Replies

1. 
   BillW | Feb 08, 2005 08:55pm | #1

   I did a bluestone patio this summer - where I had to cut a stone (used abrasive wheel in circular saw), I went along with a hammer and gently tapped the edge along it's length - it effectively disguised that 'fresh-cut' look.  I'm an amateur, so stay tuned for more knowlegdable responses .... Bill.

    

2. 
   GoldenWreckedAngle | Feb 08, 2005 09:00pm | #2

   Get the edge wet, let the water soak in, then heat it rapidly with a propane torch. The water/air in the stone will expand and blow small fragments off the edge.

   That rough edge is going to be sharp though. Watch those shins.

    

1. 
   moredetails | Feb 08, 2005 09:08pm | #4

   That sounds easy enough.  If things get too sharp, can you wet-sand it?  Any idea how a bull-nose edge is put on?  Thanks.

1. 
   GoldenWreckedAngle | Feb 08, 2005 10:35pm | #6

   Bullnosed edges are usually put on with a very expensive router running a very expensive bit. It doesn't sound like you need that level of refinement though.

   Just look at it as a rock that needs a lesson in manners - take a few moments to get in touch with your inner artist, grab a few scraps and chip, chisel, rasp and grind your way through a few experiments until you get what you are looking for. Watch those eyes - stone fragments seem to have an amazing aim, and wear a dust mask when you are grinding.

   Most importantly, have fun! Busting stuff up is a blast! 

2. 
   jayzog | Feb 09, 2005 02:25am | #8

   The only way I have gotten decent results flaming flag edges is with an oxy-acetalene torch. With a propane torch the water will just evaporate before popping the edge- not hot enough.

   Where yer goggles!

3. 
   EricPaulson | Feb 08, 2005 09:07pm | #3

   Stone supplier can do it for you.

   I Love A Hand That Meets My Own,

   With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.

   [email protected]

4. 
   IronHelix | Feb 08, 2005 09:57pm | #5

   I finished out a 10'x10'porch and posts this fall that consummed about 5 ton of tumbled bluestone.

   Much of the stone went into two 8 foot tall tapered square columns, 32" square at base & 16"at the top. I did a lot of cutting to stack and build the hollow posts and in doing so had many square edges to softened to the tumbled look.

   Minimal mortar joints, 1/8"-1/4", and then poured the core with concrete and added a cast exposed aggregate concrete cap.

   Four tools...4.5" grinder w/ diamond blade, a 3# bushing hammer (looks like a meat tenderizing hammer...but heavier and tempered steel), a mill faced framing hammer, and a 12" 4-in-hand rasp.  Used in that order as needed.

   The grinder takes off the first 1/4" of the square cut, the bushing hammer or mill faced hammer was used to "soften" the edges further by impact spawling of the stone, followed by the coarse side of the rasp to take it to the final "tumbled look" I wanted.

   Works well, looks good.......Sure works on the forearm, too!!!

   I thought about a pneumatic weders slag chaser...another option for "next time"!

   ................Iron Helix

    

1. 
   FastEddie1 | Feb 09, 2005 12:59am | #7

   How did you keep the cement from oozing out through the joints?

    I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.

1. 
   IronHelix | Feb 09, 2005 02:05pm | #10

   The bluestone was laid up with a rich thin mixture of portland and sand, which allowed the "mortar" joints to be very thin between courses. 

   The largest openings were between the edges of the stones in each layer...some were up to 3/4"....and  we used ready mix small aggregate concrete to fill the core.

   We had no problems with "oozing". 

   When the mixer arrived for a pour on an exposed ag drive section we were doing at the same time, we had the driver auger out some of the stiffer mix to bucket into the post cores, then we added the water to adjust the mix for working  the driveway sections.

   Each post layup required over 50 man hours and the many sectioned drive way was poured in stages  of 3-4 yards per truck load with a total of 55 yards in the driveway.

   ..................Iron Helix

2. 
   Reddevil2n | Sep 21, 2016 05:55pm | #18

   Sounds easy enough

   Do you have any pictures you can share with me to help along this process?  Also how long did it take you to do each piece?

5. 
   UncleDunc | Feb 09, 2005 03:32am | #9

   The University of Colorado at Boulder has several million square feet of Lyons sandstone walls that look kind of like this. The thick stones appear to have been cut with a guillotine, the thinner ones with nippers. It doesn't look as random as a flamed edge, but I like it a lot better than sawn edges. (BTW, this was my first attempt at posting a picture embedded in the message.)

