Processing of ornamental stones at home. Manual stone processing (gems)

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A flintknapper is a person who shapes a stone through the process of striking or by influencing the stone with other objects (stone alterations). The human race adapted to this common method many years ago, before the invention of smelting, by making tools for many years. In this article, WikiHow will tell you how to do it.

Steps

Select the right stone for formation. Flint, flint limestone and other similar rocks can be broken up quite well, as can basalt, obsidian, quartz (lab-produced) and some other minerals that have a smooth surface left after formation. Obsidian is very soft and is the easiest for a beginner to learn how to apply force well. Besides, broken glass from glass factories can sometimes become good material to create a beautiful work of art. These are all easy to buy on EBay.

Select a stone that does not have large cracks, crevices, bubbles, noticeable inclusions in the grain, or other irregularities that are likely to cause breakage or flaking that would conflict with the shape you are trying to achieve.

Get a stone large enough that you can correct mistakes without wasting all the effort you put into the project, but small enough that you can easily create what you want. *By the way, you may want to heat the stone (some quartz, chert, fossil wood or coral are exposed to fire for many hours to change their grain to a smooth surface) or treat it with water (some stones, especially opals, need to remain under water or they may crack when dry). Both methods have been used successfully by experienced snappers. During the heat treatment, place the stones in a few centimeters of soil, then cover with a very thick layer of coals for at least four hours. Maintain this flint preform at a constant high temperature for as long as required depending on the density of the stone. Then put out the fire or let it gradually go out on its own. Let the stones cool overnight before removing them, or they will explode when exposed to cold air. Turn them over and then repeat the cycle until the stone is glossy when you cut it apart. This all requires various experiments to master, more than the process of hitting the stone itself, and becomes expensive if you buy the stone. This method was originally used by those who needed a stone for survival, and the quality was not only desirable, but was of great importance in hunting animals due to the duller or sharper weapons that affect the grit, ease of manufacture, fewer failures in manufacturing, etc. If you want to do this well, there are many materials available to help avoid this.*

Sit comfortably. You can, of course, hit the stone on a table or bench, but traditionally this is done while sitting cross-legged with the stone in one hand on your lap. This method may be difficult for beginners. Experiment to find out which sitting position gives you the most control, especially during pressure peeling. I prefer to sit on a log. You can use a board or large stone to rest your workpiece if you are starting with a large, heavy stone.

Some stones, such as flint, flint limestone and fossilized organics, will have directional graining either due to volcanic origin or the natural fossilization of the organic material, i.e. wood. Pay attention to these important features of the stone. As you break the stone, pay attention to the direction of these natural features. Some flints and most glasses will not have them. Agates and malachites are subject to this trend. It is these stones, which are internally featureless, that are best for beginners because you will not be limited in the direction of the stone's treatment and can freely shape it as you please, within reason.

Start with a straight punch. A straight blow is performed on a round, resilient material and applied directly to the stone to remove the materials in the form of long, sharp flakes. A round, fist-sized stone made from a large, solid antler (preferably elk. Elkhorn is hollow and second-rate) will work very well. This method is more difficult to control than finishing and pressure peeling. With stones that are irregularly shaped or larger than 50 gm, you will need to start the process with straight hits. To make small to medium arrowheads, simply take the large plies from the impact project, push and finish the edges (see step 7), and proceed directly to pressure peeling (see number 8 below). The aim of the direct blow is to thin the edges of the stone to achieve the required thickness to form a double-sided point. Strike the stone at an angle of 50 - 60 degrees. Imagine that a straight downward strike produces a 90 degree angle, and a direct strike to the sides of the preform produces a 0 degree angle. So, you can determine where the 60 degree angle will be. Just keep the protractor upside down. This angle is ideal for removing large quantity material, will prevent your workpiece from splitting, either at a more direct, inside angle of about 30 degrees, or for an edge (or platform) chip that can crumble when the impact angle is closer to a straight downward angle.

The most important process in stone hammering is the abrasive edge of your flint, glass, etc. e. EVERY TIME you hit a series of flakes along an edge, you are hitting the edge too hard and too dull, so the stone may take another series of hits, or the edge will collapse, or the whole piece of work will fall apart. Again, this is the most important feature strikes on flint. This is achieved by grinding the edge of the flint with the movements of another smooth type of stone of somewhat less hardness. In this case, old grinding wheels or any smooth piece of limestone will work well. This will make the grooves in the stone the right size. The result will be a robust platform that can take on the extreme rigors of masonry construction. If this is not done properly, you will never be successful in reproducing anything more than rock bullets.

Once the mold is pre-shrunk 7 to 8 times or thick (for a larger project), begin pressure peeling. Pressure peeling is achieved by encasing your work within the folds of thick leather. Hold the stone in your hands and then place the pointed tool on the edge of the stone and apply internal pressure to the tool, paying particular attention to the energy of your palm. Do not hit away from it, as during punches, but at a heavier angle of 45 degrees. This is right! You will be working in the opposite direction than with strokes that allow you to see the face. This pressure will remove small, thin flakes from the stone. The slower and longer you press, the more long flakes there will be. Long flakes are preferred as they continue to reduce thickness very well. Up to 90% of your job may be pressure peeling and only 10% impact, so be patient and work with attention to detail. Remember to continue erasing the edges after each batch of flakes. Don't do 2 coats of flakes in one area without sanding. The closer you get to the finished product, the less flakes there will be as you are working towards a thin, sharp-edged final product. The flint crusher should have a 1/2 inch wood dowel made from mackerel, hickory, ash, oak, any strong and flexible wood, but never pine, spruce, poplar or any soft wood. It needs a sharpened copper nail set that fits snugly into the hole at one end. Steel, cast iron, brass, bronze are too hard to grip stone and do not work well for peeling under pressure. They will only break your work and not shape the stone. Aluminum is too soft and brittle. The copper nail or wire should be at least 8cm thick to the pointed blunt end and should not stick out more than 3.5cm as copper is too soft and may bend too far to use if left too long. Traditionally, the pointed end of deer antler is used and works almost as well as copper. You will have to sharpen the pressure flint crusher quite often.

