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Post by Jolly on Oct 11, 2023 13:37:37 GMT
Going for a twofer... In this thread, I posted a YT video: countryconservatives.proboards.com/thread/17645/lay-offs-compostCheck out the thumbnail. Look at the entranceway to the newspaper office...Looks like broken pieces of tile arranged in cement or grout. That used to be more common years ago...The hearth in my mom and dad's place was like that. Fast forward to today...On the road to town, about ten miles from me, is a granite countertop business that bit the dust during COVID. The metal building is empty, but they still have some stock out on racks, now covered by weeds. There are a few full sheets, but most of the stuff is cut-offs and leftovers. Stuff too good to just junk, but not enough to do any meaningful project. Got me to thinking...If you broke that granite into smaller pieces and used it like the broken tile in the thumbnail, what could you do with it and how would you do it?
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Post by sawmilljim on Oct 11, 2023 15:03:38 GMT
They make some really good tile cement now days. Grout is made to fill the voids between the tiles. Trick is keeping the pieces level providing you want them level.
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Post by farmrbrown on Oct 11, 2023 22:48:33 GMT
You can do most anything you want with it but it depends on the tools and skills you have. Fireplaces, hearths, counter tops, etc. are all good ideas. The thing is all stone work requires diamond coated tools either for cutting or smoothing (abrasives) and the work is dirty and dusty so just be advised. Personally, I would try to use the largest pieces possible for outdoor steps, stepping stones, paths, patios, etc. I've done that before and the customers were all pleased. It's hard dirty work too, but not that bad.
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Post by Jolly on Oct 12, 2023 3:32:10 GMT
Just thinking out loud... I figure somebody with a little cash could get the stuff dirt cheap.
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Post by joebill on Nov 20, 2023 21:19:07 GMT
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Post by Jolly on Nov 20, 2023 21:38:28 GMT
Odd factoid...cut stone is often used when checking the eveness of the bearing edge of a musical drum.
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Post by joebill on Nov 20, 2023 22:05:14 GMT
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Post by FeralFerret on Nov 21, 2023 4:02:16 GMT
At my past two employers, I had to deal with surface plates. I had to maintain the calibration on them You are right. The granite is easily damaged. Even just wear from heavy usage can cause an unacceptable dip in the surface. They have to be perfectly flat, as in within a certain number of micro inches, depending on the grade of the surface plate. One micro inch is .000001 inches. That's splitting some fine hairs. A 12" X 18" Grade AA (best grade) surface plate has to have an overall surface variation of .000050" or less and a local flatness of .000035". The cost of getting a damaged on re-lapped is almost as much as the cost of a new one. Link to Surface Plate accuracy and calibration info: www.mitutoyo.com/webfoo/wp-content/uploads/15004A.pdf
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Post by fixitguy on Nov 21, 2023 9:02:48 GMT
I was getting cut off granite from a local counter top place. They will load up my truck with a pallet of scraps for free if I wanted. I made some pet memorials with them using a vinyl plotter and a sand blast cabinet. Granite is pretty soft, you can blast out a mural with letters in just minutes. The prep time to blast takes the longest. We have done mirrors and large rocks also. My buddy blasted house numbers into a large bolder out side his grandparents farm., but he has a mobile gas powered compressor.
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Post by Jolly on Nov 21, 2023 14:10:28 GMT
I was getting cut off granite from a local counter top place. They will load up my truck with a pallet of scraps for free if I wanted. I made some pet memorials with them using a vinyl plotter and a sand blast cabinet. Granite is pretty soft, you can blast out a mural with letters in just minutes. The prep time to blast takes the longest. We have done mirrors and large rocks also. My buddy blasted house numbers into a large bolder out side his grandparents farm., but he has a mobile gas powered compressor. The pet memorial was a creative idea. Brings to mind something that happened to me a dozen years ago...A man I worked with wanted a business partner. The adjoining parish (where he was born and raised) has some wooded, rolling hills that ain't much good except for growing timber or raising cows. He figured he could get a smaller piece, say four or five acres, for pretty cheap. He wanted to go into the pet cemetary business. I thought we'd lose our butts. I think I was wrong.
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Post by Jolly on Nov 21, 2023 14:22:01 GMT
Riffing off of my last post...
We've got a cajun in the community that's in the business for business. He retired after teaching school for 20 years and went into the monument business. Scotty started out small and through aggressive pricing and good service, now has three locations in two parishes.
As he's progressed in his business, he is now offering cremations. Also, since Louisiana law will let you bury an unembalmed body within a certain period of time, you provide the body and he'll bag it, box it or let you provide your own suitable coffin, and he'll use his grave digging service to place it in an approved cemetery. He'll even do the service, since he is an ordained minister.
Now, I notice he's gotten into the storm shelter business. They're fairly small shelters he puts partially buried in the ground (guess that keeps his digging crew busy).
Maybe he might want to go into the pet cemetery and monument business. 😄
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Post by wildhorseluvr on Nov 21, 2023 14:24:46 GMT
I would think a pet cemetery would be a very successful business. DH and I had a LOT of pets and it got to the point some areas were so crowded with buried pets that there wasn’t room for one more of any size. Had to keep creating new cemetery areas. I was talking with my vet tech yesterday, he said his house is filled with little urns!
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Post by Ozarks Tom on Nov 21, 2023 21:09:18 GMT
I wish I'd have thought of a granite marker for Toughy - The World's Best Cat. So far I've bought three little brass plaques that keep fading out after only a couple years, even spraying them with UV inhibitor clear poly.
I'd like the next owners of this property to look and say "Damn, that must have been one good cat!" He was.
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Post by fixitguy on Nov 22, 2023 9:22:00 GMT
Sand blasting murals,mirrors and glass are real simple.
For crafty items like pet memorials there is no need for sand blast resistant vinyl. Your not using a 50 hp compressor. A simple vinyl with a 9 year warranty will be just fine. (I use Oracle 951, but you can use anything.)
When you weed out the vinyl you need to leave the garbage in. i.e. if you are cut the word "only" the inside of the O stays and the letter gets tossed. The media is going be the letters. Just opposite of applying letters to a billboard. Apply the decal and make sure all little edges are secured. Apply duct tape to all non covered surfaces, make sure seams are over lapped. Blast away. Remove tape and vinyl, clean sand and dust from stone. You can apply paint on the blasted areas of you want to make the letters pop. I did a german shepherd mural with a name and date on black granite. I applied red paint to the letters, leaving the dog black and grey from the blasting.
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Post by fixitguy on Nov 22, 2023 9:39:29 GMT
Glass and mirrors can be blasted from the outside for a frosted look. Mirrors can also be done from the backside or inside then apply paint to create the image. i.e., If you want to create a green bay packer logo on a mirror. Apply the vinyl decal you want. Blast off the copper/silver black coating on the back of the mirror completely. Apply the color paint to the blasted area and let dry. No need to be fancy, pour the paint on and let dry. Only the blasted area will show the color.
In all cases, the prep and clean up are the most important. A duct tape seam not covered properly can give you etching were you don't want it, possibly ruining the item.
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