PA Bluestone

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LBurger71
 
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2007 6:19 pm

PA Bluestone

Post by LBurger71 »

I have had a few requests for pet headstones made out of PA Bluestone (I am in PA and surrounded by quarries). I looked some pet stones up on the internet (made of bluestone) to get some ideas and I see most of the stones have black writing and black art. A laser friend told me he thinks maybe the stone is masked and then sandblasted. Is there a way to do bluestone with the laser?? I suggested to one of the men who wants a pet stone, to take a look at a stone made of black marble but I think he has his heart set on bluestone.

I'd appreciated suggestions.

Lisa

TechTatts
 
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2007 4:09 pm

Marking Bluestone

Post by TechTatts »

Everything I'm about to suggest is just a guess.

Is Bluestone a limestone/shale sort of thing? Perhaps you could made a stencil with the laser using some sort of waterproof material. Glue that stencil firmly to the stone and then either paint or acid etch the image.

LBurger71
 
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2007 6:19 pm

Re: Marking Bluestone

Post by LBurger71 »

TechTatts wrote:Everything I'm about to suggest is just a guess.

Is Bluestone a limestone/shale sort of thing? Perhaps you could made a stencil with the laser using some sort of waterproof material. Glue that stencil firmly to the stone and then either paint or acid etch the image.
Yeah bluestone is a softer rock like limestone. I have gotten a few suggestions of making a mask for the stone and then sand blasting it. I didn't want to get into doing that, then I am in the sandblasting business instead of laser HAHA! I did try some bluestone myself on a high power, low speed setting and after going over it 4 times it didn't look too bad.....but I don't want to spend that much time on something and not be able to get my moneys worth out of it. A quarry friend told me there are actually two cuts of bluestone, and depending on the way the cut it (against the grain? not sure....) one cut is softer than the other and would probably laser much nicer. I have to get ahold of the two different types and practice with them and see what I come up with. On my sample piece I just burned a letter B and a small picture of a dog (like a dingbat font dog) and they didn't look bad at all! I just don't want to have to go over something 4 times when they could go with a nice piece of black marble and save money.......

Lisa

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