If you are concerned about tendinitis from peeling pressure (read the warnings), you can use the indirect impact method. The results are very different aesthetically, but may be more effective in reducing the thickness of your chopper. Wrap the preform in a shell, then place it between your legs on the ground or on your knees, but preferably between your legs on the ground, for stability. Then use a cream crusher, such as a nailer, on the edge of the preform and hit the workpiece with the butt until you feel that the work is becoming quite hard, but that you can confidently control the process. Be careful with the severity of the impact as you are at the final stage of the project. Now it's a good idea to cut the flint crusher down to 15cm. If you can, make it from a single piece (3cm) of copper or horn. Sharpen the blunt tip about 5 cm to a narrow point where the energy is focused, but definitely not releasing it. This process will take more practice and you will have more failures when you come across it. This works just as well for pressure lamination once you get the hang of it, if not better, and will save your elbows from potential injury. Then you can finish the face and edges with minimal delamination under pressure.

With each series of flakes coming out from the sides of the stone, alternate the face with the one from which you removed material. If you hit the stone and the flaking goes in one direction, grind down the edges and turn the stone with the other side of the same edge. Do the same with alternate edges! Try not to work across the same edge twice in a row, but go back and forth so as to maintain consistency in the material reduction. However, you can, and often find it necessary, once you get the hang of it, to work the face from opposite sides to remove excess material caused by bad angles as a result of previously applied force or natural inclusions in the material.

Repeat until you have formed your flint into the desired shape. Make a final delamination run under pressure, but do not remove the flakes themselves. Leave the raw material and sharp edge for use as a tool.

1. You can finish with a notch at the base, or by forming a handle at the base. This can be done by peeling off a notch or handle in the base of the finished pressure tool, but be sure to dull the base and cutouts so they don't cut into the area where you will be attaching the binding to the handle or shaft. However, still leave the edges sharp! Or you can leave the base more or less smooth without modification by notches or handles. Use an abrasion stone to blunt the base and bond it to the wood shaft or handle of the tool.

   • 1. Always use safety glasses. Rock fragments can fly at impressive speeds in all directions.
     2. Protect your respiratory system. DO NOT break rocks indoors. There will be a lot of rock dust. Flint dust is harmful to the lungs if inhaled for long periods of time (and also to the surface of the eye). Any siliceous or glass fracture breaks at the molecular level and the particles are 70,000 times sharper than sharpened steel. Therefore, microscopic dust from large razors is obtained during any crushing of stone and is very insidious. It is because of this that a respirator from a hardware store will not help you for protection; dust will pass through it unhindered. You can buy a very expensive special mask, such as those used in glass factories or boat hull factories. Therefore, it is better not to process stone indoors, because it will be dangerous for people who are in the room. Buying such a mask can be avoided by simply going outside where there is strong wind from buildings and walls or anything that restricts the natural flow of air. Long-term exposure to flint dust over several years can cause a condition known as silicosis, where the alveoli, the sacs of the lungs, become scarred and unable to fill with air. It can also cause scar tissue to accumulate on the exposed cornea. So just stay outside. It is so simple. I highly recommend a large, high power fan that blows continuously.
     3. Warm up your elbows before you get started (literally). A warm, damp towel works very well. Tendinitis, or tennis elbow, is a parallel problem with the dissection. Typically the pain is felt in the hand holding the preform and occurs at the angle of the elbow needed to work the stone. Tendinitis caused by stone processing does not heal easily and can be quite debilitating. I'm only 31 and so are many of my friends. I learned how to avoid this problem: make your flint breaker longer by at least 30 cm, if not 60, set the arms against your hip and try to rest your other hand on the inside of your leg. Try not to bend the elbow of the hand holding the form; rather, use the inside of your leg, adding wrist strength as a means of stabilization. Keep the flint breaker just above center because the wood will bend and work for you.

   What you will need

   • Foot skin protection
   • Eye protection
   • Several rounded stone hammers of various sizes from 5 to 10 cm
   • Copper blank (weighted with copper end) or antler blank (preferably elk antler)
   • Pressure peeling tool (a large wooden dowel with a large copper nail on the end or a sharp deer antler)
   • Abrasive stone
   • Significant piece of flint, flint limestone, obsidian, broken glass, organic fossils, etc.
   • Leather mat 3.5 cm thick, 30x30 cm in size to protect hands during peeling under pressure
   • High fan
   • Comfortable chair
   • Pants that will cover your shoes

Jewelry stones and gems are valued for their transparency, ability to refract light, or for their beautiful colors and intricate patterns in the case of opaque minerals. However, looking at samples extracted from the rock, it is difficult to see the beauty hidden inside. To show and emphasize the advantages of gems, the mined raw materials are subjected to additional grinding, polishing or cutting. It is stone processing that allows you to reveal the best properties of natural raw materials and increase their value.