   View Image

   
   

   ---

   Edited 2/8/2005 7:34 pm ET by Uncle Dunc

1. 
   IronHelix | Feb 09, 2005 02:22pm | #11

   Blue stone is a siltstone and reacts differently to mechanical abrasion and heat expansion than sandstone does.  

   Siltstone, shale, and slate(metamorphic) are all related and originate from thick layers of fine silt that were accummulated in the bottom of ancient bodies of water.

   Sandstone has obvious bedding planes and fracture sets... it lends itself to a cleavage pattern or to use of a "breaker" to shear it  into ashlar style stone layouts.

   Siltstone has none of these qualities.  It is often much softer than sandstone. And does not lend itself to splitting and trimming as does sandstone.  A diamond blade works on blustone like going through butter, where as sandstone is much harder to cut....eats up diamond blades a lot quicker.

   40 years later...still using my geology minor....hope my memory hasn't gliched!

    

   ....................Iron Helix

1. 
   UncleDunc | Feb 09, 2005 07:00pm | #12

   Thanks for that info. I've seen bluestone mentioned here from time to time and wondered exactly what it is. I Googled and found a lot more sites offering to sell and install it than describing or defining it. :)Unless I missed it, 1tpurfect never says what kind of stone his hearth is going to be. You and several other responders mentioned bluestone, but I wasn't ready to assume that's the only possibility.

1. 
   moredetails | Feb 10, 2005 08:58pm | #15

   The hearth will be made of flagstone (that is what the stone supplier called it).  I also want to put up a rock wall behind the woodstove, 5' wide x 8' tall. Have not decided between cultured stone or real field stone.  Any suggestions?

1. 
   UncleDunc | Feb 10, 2005 09:33pm | #16

   >> The hearth will be made of flagstone (that is what the stone supplier called it).Sounds like it may be another one of those regional vocabulary differences we argue about so much here. To my mind, flagstone describes a shape rather than a type of stone. Large, flat, thin, irregular outline. Usually made from stone that can be split rather than sawn. Around here, flagstone almost always means sandstone. Several people assumed you meant bluestone.What technique you use on the edges depends on what look you want. Several people suggested flaming. (I agree with the person who said use oxy-acetylene instead of propane, BTW.) Somebody mentioned a ground bullnose. I suggested guillotine or nippers. There was an article in FHB some years back about laying a stone floor what was quartzite, IIRC. The author shaped his slabs by setting the line he wanted over a piece of angle iron on the floor and breaking it with a hammer. You could just take a hammer to the sawn edge and see if you can knock off enough of the smoothness to staisfy you.Find out what your supplier offers. If you don't like any of his options, see if you can talk him out of some scrap and try some of the suggestions you've gotten here.>> Have not decided between cultured stone or real field stone. Any suggestions?Again, it depends on the look you want. If you're happy with the look of the cultured stone, it's probably a lot cheaper and likely to be easier to lay up than field stone.I'm rather fond of the random thickness flagstone look in that picture I posted. It's almost more like laying brick than laying stone. Of course you'd still be faced with the same question of getting the edge treatment you like on it. Your supplier should be able to get you some of the same stuff that the hearth will be made of in a suitable width for a veneer, although maybe not as many different thicknesses as that picture showed.

   Edited 2/10/2005 1:52 pm ET by Uncle Dunc

2. 
   IronHelix | Feb 11, 2005 11:52pm | #17

   If you use the synthetic...check its fire rating as well as the max temp it will tolerate before melting/sagging!

   I really prefer the look feel and texture of real stone.....fake is really fake in most cases.  Make sure your floor/joist system is sufficient for the loading of natural stone.

   Locally our "flagstone" is also sandstone and if you are lucky you can barter some away from the crew upgrading old sidewalks in old cities.  The down side is usally your back as many of those stones weigh in at over 300#.

   Flagstone as in "bluestone is a siltstone and is often cut into squares/rectangles as it is usually much softer than sandstone to machine.

   It is an imported item to my local, whereas the sandstone flagstone was once quarried in this county to curb and sidewalk at the turn of the last century.

   ..................Iron Helix

    

2. 
   WillGeorge | Feb 09, 2005 07:52pm | #14

   Just love that work!  NICE..

   I see stone work lately that looks like..  Well, I cant type in here. but ya' get my drift..

6. 
   WillGeorge | Feb 09, 2005 07:50pm | #13

   look more natural ..

   How about some kids with skate boards?