Slate Plinth

[snuffbox]

I have a lump of slate that I rescued some years ago,it was originally used to face a bath so its about 5 1/2ft long by 2ftish and about an inch thick.
Now with my thoughts about a Thorens 125 or possibly a Garrard 401 has anyone on here tried cutting,shaping slate.
As its quite a soft stone I think its quite do able.
As the 401 is not a suspended sub chassis type it probably makes more sense to go for the 401 as the plinth would be a a lot easier to make.
I could phone Dom for the answers and he would happily chat to me for 1/2 an hour on it but he does have to make a living and any way it offers you lot the cahance to have something different to have a chat about.

[rusty bearing]

I've got plans for a Lenco GL75 sitting in the workshop so slate is a consideration for the plinth,. Square cutting is no problem as I have a water cooled 'whizzer' (Stihl saw) with the important bit, a diamond blade. Should make short work of it.
Intricate cuts should succumb to a combination of diamond jigsaw blades and tile hole saws.
Grinding polishing with diamond wheels or pads for a Festool machine that I use for solid surface kitchen worktops.
Anyway thats the theory, all I need is the lump of slate.....:)

[Ali Tait]

Just make sure you wear dust masks. Slate gives off nasty silicates whilst cutting that can do serious damage to your lungs.

[Alex_UK]

Chris The Grand Wazzoo has been experimenting with an old pool table base - try post 134 or thereabouts (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3462) - though I'm sure Chris will chip up soon.

[The Grand Wazoo]

I'm sure Chris will chip up soon.
Alex, you're obsessed with chips!

I've been playing around with cutting up my big piece of slate, which is only about 20mm thick. Things are on hold at the moment because of the weather - I have to do this outside because of the horrendous dust involved.
The tricky bit with disc cutters is getting the cut vertical because the angle of the disc is entirely down to your ability to hold the thing straight - I'm not aware of any sort of device designed to hold them perpendicular to a workpiece. A little angle grinder with a 4.5" stone disc is plenty man enough to do the actual cutting though. If you cut as straight and vertical as you can, it is possible to get things squared up & flat with a very course grade belt on a belt sander if you mount the workpiece vertically (edge up).

People say jigsaws with tungsten blades are OK for slate up to an inch, but I haven't found this to be so with my piece - I always get drift & the cut ends up at an angle. It's also quite slow.

Internal curves are tricky & I haven't resolved that one yet, but I'm going to try going part way through with a disc that's been partially worn down (& therefore a smaller diameter). That'll reduce the thickness & then, I'll finish by cutting through with the jigsaw.

The other thing I'm going to try is a router with a tungsten tool. With a router it should be very controllable and the base plate will ensure a 90 deg. cut. However, I may have to wear armour for this!

[snuffbox]

I reckon I could get the slate cut into the right size pieces by a monumental stone mason,they have all the right stuff to do a proper accurate job and for the quids they would charge would make it worthwhile,so then it would be the internal bits which only have to be accurate where you need clearance and for fitting/screwing the deck down.
I'm getting excited thinking about this now.

[rusty bearing]

I think the nearest your going to get to a perfectly vertical straight cut would be to use a slide table saw for cutting tiles or maybe a brick saw.
It'll be a matter of experimentation and applying ingenuity in't end, like most DIY.
Dominic has some really nice plinths but the plain fact is I can't afford 'em. What's the phrase

'necessity is the mother of invention'

[snuffbox]

These stonemasons have the gear to cut perfectly straight lines,I mean look at those big thick granite gravestones.
Old on
I think I'm going I'm going out grave robbing.:):):):)

[Dominic Harper]

Honestly, you would not believe the man power involved cutting slate. It is very time consuming, also each piece is hand picked for each item per customer. I'm not just talking about slate plinths, I'm talking about every job they get. Kitchent tops, fire surrounds etc. But I would be interested to see how you get on with this project. I can't wait to see some pics.

Natalie;)

[NRG]

My local stone mason has a water cutting machine for slate, he looked at the slate deck plinth I have, which was not perfectly flat, and said thats no problem, he squared it up and said he could get the slate and cut another plinth without too much bother... hardly any man power, all done by computer controlled machine, perfectly square cut and polished.

[snuffbox]

My local stone mason has a water cutting machine for slate, he looked at the slate deck plinth I have, which was not perfectly flat, and said thats no problem, he squared it up and said he could get the slate and cut another plinth without too much bother... hardly any man power, all done by computer controlled machine, perfectly square cut and polished.

Result.
Where in Bucks

[NRG]

These where the guys I spoke to: http://totemstone.co.uk/htm/main.php

[snuffbox]

1/2an hours drive away from me.