Natural minerals with high levels of transparency and rich color are very rare. Most of the mined raw materials have minor defects, uneven or pale color. To improve the quality and characteristics of jewelry stones, methods for refining them have been developed. Unlike natural gems, refined samples are cheaper. Moreover, the accompanying documents must indicate whether the mineral has been refined.

Refining is the processing of already cut crystals or natural untreated stone

It consists of a targeted physical and chemical effect on raw materials, as a result of which it is possible to achieve an increase in key consumer qualities minerals.

For example, jewelers have noticed that by heating clear or lightly colored amethyst crystals, which have a low market value, they can produce sought-after yellow stones that resemble citrines. Minerals with zonal coloring, called ametrines, have become popular: when amethyst is heated from just one side, the resulting crystal is yellow at one end and purple at the other.

The main methods of refining stones that are accepted in the jewelry industry and are considered acceptable:

• Annealing (heat treatment). As a result of exposure high temperatures many minerals acquire a more saturated color. This method is also used to remove unwanted tints (such as blue in rubies) or inclusions (such as rutile in sapphires).
• Oil treatment- used in cases where it is necessary to hide cracks. The process of refining consists in the fact that into the split, from which air and water have been pumped out, under high pressure oil having a similar refractive index is injected. As a result, the cracks become almost invisible.
• Epoxy resin treatment, like oiling, improves the transparency of samples and increases their strength.
• Radioactive exposure- the main method for obtaining rare blue topaz, colored diamonds and quartz. Depending on the type of mineral, X-ray, ultraviolet, gamma radiation or exposure to a flow of energetic particles (neutrons, protons, electrons or alpha particles) is used.
• Coating- allows you to obtain crystals with unusual colors, for example, after applying the thinnest film of precious metals to the surface of topaz, you get mystic topaz, characterized by rainbow tints.

Types of stone processing

Refining stones is just one of the stages of processing gems, which is not mandatory. Before falling into the hands of a jeweler and becoming part of a piece of jewelry, all jewelry stones go through a mandatory processing process. Its methods are selected depending on the basic physical and chemical properties of the mineral: transparency, hardness, presence or absence of a pattern.

Modern processing includes the following methods:

• Rock cutting- carried out on machines equipped with band, circular or wire saws. As an alternative to industrial sawing of mined rock, a laser is used for this purpose.
• Rip off- giving raw materials a preliminary shape.
• Grinding- an intermediate stage that allows you to obtain a uniform roughness of the stone surface and better assess its shape.
• Polishing- reveals the pattern and structure of the mineral, for which grinding wheels coated with grinding powders are used.
• Cut- together with previous methods, it is an integral part of the processing of transparent precious stones, as a result of which it is possible to fully reveal the brilliance and light refraction of minerals.
• Polishing- the final stage, as a result of which the surface of the stone acquires a mirror shine.
• Engraving - decorative option processing, which consists of applying a pattern to the surface.

Home processing tool

Processing natural jewelry or semi-precious stone at home may include cutting, polishing, engraving and grinding of gems. All actions should be carried out only with a continuous supply of water, which removes stone dust and cools the surface of the stone and tools.

Depending on the type of impact, the following tools will be required:

• continuous water supply system - you can use a sponge or a dropper;
• a cutting machine or grinder with diamond saws - for cutting hard samples;
• a hacksaw is suitable for soft stones, such as jet or amber;
• vice or clamp - for fastening the sample;
• grinding machine;
• the drill will help in making holes in stone, grinding and polishing, if you choose suitable attachments;
• the engraving set can be used both for drawing and polishing;
• sandpaper with different grain sizes;
• grinding and polishing discs of various textures;
• grinding powders and diamond pastes, for example, goi paste;
• quadrant - a device for measuring and setting angles of inclination, without which it is impossible to apply geometrically correct edges;
• kitch - a rod on which a crystal is attached during polishing or cutting.

Do-it-yourself sawing and stabbing

Processing of precious and semi-precious stones is a compromise between two aspirations. On the one hand, it is necessary to preserve maximum size and the weight of the finished product, on the other hand, to give perfect shape or cutting, taking into account the structure and quality of the material. Based on these conditions, specialists involved in stone processing determine the required size and shape of the workpieces.

To split a piece of rock, you can use special devices, for example, a clamp with two teeth made of hardened metal. To split large pieces, you can drill holes or make a notch along the edge of the chip and successively punch the cut line using wedges and a hammer.

To cut the rock yourself, you can buy a ready-made machine or assemble your own, for example, based on an electric drilling device, equipping it with a continuous water supply system. As such, you can use a moistened sponge or foam rubber, if you hold it with your left hand while cutting. However, to comply with safety precautions, it is better to use both hands during work, so under the workbench with a homemade machine, you can place a tray with water, which will cool the cutting saw blade.

If there are cracks in the sample that needs to be cut, they need to be sealed with epoxy glue for greater strength. This technology allows you to avoid unwanted splits of the material during the sawing process. Before pouring glue into the cracks, the stone must be heated on an electric stove so that the moisture evaporates. When the mineral has cooled to 60 ℃, you can apply glue, trying to ensure that it penetrates deeper into the fracture. When the glue dries, proceed to cutting.

