Advanced Member
Username: El_cid
Post Number: 581
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 05:59 pm: |
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Where do you get that stuff and what makes it so bad? |
dhacker
Senior Member
Username: Dhacker
Post Number: 1461
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 07:32 pm: |
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Barium Sulfate is what is used in radio contrast imaging like the enemas folks know and love so well.
Barium NITRATE is what is used to make the green in fireworks stars. It is a toxic salt. Here's an overview from Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barium_nitrate
As far as getting it . . very few vendors supply it any longer in relatively small quantities because of . . well you know, the threat of using it for a purpose other than friendly. The Feds, THE CPSC being the biggest offender, really have run rough shod over a number of honest and legitimate chemical resellers to the point where they just threw in the towel . . not worth it.
The supplier I had in KY no longer sells chemicals for pyrotechnics. As a result, I've more or less given up the art of building my own in favor of brewing beer . . No hassle . . .
. . . yet. |
Ron Siddall
Advanced Member
Username: El_cid
Post Number: 582
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 09:00 pm: |
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Thanks dhacker. |
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