I picked up about 20 inch-thick light brown odd-shaped paving stones
(which I think are sandstone) from a friend (they were sitting in a pile
when he bought the house long ago).

I want to arrange them in a narrow walkway but I would need to cut them
into desired shapes to fit.

It's a one-time effort - so I wonder 'what' tools you guys would suggest?

Do I score them and break them or saw them with some kind of saw?

Note: I have the typical tools at home - but I've never cut rock before.

On 1/16/2012 1:54 PM, Chuck Banshee wrote:
I picked up about 20 inch-thick light brown odd-shaped paving stones
(which I think are sandstone) from a friend (they were sitting in a pile
when he bought the house long ago).

I want to arrange them in a narrow walkway but I would need to cut them
into desired shapes to fit.

It's a one-time effort - so I wonder 'what' tools you guys would suggest?

Do I score them and break them or saw them with some kind of saw?

Note: I have the typical tools at home - but I've never cut rock before.


Chuck, here are some choices from hard to easier:

1. Cold chisel and hammer. Repeated light taps on a score line. Not
all will break as intended.

2. Fiber wheel on a circular saw. Lots of dust, may require several
blades depending on stone hardness.

3. Dry diamond blade on circular saw or on a grinder. HF tends to have
one for about $10.

4. Wet saw with wet diamond. Can be rented from Home Depot, etc.



--


___________________________________

Keep the whole world singing . . .
Dan G
remove the seven

DanG wrote:

On 1/16/2012 1:54 PM, Chuck Banshee wrote:
I picked up about 20 inch-thick light brown odd-shaped paving stones
(which I think are sandstone) from a friend (they were sitting in a pile
when he bought the house long ago).

If they are sandstone, then they aren't for paving. You can
crumble sandstone in your hands.

Lets guess that they are some sort of paving stone without a lot of
grain.

I want to arrange them in a narrow walkway but I would need to cut them
into desired shapes to fit.

It's a one-time effort - so I wonder 'what' tools you guys would suggest?

-snip-


Chuck, here are some choices from hard to easier:

1. Cold chisel and hammer. Repeated light taps on a score line. Not
all will break as intended.

That is an art- if you are looking for 'character over precision,
practice on a few and see how it turns out.


2. Fiber wheel on a circular saw. Lots of dust, may require several
blades depending on stone hardness.

I found out that aged pavers-- the ones that look like brick, but have
some epoxy or something holding them together- are tougher than the
14" fiber blades. I ate 3" of blade and barely scratched the paver.


3. Dry diamond blade on circular saw or on a grinder. HF tends to have
one for about $10.

wicked dusty, still.

4. Wet saw with wet diamond. Can be rented from Home Depot, etc.

Or bought for $60 or so from HF. The diamond blade will last forever.
The 7" one only takes a 2" bite, but I've abused the crap out of mine
for a 1/2dozen years and it still works fine.


Jim

Chuck Banshee wrote:
I picked up about 20 inch-thick light brown odd-shaped paving stones
(which I think are sandstone) from a friend (they were sitting in a
pile when he bought the house long ago).

I want to arrange them in a narrow walkway but I would need to cut
them into desired shapes to fit.

It's a one-time effort - so I wonder 'what' tools you guys would
suggest?

Do I score them and break them or saw them with some kind of saw?

Note: I have the typical tools at home - but I've never cut rock
before.

I'd TRY a masonry blade in an angle grinder. I've used same to cut ceramic
tile. Sandstone is a lot softer.

Obligatory cautions:
Be sure to wear ear, eye, nose, and throat protection. Douse all open
flames. Wear gloves and make sure the outlet is grounded.

On Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:13:46 -0600, DanG wrote:
1. Cold chisel and hammer. Repeated light taps on a score line. Not
all will break as intended.

I was wondering what to score these inch-thick rock slabs with? I can
easily buy a four inch or six inch-wide chisel (I think).

But do you score rock (sandstone) with a utility knife?

2. Fiber wheel on a circular saw. Lots of dust, may require several
blades depending on stone hardness.

I have never heard of a 'fiber wheel'. I'll look that up.

Of course, I have a basic circular saw ... so I was thinking about a
diamond blade (like what they use on paving bricks) ... but I'll have to
look up a 'fiber wheel'.

3. Dry diamond blade on circular saw or on a grinder.

Given I already have the circular saw, this seems to be the simplest
route.

4. Wet saw with wet diamond. Can be rented from Home Depot, etc.

Might be overkill for just 20 of these paving stones.

On Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:57:57 -0500, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
If they are sandstone, then they aren't for paving. You can crumble
sandstone in your hands.

Hmmm... I'll take a picture in the light tomorrow and post that picture.

I actually don't know 'what' they are. I assumed they were sandstone
(they're light brown) and I assumed they were for walkways and wall
facades.

They don't have much of a grain though. And they seem to peel off in very
thin layers (but they're an inch thick and the peeling is only about
1/32" thick or so).

Lets guess that they are some sort of paving stone without a lot of
grain.

I'm not sure what a paving stone is actually, so, I'll say they're a flat
light brown sandy-feeling stone about an inch thick with not much of a
grain.

On Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:44:16 -0600, jw wrote:
You can buy masonery blades for a circular saw too. Around $5.

I didn't realize the blades were that cheap. Even a 'standard' steel
blade costs much more than that! I figured a diamond blade would be
expensive. I wonder 'what' a masonry blade is (gotta google that).

I will snap a picture in the light of the morning and post so you can see
what they look like.

Chuck Banshee wrote:
On Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:44:16 -0600, jw wrote:
You can buy masonery blades for a circular saw too. Around $5.

I didn't realize the blades were that cheap. Even a 'standard' steel
blade costs much more than that! I figured a diamond blade would be
expensive. I wonder 'what' a masonry blade is (gotta google that).

I will snap a picture in the light of the morning and post so you can
see what they look like.

Here's a pack of five angle-grinder blades for $5.99.

Chuck Banshee wrote:
On Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:57:57 -0500, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
If they are sandstone, then they aren't for paving. You can
crumble sandstone in your hands.

Hmmm... I'll take a picture in the light tomorrow and post that
picture.

I actually don't know 'what' they are. I assumed they were sandstone
(they're light brown) and I assumed they were for walkways and wall
facades.

They don't have much of a grain though. And they seem to peel off in
very thin layers (but they're an inch thick and the peeling is only
about 1/32" thick or so).

Lets guess that they are some sort of paving stone without a lot of
grain.

I'm not sure what a paving stone is actually, so, I'll say they're a
flat light brown sandy-feeling stone about an inch thick with not
much of a grain.

The fact that It has thin layers that peel qualifies it as sedimentary rock.
The four most common ones are limestone (it isn't that), sandstone (not all
are friable), siltstone and shale. The difference between the last three has
nothing to do with composition, merely the particle size of the material.
Yours sounds like shale.

Shale is primarily compacted mud...clay plus some minerals. If the shale
were metamorphosed, it would be slate.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Chuck Banshee wrote:
On Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:44:16 -0600, jw wrote:
You can buy masonery blades for a circular saw too. Around $5.

I didn't realize the blades were that cheap. Even a 'standard' steel
blade costs much more than that! I figured a diamond blade would be
expensive. I wonder 'what' a masonry blade is (gotta google that).

It is a fiber circle, about 1/8" thick, with grit embedded in it. The grit
is probably corundum (aluminum oxide). They cut by grinding, wear pretty
fast and are way less than $5.00.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:02:24 -0500, dadiOH wrote:

The fact that It has thin layers that peel qualifies it as sedimentary
rock. The four most common ones are limestone (it isn't that), sandstone
(not all are friable), siltstone and shale.

Of those four, which would be light brown in color?

Here are two pictures I just took outside:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:14:21 -0500, dadiOH wrote:

It is a fiber circle, about 1/8" thick, with grit embedded in it. The
grit is probably corundum (aluminum oxide). They cut by grinding, wear
pretty fast and are way less than $5.00.

A 'circle' would be just perfect for the sprinkler head in this picture
to pop up inside the stone:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif

But for most of these, I would need something straight:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif

On Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:54:40 +0000, Chuck Banshee wrote:
Do I score them and break them or saw them with some kind of saw?

If I score them, what tool is used for the scoring?

Here's a picture of the stone that needs a round hole:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif

And, here's a picture of a set that needs straight cuts:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:38:37 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:02:24 -0500, dadiOH wrote:

The fact that It has thin layers that peel qualifies it as sedimentary
rock. The four most common ones are limestone (it isn't that), sandstone
(not all are friable), siltstone and shale.

Of those four, which would be light brown in color?

Here are two pictures I just took outside:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif

I'd call them shale-- or bluestone [even though they're brown]- but
I'll bow to whatever dadiOH says.