After the raw materials are cut into pieces, they are sent for peeling, during which the workpieces acquire approximate sizes and shapes. For this purpose, coarse-grained grinding wheels are used.

How to polish to a shine

If the refining of precious stones involves changing their properties, then polishing uses the qualities inherent in the mineral itself and emphasizes its natural advantages.

The main secret to successful polishing at home is a gradual change of abrasives: from larger to smaller ones. At the end of the process, it is better to use soft polishing pastes depending on the type of mineral.

Preparation for polishing

Polishing is the final stage of processing natural stone. After this, the gems can be used as inserts in jewelry and other jewelry.

Before you start polishing the stone yourself, it must be sanded. That is, its surface must first be leveled. This can be done either manually, using sandpaper wrapped around a hard base and moistened with water, or using a special tool.

For grinding, in addition to the machine, you can use a grinder or drill, on which you will need to install special attachments. The polished surface of the stone will be even and smooth, but still without a mirror shine.

To polish a mineral to a shine, you will need felt, leather or fabric lapping pads., as well as polishing pastes or moistened fine-grained powders - oxides of chromium, diamantine, diamond or tripoli. Materials should be selected depending on the characteristics of the raw materials being processed.

A popular method for polishing stones is felt combined with diamond powder, but it is not suitable for minerals with a heterogeneous structure - fibrous or granular. Because they are prone to underpolishing: holes or protrusions often form on their surface. To polish such minerals, it is better to use wood or leather.

How the process works

Final surface treatment jewelry stone takes place in several stages:

1. To prepare the polishing surface for work, you need to moisten it with water and a small amount of detergent.
2. You need to let the polisher run idle so that the moisture is evenly distributed and the excess is removed.
3. Apply diamond powder to the faceplate.
4. Moving from the center to the edge, they begin to polish the product, pressing it with force against the surface of the faceplate.
5. As the surface dries, friction will increase and more effort will be required to hold the crystal.
6. To prevent overheating of the working surface, water should be periodically supplied to it. In order to correctly adjust its feed, it should be taken into account that the harder the stone, the more pressure and the drier surface of the faceplate it requires to be polished.
7. Finally, the surface must be polished soft material, for example, felt.

During operation, it should be taken into account that if the grinding machine has the ability to change the rotation speed, then in order to avoid underpolishing of the samples, it is necessary to select indicators within the range of 500–2000 rpm.

Processing stones at home is an interesting hobby that can generate income. Work with precious minerals requires certain skills and knowledge. However, in addition to gems, they also process more simple stones, for example, cobblestones or pebbles: their surface can be engraved, and beautiful samples can be used in interior or garden design.

Precious stones in jewelry in its original form is rather an exception. To reveal the beauty of the mineral, it is processed. And only then does the gem become part of a spectacular accessory.

Natural minerals without defects are very rare and expensive. Processing and refining of stones improve their qualities and increase their value: color, purity and saturation. As a result, the cost of jewelry is often determined by the stone. The processing method depends on the properties of the mineral: its size, hardness and purity. Let's tell you in more detail, how gems are improved, making them truly majestic.

Stone processing is a craft that has been developing since ancient times.

Methods and types of processing: history and modernity

the main task in the process of working with precious stone- preserve the integrity and mass of the mineral as much as possible.

Processing stages:

1. Marking- identification of inclusions, determination of weight and type of cut. Today this process occurs using 3D laser scanning.

2. Sawing- dividing the stone into parts with diamond powder. In ancient times, when necessary, minerals were simply split.

3. In progress sanding and roughening remove excess weight and give basic shape.

4. Cutting, grinding and polishing.

Diamond cutting process

Cutting methods have improved over time. The oldest of them is the cabochon. And here facet grinding(cut) has been known since the end of the 13th century. Cabochon- a method of processing stones that do not transmit light. The result is a smooth, convex stone without edges, obtained during processing in a tumbling drum.

Cut- processing of a mineral in the form of a polyhedron. My first memories are connected with Venice. During the modern period, Antwerp and Amsterdam became the centers of cutting. In Russia, the art of stone processing has spread since the 18th century.

Facets (facets) are applied to the mineral so that light rays are refracted and create a beautiful glow

Gemstone grinding

Cutting diamonds and other gems. For a long time The stones were not cut, but only polished: they rubbed one mineral against another. In India, this was done using diamond powder, which was applied to a rotating metal disk. From the 14th century, European craftsmen began to saw off the upper part of the stone, obtaining a flat platform; in the 15th century, the lower part as well.

There are main types of stone cutting:

• stepped;
• wedges;
• rose;
• fantasy;
• cabochon;
• combined.

In addition to cutting, since ancient times, gems have been processed using the technique glyptics(stone carvings). Inscriptions and images were scratched onto the surface of the mineral. This is how cameos (brooches with a convex image) and decorative objects are made. Initially, stone carving was done on slabs, where the mineral was shaped with powder from other hard rocks, and a design was applied with iron cutters or fragments. The first seals with carvings have been known since the 3rd century BC. e.

Types of stone cuts

Stone refining is a process of improvement

Modern stone processing technologies include oiling, temperature exposure, crack filling, irradiation and painting. Different stones can undergo only one type of processing or several.

Oiling- a method of impregnating a stone with colorless oil to improve the purity and color of the mineral. Most often, cedar oil is used for emeralds of the highest category; other stones are treated with synthetic materials.

