[MR] Cutting soapstone into slabs

[Terry Buyers]

My favorite for soapstone is a metal cutting bandsaw, preferably with
kerosine cooling feed. Flip the blade and run the teeth backwards. A
wood cutting saw will work if you go real slow to not burn the teeth off
the blade or crack with stone due to heat buildup. You can do the deed
with a carbide cutoff wheel in a circular saw, although that wastes a
lot of material, considering the number of cuts you want to make.
Traditional way would be to score the surface with something like a
hacksaw blade and split the stone using a mason's (4" blade)chisel. Not
a method for the unpracticed or the unlucky. 8-p


                Taras


----- Original Message -----
From: "Gorm of Berra" <gormofberra at earthlink.net>
To: <atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 8:19 PM
Subject: [MR] Cutting soapstone into slabs


> Unto those assembled does Gorm of Berra, frustrated caster, send
greetings...
>
> I am in possession of two large bricks of soapstone (3"x3"x6" each)
which I
> wish to subdivide down into 20ish 3"x3"x1/2" slabs for carving and
casting.
>
> The problem is that I do not seem to posses the right tools for this
job.
>
> This can be solved with a simple application of money, obviously, but
the
> question is...what *is* the right tool for the job?
>
> I have a coping saw...but I couldn't cope with it (dulled blades way
fast,
> and tough to cut a straight line).
>
> I'm not opposed to power tools...in fact I rather like them.  The
question
> is, what power tool to use?
>
> Alternatively, what manual tool will assist me in cutting a reasonably
> accurately square slab without an overabundance of effort?
>
> Gorm
>
>
========================================================================
>                    The Merry Rose Tavern at Cheapside
>     List Info: http://merryrose.atlantia.sca.org/
>   Submissions: Atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
> Subscriptions:
http://seahorse.atlantia.sca.org/mailman/listinfo/atlantia