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Hi,
anyone here working stone? I need an advice on buying basic bits for engraving stone. ER20, so 1/2 shank max. I am quite good engraving wood but seems stone would be another world.
So the question is what bits for starters and where to buy them from?
Boyan,
most of the stone engraving bits are some form of Diamond.
http://stone-carving.weebly.com/
You will need some good dust extraction and good protection for your rails etc
peter
Hi Boyan
Yes the link provided by Peter are what you will need, I get mine from Aliexpress, so far they have been ok. You will definitely need some flood cooling, lots, try cutting stone without cooling and your bits will be useless after the first job. It is a very very messy job an like peter said rails and gears etc need protecting. also flood cooling is to stop the dust which is lethal to man and machine. Get that dust in your lung and guaranteed silicosis. I also sandblast stone and have an air supplied full mask. Don't think dust extraction will help you.
Alan
Great to know guys. I am planning just occasionally doing this. My machine has the rails up and far away. I am thinking same as video,just instead water going on the floor, i will find a big box and stone inside box.
What about the spindle bearing protection? From water i mean. Should i make some kind of protector that attaches to spindle or to Z so water doesn't go inside bearings? I think i should.
I made a water tank box initially from plastic lined ply as an experiment and ended up using it for about 6 months as it worked so well :-) progressed on to one made from acrylic. protecting the z rails is not so easy but I did not get a great deal of spray upwards as I fitted a deflector disk (aka an old CD) fitted to the bottom of the spindle and just to be sure I used a rubber cover that went over the collet lock nut.I think the rubber cover I used was a protector that came off a motorcycle fork packaging protector.
Make sure you have a drain out of your box that will take a good flow, I just ran the drain to waste and maintained the flow in with a hosepipe, I did try recirculating the coolant but the stone dust clogged the pump too quickly. Hope this helps and good luck.
Al
I have done quite a bit of engraving on various stones types
all using a trend tungsten carbide router bit with replaceable tips 90 degree square tips..
sandstone dead easy
slate easy to hard
I've bought place mats and drinks coasters and they are easy to cut...Floor tiles from B&Q 13mm thick are very hard I cut them to size with a diamond tile cutting machine engraving them was hard but manageable and gives a good clear finish
Granite from old work tops cuts ok with a diamond 60 degree bit from ebay
hope this helps