Heat treatment (annealing) in a special oven - the most common method of processing stones, improving its color and quality. During the annealing process, inclusions are removed (ruby), a star effect is obtained (sapphire), lightening (tourmalines), and color is fixed (blue zircons).

Filling the stone with paste, prepared on the basis of the same mineral. It is made by grinding another crystal into dust. Mainly used for corundum. The stones are baked in a paste that displaces moisture and air, filling them.

Irradiation used to change the color of diamonds, quartz and topaz. Apply different types irradiation: ultraviolet, x-ray, gamma radiation or energetic particles: neutrons, protons, electrons.

There are also other processing methods: bleaching (pearls), laser drilling (bleaching inclusions in a diamond), coating stones with wax, varnish or enamel.

The photo shows the difference between the processed and uncut stone

Thanks to processing, raw materials in the form of an uncut mineral are transformed into a work of art. In the skillful hands of a jeweler, the stone begins to sparkle and acquires real beauty: deep rich color, play of light on the edges. The catalog contains thousands of jewelry with bright and shiny gems framed in precious metals. These are nice gifts for friends and family that will treasure the best moments and emotions forever.

The presence of stone products in the interior is not only relevant, stylish, elegant, but also original. The company has its own production, equipped with the latest high-tech Italian equipment with numerical control for working with natural stone.

Treatment for interiors

Our stone processing plant allows us to produce custom-made countertops, bar counters, steps, stairs, window sills, fireplaces, reception desks, etc.

Exterior Treatments

In addition to the production of products for interiors, the capabilities of our equipment also allow us to produce various architectural forms for decorating the outside of your home - finishing facades, plinths, entrance lobbies, porches, stairs, columns, pilasters, as well as landscape design elements.

Processing prices

Stone processing (marble, granite, onyx, travertine, quartz agglomerate) is characterized by excellent properties that make the interior element made from them truly unique. All prices are shown in the table below:

Prices for stone processing (marble)

	Name of works
	Straight cut
	Curvilinear cut
	No. 1 straight
	No. 1 curved
	No. 2 straight
	No. 2 curved
	No. 3 straight
	No. 3 curved
	No. 4 straight
	No. 4 curved
	No. 5 straight
	No. 5 curved
	No. 6 straight
	No. 6 curved
	No. 7 straight
	No. 7 curved
	No. 8 straight
	No. 8 curved
	No. 9 straight
	No. 9 curved
	No. 10 straight
	No. 10 curved
	gluing at 45°
	Those. Chamfer from 1 to 3 mm
	Cut the angle at 45°
	Drilling through holes
	Cutting holes for sinks
	with cutout processing
	without cutout processing
	Corner rounding (R=30-50 mm)
	Drip sampling
	Bonding
	Reinforcement
	Anti-slip stripes

Prices for stone processing (granite and agglomerate)

	Name of works		Cost of work (RUB per unit)
	Straight cut
	Curvilinear cut
	Processing with an end profile (types of profiles below the table)
	No. 1 straight
	No. 1 curved
	No. 2 straight
	No. 2 curved
	No. 3 straight
	No. 3 curved
	No. 4 straight
	No. 4 curved
	No. 5 straight
	No. 5 curved
	No. 6 straight
	No. 6 curved
	No. 7 straight
	No. 7 curved
	No. 8 straight
	No. 8 curved
	No. 9 straight
	No. 9 curved
	No. 10 straight
	No. 10 curved
	Gluing at 45° (for granite)
	Processing straight edge with gluing profile No. 1
	Processing straight edges with gluing profile No. 2
	Edge processing with gluing without profiling
	Those. Chamfer from 1 to 3 mm
	Cut the angle at 45°
	Drilling through holes
	Cutting holes for sinks
	with cutout processing
	without cutout processing
	Corner rounding (R=30-50 mm)
	Drip sampling
	Bonding
	Reinforcement

Texturing processing

Stone processing gives the surface of the product a different texture depending on the technology used. The main difference between natural stone and artificial stone is that artificial material is simply not capable of conveying the beauty created by nature itself. The textured finish can be chipped, sawn, sanded, polished, brushed, heat-treated and artificially aged in the antique style.

A chipped texture (rock) is a plane formed as a result of breaking off a part of its surface, reminiscent of a rocky relief.

Sawn processing (turned) is a type of stone surface formed as a result of cutting rock.
The fact is that the composition of the stone always contains inclusions of several minerals that have unequal degrees of hardness. After friction with brushes, softer minerals are abraded more than hard ones, forming an uneven surface level.
The artificially aged texture of a stone is a surface formed after exposure to a chemical solution based on acid. The acid eats away at the thin layer of softer minerals, creating a rough and aged appearance.
The polished texture is a rough surface that appears after polishing the stone with abrasive; depending on the size of the abrasive, the polished surface can be more or less rough, almost polished, but with a matte surface. The smoother the product, the more clearly the natural pattern of natural stone is reflected.
Polished texture is the processing of stone with the smallest abrasives, as a result of which the surface most clearly reflects natural beauty texture and has a mirror-like glossy shine that reflects the entire space around it.

	Name of works	Unit change	price, rub.
			Marble	Granite
Stone surface treatment
	Grinding
	Polishing
	Heat treatment
	Antique style processing
	Bush hammering
	Impregnation of the surface with water-repellent agents		negotiable

By ordering stone processing from our company, you get not only exquisite and quality product, but also installation services and consultation with care specialists.