I'd make the round hole with a decent hole cutter-- go slow and use
lots of water. [the fiber disks are like saw blades-- you make
straight cuts with them, not circles]

If you think you might *ever* do anything with stones, tiles, or
pavers, again- get the $60 wet saw from HF. 10 times quicker than
any dry blade and dust free.

My second choice would be a wet/dry diamond blade for a sacrificial
circular saw. I've got a 40 yr old B&D whose bearing were
screeching before I started using a dry stone blade with it. It is
still running, but I don't know why.

Jim

On Jan 16, 6:12*pm, "HeyBub" wrote:
Chuck Banshee wrote:
I picked up about 20 inch-thick light brown odd-shaped paving stones
(which I think are sandstone) from a friend (they were sitting in a
pile when he bought the house long ago).

I want to arrange them in a narrow walkway but I would need to cut
them into desired shapes to fit.

It's a one-time effort - so I wonder 'what' tools you guys would
suggest?

Do I score them and break them or saw them with some kind of saw?

Note: I have the typical tools at home - but I've never cut rock
before.

I'd TRY a masonry blade in an angle grinder. I've used same to cut ceramic
tile. Sandstone is a lot softer.

Obligatory cautions:
Be sure to wear ear, eye, nose, and throat protection. Douse all open
flames. Wear gloves and make sure the outlet is grounded.

...or better than "make sure the outlet is grounded" is "make sure the
outlet is a GFCI".

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:38:37 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:02:24 -0500, dadiOH wrote:

The fact that It has thin layers that peel qualifies it as sedimentary
rock. The four most common ones are limestone (it isn't that), sandstone
(not all are friable), siltstone and shale.

Of those four, which would be light brown in color?

Here are two pictures I just took outside:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif

We call this Flagstone in my area. I presume it is natural sandstone.

See this video for tips: (but use safety glasses)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05uTflMbWBs

When laying the stone make sure you have a good level surface to
support the stone (prevent potential for further cracking).

There are other videos on Youtube.

(I'm planning about 150 sf. between the pool and patio)

On Jan 17, 1:24*am, Chuck Banshee wrote:
On Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:13:46 -0600, DanG wrote:
1. *Cold chisel and hammer. *Repeated light taps on a score line. *Not
all will break as intended.

I was wondering what to score these inch-thick rock slabs with? I can
easily buy a four inch or six inch-wide chisel (I think).

But do you score rock (sandstone) with a utility knife?

2. *Fiber wheel on a circular saw. *Lots of dust, may require several
blades depending on stone hardness.

I have never heard of a 'fiber wheel'. I'll look that up.

Of course, I have a basic circular saw ... so I was thinking about a
diamond blade (like what they use on paving bricks) ... but I'll have to
look up a 'fiber wheel'.

3. *Dry diamond blade on circular saw or on a grinder.

Given I already have the circular saw, this seems to be the simplest
route.

4. *Wet saw with wet diamond. *Can be rented from Home Depot, etc.

Might be overkill for just 20 of these paving stones.

Some of this depends on how much you like your current circular saw.

I used to have a inexpensive Craftsman that I didn't really like, but
didn't know better when I first started buying tools.

I cut a bunch of pieces of slate using the fiber blades. The saw was
never the same afterwards. I don't how much was the fault of the dust
getting in the bearings or how much was just the work it took to get
through the slate. Soon after the project was completed, the saw began
to sound so awful, emitting a loud screeching, that I threw it away.

I've currently own a really nice Porter Cable left blade saw which I
would never use to cut stone. I'd go buy a cheap HF unit and use that
before I subject my good circ saw to that much abuse.

Chuck Banshee wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:02:24 -0500, dadiOH wrote:

The fact that It has thin layers that peel qualifies it as
sedimentary rock. The four most common ones are limestone (it isn't
that), sandstone (not all are friable), siltstone and shale.

Of those four, which would be light brown in color?

Here are two pictures I just took outside:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif

Can't really tell much from the photos. Any of the three possible
sedimentaries I mentioned could be brown/tan/reddish, just need a bit of
iron.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Chuck Banshee wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:14:21 -0500, dadiOH wrote:

It is a fiber circle, about 1/8" thick, with grit embedded in it. The
grit is probably corundum (aluminum oxide). They cut by grinding,
wear pretty fast and are way less than $5.00.

