I want to make a vase out of a piece of stone (don't know what kind,
found it at the beach). So I want to drill a hole in it for a few
flowers, and cut the bottom flat. This is not a big stone, something
to go on a desk with maybe 3 flowers in it.


Anyway, what blade should I use on my table saw and what bit in my
drill press? Also what unusual safty problems might I encounter?

-Jim

"jtpr" wrote in message
ups.com...
I want to make a vase out of a piece of stone (don't know what kind,
found it at the beach). So I want to drill a hole in it for a few
flowers, and cut the bottom flat. This is not a big stone, something
to go on a desk with maybe 3 flowers in it.


Anyway, what blade should I use on my table saw and what bit in my
drill press? Also what unusual safty problems might I encounter?

-Jim

If you found it at the beach watch out for fishhooks!

-J

jtpr wrote:

I want to make a vase out of a piece of stone (don't know what kind,
found it at the beach). So I want to drill a hole in it for a few
flowers, and cut the bottom flat. This is not a big stone, something
to go on a desk with maybe 3 flowers in it.

Anyway, what blade should I use on my table saw and what bit in my
drill press? Also what unusual safty problems might I encounter?

You need lapidary supplies...not my field but the following link seems a
reasonable start...diamond drills at $3.50/ea in reasonable sizes for
what you want...the cutting and finishing are something different but
looks like they've got that, too. Depending on where you are there may
well be local suppliers, of course.

http://www.dadsrockshop.com/diamond_drills.html

In article . com,
jtpr wrote:
I want to make a vase out of a piece of stone (don't know what kind,
found it at the beach). So I want to drill a hole in it for a few
flowers, and cut the bottom flat. This is not a big stone, something
to go on a desk with maybe 3 flowers in it.


Anyway, what blade should I use on my table saw and what bit in my
drill press?

Ones you're willing to ruin. along with the piece you're working on.


Stonecutting requires specialized tooling.

Similar to doing tile work.

flat cuts -- wet-saw with a diamond blade, and go _slow_,

drilling holes -- a diamond bit, and a goodly _flow_ of water (or "something")
to carry the "cut off" stuff away from the drilling surface. For anything
more than a trivial depth, you need to back out the bit FREQUENTLY, and flush
out the hole.

Thanks. I have a wet tile saw, I suppose I could experiment with that
for cutting. I'll try the water and go slow on the drill press.

-Jim

On 18 Jul 2005 08:07:30 -0700, "jtpr" wrote:

Also what unusual safty problems might I encounter?

Goats that fight back and knock you off the bridge?

If you're serious (fat chance - you're posting from Google) then get
yourself an angle grinder. 8" gives a better cut depth, 4 1/2" is
generally more useful. Cheap grinders are _really_ cheap and work well,
but they're twice the wright of a good one and don't last too well.

Stone grinding or cutting disks are cheap. A diamond cutting disk is
reasonably priced these days and works far better.

Dust is a hazard and will destroy a good table saw. You can wear a
respirator, your saw can't.

To drill it, either hire a core drill and drill for the day, or buy
yourself an SDS impact drill (_not_ a regular hammer drill). Then chain
drill small holes in a ring and chisel out between.

You can do all this in granite or serpentinite, which are the hardest
beach pebbles you're likely to find. Anything softer is even easier.
Generally the smoother the pebble, the harder the stone (soft ones just
break up before they're polished).

On 18 Jul 2005 08:07:30 -0700, "jtpr" wrote:

I want to make a vase out of a piece of stone (don't know what kind,
found it at the beach). So I want to drill a hole in it for a few
flowers, and cut the bottom flat. This is not a big stone, something
to go on a desk with maybe 3 flowers in it.


Anyway, what blade should I use on my table saw and what bit in my
drill press? Also what unusual safty problems might I encounter?

-Jim


don't cut it on your tablesaw unless you consider the saw to be a
disposable.

a good stout brick saw is the minimum machine to saw it with. know
someone with one who might do it for you? else the saw can be rented.

buy a diamond core drill. set it up so the stone is solidly mounted in
the drill press- like glue the flat face down with hot glue. set up
dams or work in a tray and lubricate the drill with a steady stream of
water. a liter soda bottle hanging above the press with a bit of
surgical tubing routed to the stone has worked well for me. use a very
light touch, just barely kissing the stone with the core drill and
lifting up to flush the cut clean. pressure will eat the core drill
and not make the hole go faster. a tip- adjust the quill balance
spring so the quill with the bit in it is just at neutral weight.
you're going to be standing there for an hour or so cycling the handle
up and down and otherwise your shoulder will get mighty tired.
DAMHIKT.

I'd use a hand angle grinder with a diamond blade.

You are going to have trouble because the stone doesn't have a flat
edge to rest on while you're cutting.

It's going to be difficult to get a perfectly straight cut, even with a
brick saw.

Wear a respirator. Not one of those cheap paper ones. At bare minimum,
get one of those $20 ones at the hardware store that have a plastic
form and the rubber seals around your face.

Don't cut in the garage or house, cutting stone makes a ton of dust. Do
it outside, as far away from the doors as you can get.

J wrote:
"jtpr" wrote in message
ups.com...
I want to make a vase out of a piece of stone (don't know what kind,
found it at the beach). So I want to drill a hole in it for a few
flowers, and cut the bottom flat. This is not a big stone, something
to go on a desk with maybe 3 flowers in it.


Anyway, what blade should I use on my table saw and what bit in my
drill press? Also what unusual safty problems might I encounter?

-Jim

If you found it at the beach watch out for fishhooks!

-J


Sounds like he found it under a bridge.

--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

D.A.M. -- Mothers Against Dyslexia





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Thanks, but I don't get the goats joke...;+}

Work = google
Home = Agent.

I'm talking about a relativly small stone here, maybe 8" to 12" high.
So do you think the tile saw will work?

-Jim

jtpr wrote:

Thanks, but I don't get the goats joke...;+}

Work = google
Home = Agent.

I'm talking about a relativly small stone here, maybe 8" to 12" high.
So do you think the tile saw will work?

Will Depend in large part on how hard it is I suspect...