Cutting, polishing and processing stone at home, homemade machine

Rings with radiant gems. Pendants, earrings, cufflinks and other jewelry with stones. Writing instruments, sculptures. Columns and plinths of buildings.

In all these cases, stones perfectly fulfill the role of artistic, sculptural and building material, and serve as the main detail of an artistic and applied composition.

Beautiful stones? But the most ordinary, ordinary, not precious.

The stone does not reveal its beauty to everyone: it gives the most amazing things to the hardworking. And the work is to correctly cut the stone, grind it, polish it or process it according to the intended shape. For the labor spent on it, the stone will present a picture that it has preserved for millennia, it will come to life and sparkle with fancy colors and shades. And, once experiencing the joy of “discovering” a stone, seeing something amazing in it, a person inevitably falls in love with the stone.

Loving stone is one of the wonderful hobbies. Stone lovers collect all minerals, including ore rocks. But special attention is given to agates, jaspers, flints and transitional forms of these minerals. These seemingly ordinary stones are truly limitless in their diversity. And there are countless deposits. In Moscow itself, in Rublev, there are a lot of flints. In Dmitrov - agate flints. In Golutvin, a few minutes drive from Moscow, there are agates and flints. In Stupino, also near Moscow, there are agates and crystal brushes.

But in the whole country there are countless deposits that are interesting for stone lovers - these are the mountainous regions of the Urals, Transbaikalia, Kazakhstan, the Caucasus, Karelia, and the whole country.

But finding a stone is only the first stage. This is followed by processing. The stone is cut using so-called cutting discs, which are sold in diamond tool stores.

The cutting discs used by hobbyists have a diameter of 125 to 200 millimeters and are driven by a 160-200 watt motor through a belt drive.

The stone is cut at a peripheral speed of the disk from 20 to 30 meters per second. Be sure to have plenty of water cooling on both sides of the disk.

How to make a stone cutting machine at home

And how exactly to make a machine for cutting stone at home, how to provide cooling to it, this type of creativity is left to the amateur himself. View the design of the machine -

Grinding stone to obtain flat plates can be done on ordinary glass using abrasive powders.

A few drops of water on the glass and a small portion of powder - and you can start. During the grinding process, powder is added in small portions as the abrasive wears down, and water is added to maintain a creamy consistency on the glass.

When moving from large fractions of powder to smaller ones when grinding, the glass being ground and your hands should be washed with water, soap and a brush: if even a few large grains get into the small fraction of the powder, the work will be ruined.

After grinding, the stone is polished on a mechanical felt or felt wheel with a diameter of 150 to 200 millimeters. When polishing, you need chromium oxide powder and water. The rotation speed of the circle is from 400 to 700 rpm.

I only talked about one method of processing stone, but there are many of them. Stone lovers can be offered one of the rational designs of a machine for processing small-sized stones. The structure of the machine is clear from the diagram, so we will give only some recommendations.

As a motor, it is better to use commercially available electric motors for washing machines- single-phase, with a power of 180 to 230 watts and developing 1400 rpm. With such engine characteristics, the pulleys can be two-stage, with gear ratios of 1:1 and 1:0.35.

The first gear is convenient for processing stone on faceplates with fixed abrasive material, and the second is faster for processing stone with bulk abrasive.

For transmission it is convenient to use a V-belt from the Zaporozhets car. The faceplate mounting thread can be either right or left-handed, as long as the faceplate does not twist off its axis when working under load.

The size of the sludge collection trough should be approximately twice the diameter of the faceplate, and the height of the sides should be two centimeters higher than the surface of the faceplate. You can attach rubber to the side walls of the trough so that a stone that accidentally jumps out of your hands does not break.

Let me remind you that all stone processing is carried out with water, but the dropper on the machine is used only when working on faceplates with a fixed abrasive. When processing with bulk abrasive, it is best to wet the stone with water in a separate bath.

Of course, you should have a set of faceplates for the machine: cast iron, wood, metal with felt and felt glued on. This set is necessary for step-by-step processing and polishing.

Young technician - for skilled hands 1985-04, page 14

Dry cleaning can also be used to remove surface deposits. Its advantage is that the samples suffer less from scratches and chips. At home, a 5-15 percent solution of hydrochloric or oxalic acid is used for this. But first you need to make sure that your minerals do not dissolve in acid. Aragonite and azurite should not be treated with acid; they dissolve in it very quickly. Minerals such as turquoise and lapis lazuli are processed very carefully, since they, although slowly, dissolve in acid. To soften organic residues that may be found on the surface of the samples, they are soaked in acetic acid. Fatty compounds are removed with gasoline and acetone.

Very effective for dry cleaning minerals, some household chemicals. For example, carbonate lime shells can be removed from minerals by boiling them with Antina-kipin. Cleans well even hard-to-reach surface areas detergent"Progress". At the last stage of chemical treatment, transparent minerals can be cleaned well with glass and crystal cleaners (for example, IPA).

A “chemical bath” is very effective if the minerals are boiled under pressure in a pressure cooker. At the same time, steam penetrates into the most inaccessible places. After processing, the stones are thoroughly washed with clean water.

CLEAVING AND CUTTING

Cleaned and washed stones must be sorted. Some hobbyists collect only fossils or beautiful specimens, mineralogical rarities. Many collectors subject specimens to grinding and polishing. This helps to more fully reveal the beauty of the stone. Experienced amateurs find such planes in the stone, cutting along which you can see the play of colors, reminiscent of landscapes, or even portraits.

