I found some slate floor tiles and used the wrench method to shape them into
slate slab stands for small bonsai and companion plants. The report is that
it works great with just a few words of caution:
1. use safety glasses, heavy gloves and clothing. This stuff is brittle and
flakes will fly off.
2. pad the jaws of the wrench with something, leather, cloth, cardboard,
something. Where pressure is applied to the slate by the jaws of the wrench
is not necessarily where the slate will split and if the pressure point is
on the piece you're keeping, there will be a whitish crushed area which can
be noticeable.
3. a treatment with slate or terrazzo floor finish gives a nice sheen.
4. glue some rubber shelf liner or thin art foam on the bottom with contact
cement. The stands can scratch your furniture and tables.
It's worth looking for slate for this purpose, the stands are great.
Jay Beckenbach - Melrose, FL - Zone 8b/9a -
-----Original Message-----
From: Jay Sinclair ]
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 7:26 PM
Subject: Carving slate
I saw an article (can't remember in what publication) in which slabs of
slate were shaped with a pipe wrench. The general idea was that the
shape was marked out in chalk, and the wrench was used as a lever to
break off pieces until the desired shape was obtained. Maybe someone
else will remember where to find this article. I haven't tried this,
but it makes sense - slate is rather brittle, and should break easily
this way. This would leave a more natural looking edge than chiseling or
hammering.
Jay
I've been given some big slabs of slate that i'd love to try to turn
into forest slabs the way Joe Day does with "Muck" to hold the soil in
place.
I have two questions .... #1 what do use to cut this slate into
manageable pieces and drill holes ?
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