The gate

[EastTexFrank]

I'm sorry, I got all nostalgic and forgot to say, "Beautiful work". Keep us posted on the project as it develops. I for one want to see the finished article. My father was a stone mason from the old school for 50 years in Scotland and I saw him do work like that with a hammer and chisel. Me ... I never had that kind of talent.

 

[yooperdave]

There does appear to be ample "Texas Pride" while I drove around down there. Did not see too much of it in Illinois, a little bit more in Wisconsin (STATE PRIDE NOT PACKER PRIDE).

I was told to remember 2 things while in Texas: Bigger & Better...

Yooper Dave

 

[8NTX]

Somehow I can't picture a rock in the shape of Illinois or Wisconsin adorning someone's gate. They would just look like rocks to me. But I haven't spent too much time up there either.

 

[_RaT_]

Hey Harv, Koooool. I'm with you, this plastic bannana machine made, all the corners are perfect is fine, but I like the handmade touch. Your rock idea looks great. On a home I was involved in up in Northern California, we used a lot of rock, specifically, flagstone. We made a drinking fountain out of it including a bowl where the lost water would go and then drain out. It was first started with the 14" saw and then hand chiseled to finish it off. The end product was great. Over the fireplace, the same thing, but inside curves which can be a real bear. For the bottoms of the posts on the portal, we had 4" to 6" thick flagstone, but rather then cut it, we put it in a hydraulic press and snapped it. You get a great looking natural rough cut edge but also more or less in the shape you wanted which in our case was round.

Hope you follow up and show us some more progress on your Texas gate. Thanks. Rat, /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[frank_f15]

HARV: u do come up with great ideas, and i for one WISH u will make sure to post a pic of the finished creation. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

EveningRaT,

I'll pick at you since you've danced with this gal. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

This is sandstone. The rock shop calls it "riverbottom sandstone. It comes in large slabs.

Tonight I stopped by a bud's granite shop to talk shop and shop for tools. They've got the low down on who has what for the lowest price.

We called one of their suppliers and he's bringing a seven inch diamond imbeded cup brush. My four horse Bosch grinder will have more fun than ever it has before.

If you ever get in this situation again, working with the sand stone, you might consider some neat stuff I've found.

One, rocks. Not the kind we work on but the kind we work with. They come in coarse to fine grits and fit a standard 5/8 11 grinder. They don't live long. But they're the cat's meow for removing grind marks left over from the serious tools. They're about ten bucks each at a countershop supply.

Two, diamond imbedded grinder discs. They come in all kinds of grits. For the softer stones you want the coarser ones. They run from the seventy to two hundred dollar range depending upon quality for small angle grinders. The harder the stone the more quality you need for durability. The one I'm getting tomorrow will be about a hundred and fifty but I could spend three times that for the ultimate one. According to bud's shop foreman it should last me darn near forever.

Three, diamond cutting blades. I've got them from fourteen inch in the big Stihl to four inch in an angle grinder. I also have a seven inch one in a Dewalt worm drive.

There are so many finishes to play with on stone. On the big coffee table I'm going to do for this customer I'm going to use granite balls twelve inches in diameter for legs. They're allegedly hand chiseled. I suspect it's more like what they call thermal carving. The floor in the room will be hardwood. So we're going to put rubber padding under three slabs of sandstone with cups for the granite balls cut in them. I'll do cups in the bottom side of the top stone too.

I might be wrong but I believe having this massive slab of stone for the top, granite balls with a finished ring running around the middle of the ball, and sandstone feet for the balls will make a nice statement in a very large room.

The stone I cut last night has a home when I'm finished with it already. A bud saw it and wouldn't take no for an answer. I guess it's going to end up with his address across it and be by his gate entrance.

You know there are so many neat things to be made and just not enough hours in the day. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[GerardC]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( another view )</font>

Looks good but that's not the shape of N.Y. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I want one. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Looks good but that's not the shape of N.Y.)</font>

I think you're starting to catch on /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The rock ended up at the rock store after I cleaned it up a bit. I won't be able to do much to it for three weeks to a month so we might as well let it find folks who would want one like it.

Bud hosed it down. Somethings really really really look good wet. Rocks are about number two on my list. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

In the beginning /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

after the beginning