Gravestones Granite and Marble.

[danhamm@abccom.bc.ca]

Has anyone cut Granite with shopbot, I was asked to make a Grave marker and passed it up. I tried a marble floor tile it worked ok. Then I tried a
Granite one and wrecked the bit any experience out
there?

[rgengrave@aol.com]

You will need to use a mason diamond bit, this bits run in the 100s.

I did a small headstone for my daughters pet that died last year, I borrowed a bit form our local headstone maker, This bit cut like butter, you might want to have a vac handy to suck up the dust, I hear it is bad for your health.

Find out from your loacl headstone sellers where they get there bits, I bought a used 1 for $75.00

[danhamm@abccom.bc.ca]

I have had lots of rock dust Ron,I used to own
a drilling Co. still have 1 old air rotary down by the shop and quite a few rock bits kicking around just a little to big for the shopbot though. Did you use any coolant ? and what kind of
profile did the bit have? I have 2000 sq. ft shop
and have turned it into a wood shop and have a cyclone dust system its just awful on the wood heat at -29 thats what it was last night. I have a separate little office right beside the bot. and
have sound proofed it with asliding window so I can access the bot. I can reach the swich on the PC from in the room. As to headstone sellers the nearest one is about 300 miles away and not to friendly as I have sandblasted a few headstones and he doesn't like the comp.

[Robin]

I had thought most headstones are now produced with vinyl masks and sand blasting? This is the identical method used for sand-blasted cedar signs.

[rgengrave@aol.com]

Sandblasting around here is 75.00 sq.ft and most will not even do somthing 10x18, the headstome maker here still does it the old fashion way by hand.

The bit I got from him was 1/2 with 60 degree, and used a spray bottle with water.
I only cut 1/8 deep with only 3 lines of text.

I never cut stone before so I asked around to see how a router could do it, they sell bits that will cut anything.

[danhamm@abccom.bc.ca]

I don't know how most headstones are made, but the
fella in Penticton B.C. sand blasts them. I use the laser to cut the masking, its a red rubber with a very sticky back, on cedar I staple the critcal places be cause it can work and edge loose very easy.I haven't done very many sanblasted wood signs, the last one I made such a mess I gave up.."wrecked a nice big burl trying to put and Indian head on it "

[ssanda@nvbell.net]

We laser engrave Corian for pet headstones and it should rout easier than granite. It's pretty tough outdoors but don't know how it would hold up yet in the looooong term.
We send out alot of wood to be blasted (one reason to get the shopbot). Shop around, one shop that blasts truck bodies, etc. thinks it's fun to do our signs and charges only about $30 per square foot or less (they're sloppy bookkeepers).