A 'circle' would be just perfect for the sprinkler head in this
picture to pop up inside the stone:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif

But for most of these, I would need something straight:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif

Uhhh...circular like a saw blade. They are used to cut straight. One does
that by putting it on a circular saw and cutting with the edge. Like a saw
blade

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

On Jan 17, 2:19*pm, "dadiOH" wrote:
Chuck Banshee wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:14:21 -0500, dadiOH wrote:

It is a fiber circle, about 1/8" thick, with grit embedded in it. The
grit is probably corundum (aluminum oxide). *They cut by grinding,
wear pretty fast and are way less than $5.00.

A 'circle' would be just perfect for the sprinkler head in this
picture to pop up inside the stone:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif

But for most of these, I would need something straight:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif

Uhhh...circular like a saw blade. *They are used to cut straight. *One does
that by putting it on a circular saw and cutting with the edge. *Like a saw
blade *

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it athttp://mysite.verizon.net/xico

For many people, there's a good reason they call them "circular
saws". ;-)

DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Jan 16, 6:12 pm, "HeyBub" wrote:
Chuck Banshee wrote:
I picked up about 20 inch-thick light brown odd-shaped paving stones
(which I think are sandstone) from a friend (they were sitting in a
pile when he bought the house long ago).

I want to arrange them in a narrow walkway but I would need to cut
them into desired shapes to fit.

It's a one-time effort - so I wonder 'what' tools you guys would
suggest?

Do I score them and break them or saw them with some kind of saw?

Note: I have the typical tools at home - but I've never cut rock
before.

I'd TRY a masonry blade in an angle grinder. I've used same to cut
ceramic tile. Sandstone is a lot softer.

Obligatory cautions:
Be sure to wear ear, eye, nose, and throat protection. Douse all open
flames. Wear gloves and make sure the outlet is grounded.

..or better than "make sure the outlet is grounded" is "make sure the
outlet is a GFCI".

Well, yeah. But I didn't want to get ridiculous.

Chuck Banshee wrote:
On Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:54:40 +0000, Chuck Banshee wrote:
Do I score them and break them or saw them with some kind of saw?

If I score them, what tool is used for the scoring?

Here's a picture of the stone that needs a round hole:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif

And, here's a picture of a set that needs straight cuts:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif


Well, masons used to cut bricks by scoring them with a mason's chisel...
http://www.amazon.com/Dasco-332-0-1-...828475&sr=1-17

then break them. I don't think that would work well in your case because of
the layered structure of the stone. Your best bet is a diamond blade. You
can get a 4 1/2" angle grinder at HF for $15; a dry cut diamond blade to fit
for less than $10.00
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...24j8xmu 765_b

To drill the round hole, you can get bits for that purpose...you can do it
by hand with a star drill...you can do it with a saber saw with a tile
cutting carbide blade (has carbide pieces sintered on)...you can do it by
hand with a carbide rod blade on a hack saw. With th saws, you gotta have a
hole first.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

DerbyDad03 wrote:
-snip-

..or better than "make sure the outlet is grounded" is "make sure the
outlet is a GFCI".

google 'GFCI Triple Tap cord' - I think I paid $25 for mine & it gives
me peace of mind-- and I only have to walk to the end of the cord if
it trips.

Jim

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:02:38 -0800, Oren wrote:

We call this Flagstone in my area.

OK. I'll call it flagstone!

See this video for tips: (but use safety glasses)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05uTflMbWBs

Now that was interesting!

His brown (sand?) stone looks exactly the same as mine.
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif

The scoring was trivial! He took his rock chisel and simply scratched a
line. Just one line. That was it. It wasn't even a complete line. I'm
amazed that 'thin' scratched line did anything!

I wonder if that will work for circles (to make the sprinkler head fit)?
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif

On 1/17/2012 10:40 AM, Chuck Banshee wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:14:21 -0500, dadiOH wrote:

It is a fiber circle, about 1/8" thick, with grit embedded in it. The
grit is probably corundum (aluminum oxide). They cut by grinding, wear
pretty fast and are way less than $5.00.

A 'circle' would be just perfect for the sprinkler head in this picture
to pop up inside the stone:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif

But for most of these, I would need something straight:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif


flagstone.

you could cut the sprinkler hole with a diamond hole bit and some water,
but that would set you back $100 or more. easier is simply a masonary
drill bit. it'd be slow, but still work ok, although there's some slight
chance that the slab will crack.

if you take it to a place that fabricates granite countertops, they'd
probably drill your hole for a few dollars.