Beautiful, but less interesting stones for the collection can be put aside for crafts: mosaics, boxes, carvings. Some lovers try to emphasize the beauty of the stone by combining it with metal and wood.

Before you start working on the craft, you need to split the stone, removing all excess. For splitting (preparing) large samples, special devices should be made: a clamp with two teeth made of hardened metal or a vice in which two angles with pobedit teeth are mounted (Fig. 7).

The stone is cut with special diamond wheels or commercially available diamond saws. The cutting and grinding machine can be assembled on the base of an electric sharpener or an EZS-1 electric drilling device (Fig. 8). It has two shaft outputs, one equipped with a chuck 6, the other with an emery wheel or a special faceplate with a diamond coating (1). Power of the EZS-1 device is 0.25 kW, rotation speed is 2800 min, -

Other electric motors can be used for stone processing in the power range from 0.25 to 0.5 kW and rotation speed from 15C0 to 3000 min. - Box 12 with a hinged lid serves as a stand for the machine. The machine is attached to the cover with bolts. The hinged cover allows the machine to be placed in an inclined position for some operations.

On the chuck side, an extension table 11 is attached to the box. Its height is adjustable so that you can work with cutting wheels of various diameters.

On the side table there is a guide bar 9, made of a duralumin corner 25X25 mm. A protective guard 7 for the cutting wheel is installed on the side. There is a middle line along the table and the protective fence, which helps to orient the stone when cutting.

To soundproof the machine, the bottom of the stand box and the supports of the side table are covered with rubber or felt.

A tray of water is placed under the machine's side table to cool the cutting wheel. To reduce friction, you can add a soap solution to the water. The second water pan is installed under the faceplate.

When cutting, the stone is fed along a guide bar, the position of which is adjusted to the thickness of the stone plate that is about to be cut. The stone is fed towards the rotation of the cutting wheel. Water for cooling the wheel can also be supplied using a moistened piece of foam rubber, which is held with the left hand at the side of the cutting wheel. Right hand a stone is served.

It is better to hold large stones with both hands, and press the foam rubber together with the stone against the tool. For stability, the edge of the stone is first cut off to obtain a supporting platform (Fig. 9). Or you can install the stone in a specially prepared cardboard box, fill it with cement and, after complete hardening, cut the stone together with the cement stand. After cutting, the cement is carefully removed. The diameter of the cutting tool is limited by the size of the stone being cut. To cut a larger stone, it is scored as shown in Figure 10, and three wedges of thin steel plates are driven into the cut grooves. The stone is broken by carefully striking it with wedges. In this way, you can cut stones whose size is slightly larger than the diameter of the cutting tool.

If it is necessary to cut a cracked stone, it is glued with epoxy glue before cutting. Cracks are outlined on a wet surface with a pencil, so they are better visible. Before gluing, the stone must be dried so that no water remains in the cracks. To do this, it is heated over an electric stove, and then cooled to approximately 60 ° C. Epoxy glue is applied to the hot stone with a brush or stick along the marked cracks, so it penetrates deeper and hardens faster. After this operation the stone becomes

strong enough that it can be cut into thin slices without fear.

GRINDING

The cut surface must be carefully polished so that the beauty of the stone appears more clearly.

Grinding can be done on the same machine described in the Splitting and Cutting section. For convenience, the cover of the machine stand is placed at an angle of about 15 degrees (Fig. 11).

It is best to use diamond faceplates for grinding, but you can also use regular abrasive wheels and so-called rubber ones.

Rubber abrasive wheels are good because you can make grooves in them and grind round stones. In addition, they are safe to use. Conventional abrasive wheels produce a lot of dirt due to the fact that they wear out quickly; there are cases when they fly into pieces during operation. Therefore, for safety reasons, a dense steel casing must be placed over them. An old aluminum bowl with the bottom removed can be used as a casing (Fig. 11). Grinding begins on wheels with large diamond or abrasive grains from 300 to 60 microns, the second stage of grinding is carried out on wheels with grains from 60 to 40 microns, and the last stage - on wheels with grains from 40 to 10 microns.

When grinding, a continuous supply of water is required. You can, as when cutting, use a piece of damp foam rubber. But it is better to install a tank with a rubber hose and a tap above the machine, through which water will flow drop by drop to the faceplate and then flow through another tube into the pan, as shown in Figure 11. The same metal casing-bowl is used to protect against splashing water.

POLISHING

The main tools for this final operation in stone processing are laps, polishing wheels made of felt and cloth, and brushes - hair or from plant materials (for example, jute).

Laps are the most important tool for finishing the surface of a stone. They are made in the form of faceplates and are manual. The lapping material for stone processing is different. It can be cast iron, tin, lead, wood, fluoroplastic, hematite, chalcedony.

The laps themselves, as a rule, perform fine grinding, and moistened chromium oxide or GOI paste is added for polishing. Instead of chromium oxide, you can use green paint under the same name, since chromium oxide is its main component. You can polish it using a leather swab. The disadvantage of chromium oxide and GOI paste is that they eat into the cracks of the stone and are washed out with difficulty, using gasoline. Aluminum oxide powders are also used for polishing.

Natural stone processing

Since most stones are mined in the form of a shapeless massive rock, they need processing, which will make it possible for their further use in a particular area. The exception is rocks that have natural decorative value (boulder, pebbles, coral, pearls, etc.). Various texture treatments natural stone gives it an aesthetic appearance, helps to identify and emphasize decorative properties, or hide imperfections.