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:09:19 -0700, chaniarts wrote:

a masonary drill bit. it'd be slow, but still work ok

I'll look for a one or two-inch masonry drill bit for the sprinkler.

if you take it to a place that fabricates granite countertops, they'd
probably drill your hole for a few dollars.

Actually, for this one-time-only cut, that might work best if I can't
find a large enough masonry drill bit to cut the sprinkler hole.

Thanks!

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:57:22 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:02:38 -0800, Oren wrote:

We call this Flagstone in my area.

OK. I'll call it flagstone!

See this video for tips: (but use safety glasses)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05uTflMbWBs

Now that was interesting!

His brown (sand?) stone looks exactly the same as mine.
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif

The scoring was trivial! He took his rock chisel and simply scratched a
line. Just one line. That was it. It wasn't even a complete line. I'm
amazed that 'thin' scratched line did anything!


The "scoring" was just to mark a straight line.
Could have used a pencil.
It was hammering the chisel that did the work.
And notice the rough edges after the break-off.
So don't expect clean edges with this method.

I wonder if that will work for circles (to make the sprinkler head fit)?
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif


No.

--Vic

On Jan 16, 2:54*pm, Chuck Banshee wrote:
I picked up about 20 inch-thick light brown odd-shaped paving stones
(which I think are sandstone) from a friend (they were sitting in a pile
when he bought the house long ago).

I want to arrange them in a narrow walkway but I would need to cut them
into desired shapes to fit.

It's a one-time effort - so I wonder 'what' tools you guys would suggest?

Do I score them and break them or saw them with some kind of saw?

Note: I have the typical tools at home - but I've never cut rock before.

Rent a masonry saw.

Jimmie

On Jan 17, 2:43*pm, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:

-snip-



..or better than "make sure the outlet is grounded" is "make sure the
outlet is a GFCI".

google 'GFCI Triple Tap cord' - I think I paid $25 for mine & it gives
me peace of mind-- and I only have to walk to the end of the cord if
it trips.

Jim

No need for *me* to Google GFCI Triple Tap cord.

Long, long before GFCI-protected extension cords were readily
available at any Home Center, I took about 3 feet of outdoor extension
cord, put a plug on one end and a GFCI duplex receptacle in a weather
proof receptacle box on the other. It lives in the same crate that my
extension cords live.

I've had that same peace of mind for decades.

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:57:22 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:02:38 -0800, Oren wrote:

We call this Flagstone in my area.

OK. I'll call it flagstone!

See this video for tips: (but use safety glasses)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05uTflMbWBs

Now that was interesting!

His brown (sand?) stone looks exactly the same as mine.
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif

The scoring was trivial! He took his rock chisel and simply scratched a
line. Just one line. That was it. It wasn't even a complete line. I'm
amazed that 'thin' scratched line did anything!


I think his scribe was mainly for visual purposes, not intended to
really "score" the stone. You can tell how soft the stone is in the
video.

I wonder if that will work for circles (to make the sprinkler head fit)?
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif

Sandstone is very soft. I would find a hole / coring bit to drill the
hole. A star bit was mentioned above, but I think using one
(hammering) would break the stone along a weak fault in the stone.

Try finding an inexpensive (?) diamond tipped core bit of the proper
size for the sprinkler head.

"Chuck Banshee" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:14:21 -0500, dadiOH wrote:

It is a fiber circle, about 1/8" thick, with grit embedded in it. The
grit is probably corundum (aluminum oxide). They cut by grinding, wear
pretty fast and are way less than $5.00.

A 'circle' would be just perfect for the sprinkler head in this picture
to pop up inside the stone:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif

But for most of these, I would need something straight:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif


Get a blade used to cut holes for doorknobs and locksets
It goes on your drill and makes perfect holes

Oren wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:57:22 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:02:38 -0800, Oren wrote:

We call this Flagstone in my area.

OK. I'll call it flagstone!

See this video for tips: (but use safety glasses)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05uTflMbWBs

Now that was interesting!

His brown (sand?) stone looks exactly the same as mine.
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif

The scoring was trivial! He took his rock chisel and simply
scratched a line. Just one line. That was it. It wasn't even a
complete line. I'm amazed that 'thin' scratched line did anything!


I think his scribe was mainly for visual purposes, not intended to
really "score" the stone. You can tell how soft the stone is in the
video.

I wonder if that will work for circles (to make the sprinkler head
fit)? http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif

Sandstone is very soft. I would find a hole / coring bit to drill the
hole. A star bit was mentioned above, but I think using one
(hammering) would break the stone along a weak fault in the stone.