Modern technologies for processing natural stone

Mechanized stone-cutting production allows you to process any rock and give its surface the required texture after mining and sawing. There are the following technologies for processing natural stone to obtain the desired surface texture. Some of them can be found below.

Sawn surface - obtained by cutting the workpiece. For this purpose, machines with linear movement of the saw frame, band, rope and circular saws are used. The surface becomes rough with intermittent grooves up to 5 mm deep.

Surfaces with this texture are used for paving areas, garden paths, cladding plinths and walls. In addition, these products are used as a material for subsequent, finer processing - polishing, grinding, glazing.

Grinded surface - is formed as a result of processing the workpiece with grinding wheels, on portal and bridge type machines, grinding and polishing conveyors and grinding and polishing machines for volumetric products. The surface acquires a uniform roughness, with relief irregularities up to 0.5 mm high. This technology is applicable for light-colored breeds with an undefined pattern. It is not suitable for dark, especially patterned rocks, as it significantly hides the pattern and color.

Such products are used for finishing floors, platforms, steps of stairs and places where it is necessary to reduce slipping.

Polished texture - achieved by using special grinding wheels coated with micro-grinding powders. The surface is smooth, but does not have a mirror shine. Polishing opens up the design well, highlighting the structure of the stone.

The slabs obtained in this way are used for cladding the floor plane and external walls of buildings.

Polished - achieved by subsequent grinding of the polished surface on a conveyor with powder-coated wheels, and then with felt and fabric wheels. The use of Goi paste or tin nitrate gives the polished stone a special shine.

Polishing perfectly reveals the pattern of the stone and emphasizes the color.

This material is used for interior decoration, the production of window sills, countertops and other interior elements.

Conchoidal - has uniform depressions from 1 to 4 mm deep, giving the stone a special decorative appearance.

Slabs with this texture are used for exterior decoration of buildings and for interior design.

Melted - obtained as a result of the use of thermal technology for processing stone on a thermal gas-jet machine. It reveals texture and color well, while creating the impression that the stone is slightly melted.

Products after heat treatment are used for finishing building facades, staircases and landings.

Rocky surface texture - is an imitation of roughly processed rock with the presence of depressions and protrusions from 50 to 200 mm, located in a chaotic manner and not undergone additional processing. The effect is achieved by chipping rock from a previously weakened surface.

A material with such a texture is used for finishing the facades of large buildings, emphasizing their significance and monumentality, as well as their natural connection with the surrounding landscape.

Common methods of processing natural stone

Modern methods of processing natural stone are divided into 2 types: mechanical and physical-mechanical.

TO mechanical methods These include the most common methods to date such as chipping, impact destruction and cutting.

When chipping, the following is achieved: the texture of a flat and relief rock, lumpy, characterized on the front surface by the presence of evenly distributed depressions and bumps; texture and texture is relief, with the presence of parallel grooves with a height of 0.5 to 3 mm.

Cutting is the most common modern methods stone processing. It is carried out using the disk, rope or strip cutting method.

Strip sawing is divided into sawing using steel and cast iron shot and diamond-strip sawing.

Disc sawing is becoming increasingly widespread in the processing of rocks of any hardness and is divided into disc and diamond disc sawing with cutters.

Rope sawing has become widespread when cutting rocks of various densities. Its development is proceeding in 3 directions: wire sawing with the help of abrasives, diamond wire sawing and sawing with ropes reinforced with carbide washers.

Impact destruction of stone is most widely used in the production of hewn products. Most often, steps, monument bases, bridge abutments and other elements are made in this way, where a dotted texture of processing is achieved.

The method of ultrasonic decorative processing of stone in an abrasive environment is beginning to occupy a worthy place in the industry. The process is very slow, but characterized by very high accuracy.

Physical-mechanical methods include treatment with high-frequency currents and the widely used method of processing stone with thermosetting gas burners of kerosene-oxygen and gasoline-air types, which is used for the production of architectural and construction parts and the manufacture of monuments from high-strength rocks.

The high-frequency current method is most suitable for processing blank blocks in the production of curbs, parapets, steps, etc. This method, when using high-frequency oscillations up to 20 MHz, is considered the most accurate and promising.

Processing natural stone at home

According to the degree of difficulty, all stones are divided into soft and hard. Soft stones can be easily processed with the same tools as metal products, while hard stones require the use of special tools. Stone processing at home requires a separate room equipped with exhaust ventilation, since work such as cutting and grinding is accompanied by a large amount of stone dust, which is very harmful to health.

At home, to process natural stone, you can carry out such work as: cutting, grinding, polishing the stone and engraving. It is important to remember that cutting, grinding and polishing stone is carried out only with a continuous supply of water. Water cools the cutting element, removes sludge generated during operation and significantly reduces the level of stone dust.

Cutting - rough is carried out using a regular grinder and a stone disc. A more accurate one will require the use of a sawmill type machine with a metal, preferably movable, platform.

Grinding is carried out using a grinding machine (manual or stationary) or an angle grinder with appropriate grinding wheels. The simplest method of grinding, but only for stones up to 20-25 cm in length: pour abrasive powder onto a cast-iron plate and fill it with water, place the stone on top and rub until it reaches the desired surface. The fine-grained structure of cast iron facilitates stone processing.

Gazebo made of natural or artificial stone