Try finding an inexpensive (?) diamond tipped core bit of the proper
size for the sprinkler head.

I'd bet a metal hole saw, like for creating extra openings in a
circuit-breaker box, would work. They go up to 2+ inches and are not
expensive.

Why are we sprinkling flagstone?

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:26:32 -0600, "HeyBub"
wrote:

Oren wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:57:22 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:02:38 -0800, Oren wrote:

We call this Flagstone in my area.

OK. I'll call it flagstone!

See this video for tips: (but use safety glasses)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05uTflMbWBs

Now that was interesting!

His brown (sand?) stone looks exactly the same as mine.
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7364581.gif

The scoring was trivial! He took his rock chisel and simply
scratched a line. Just one line. That was it. It wasn't even a
complete line. I'm amazed that 'thin' scratched line did anything!


I think his scribe was mainly for visual purposes, not intended to
really "score" the stone. You can tell how soft the stone is in the
video.

I wonder if that will work for circles (to make the sprinkler head
fit)? http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/7364584.gif

Sandstone is very soft. I would find a hole / coring bit to drill the
hole. A star bit was mentioned above, but I think using one
(hammering) would break the stone along a weak fault in the stone.

Try finding an inexpensive (?) diamond tipped core bit of the proper
size for the sprinkler head.

I'd bet a metal hole saw, like for creating extra openings in a
circuit-breaker box, would work. They go up to 2+ inches and are not
expensive.

Why are we sprinkling flagstone?


Leap Year celebration?

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:22:48 -0600, Vic Smith wrote:
The "scoring" was just to mark a straight line.
Could have used a pencil.
It was hammering the chisel that did the work.

Oh. I see.

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:26:32 -0600, HeyBub wrote:

Why are we sprinkling flagstone?

Good question!

The sprinkler (and the pipe to the left) need to be protected so I was
figuring I'd lay the flagstones along that wall as a walkway.

When complete, the sprinkler would be within two inches of the edge of
the flagstone, and it would be sprinkling the grass.

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:41:15 -0500, dadiOH wrote:

You can get a 4 1/2" angle grinder at HF for $15;
a dry cut diamond blade to fit for less than $10.00

Here's the angle grinder I have ... with the cutting wheels I had in
stock...
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7367401.gif

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:15:31 -0500, dadiOH wrote:
Can't really tell much from the photos. Any of the three possible
sedimentaries I mentioned could be brown/tan/reddish, just need a bit of
iron.

Those first pictures were taken in the morning shade.

Here's another photo taken today in the full sunlight at noon:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7367411.jpg

Despite the stone being flat and heavy ... it's pretty soft.

While I'm at it (cutting flagstone to create a walkway) ... would you
suggest I try to repair these three holes in existing flagstone set in
concrete?

How would you fix these damaged pieces (all set in concrete)?

This is in the worst damaged flagsone (in a heavy load area):
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7367422.jpg

This is inexplicably just starting to break into pieces:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7367424.jpg

And, this one, looks like it's going to go the same route:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7367426.jpg

I'm guessing the way to fix these are to chisel them out, and to chisel
out the concrete below them - and then fit a custom-fit piece of the
right thickness back into place.

The problem of course is fitting the piece in and cutting all the
concrete out.

Is there an easier way to repair these flaws?

On Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:54:22 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
wrote:

Here's another photo taken today in the full sunlight at noon:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7367411.jpg

Despite the stone being flat and heavy ... it's pretty soft.


When you cut / break these pieces of stone, do cut off the thin sides
-- wanting the thicker pieces for use. Best to have it as thick as
possible. It is sandstone.

The sprinkler (other pic) looks too close to that wall. Is the house
a stucco finish?

On Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:08:22 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
wrote:

While I'm at it (cutting flagstone to create a walkway) ... would you
suggest I try to repair these three holes in existing flagstone set in
concrete?

How would you fix these damaged pieces (all set in concrete)?

This is in the worst damaged flagsone (in a heavy load area):
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7367422.jpg

This is inexplicably just starting to break into pieces:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7367424.jpg

And, this one, looks like it's going to go the same route:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7367426.jpg

I'm guessing the way to fix these are to chisel them out, and to chisel
out the concrete below them - and then fit a custom-fit piece of the
right thickness back into place.

The problem of course is fitting the piece in and cutting all the
concrete out.

Is there an easier way to repair these flaws?

Seems you could find an epoxy filler for that.
Color matching would be the tricky part.

--Vic