Escher / Thuringian - How to Cut off a Slurry Stone

**Gamma** · 08-21-2011, 08:46 PM

Has anyone cut a Thuringian or an Escher with hand tools? Am I spinning my wheels thinking I can do it with a hacksaw? My guess is this - if it will work I'll have to keep wetting the stone somehow...
I read that you can score the stone - and then whack the score with a chisel and it *might* spilt off correctly. I don't know if that's such a good idea though. Seems like a huge gamble unless one knows that the rock will behave correctly from experience.

The stone is 5/8" thick... even if I do get hacksaw blades that will cut it (tungsten carbide?) - I guess it could be a pretty slow-going event. Which is fine I guess.
I would guess a tile cutter could do it with one of those wet saws.

Keith J

**Kentos** · 08-21-2011, 08:51 PM

It will take time, but you can go and buy recipro saw blades that have carbide or diamond fused to the surface. They sell handles into which said blades can be clamped and used as a regular hand saw. The hack saw may work, but I see it taking a long time and using a bunch of blades. I would do it for you on my saw, but the downside is it can always crack, and i wouldnt want the responsibility, if you know what I mean...

Just saw the carbide hack saw blades...since the blade is under tension it work better. If you could find hack saw blades with diamond it would be even better...i tried carbide recipro blades to cut some concrete in a tight spot...didnt do too well. GL

**mainaman** · 08-21-2011, 09:17 PM

you can get a carbide coated blade for a hacksaw, they are made for stone cutting.
They are very cheap on Amazon.

**Gamma** · 08-21-2011, 09:24 PM

Cool - I'll check locally first. Might get lucky.

**jkh** · 08-21-2011, 09:27 PM

How hard are these stones compared to a coticule? I trimmed about 8mm of width off a 6" coticule with a standard hacksaw blade. Took me about 20 minutes, since I was continually pouring bits of water in the cut and being VERY careful.

**Kentos** · 08-21-2011, 09:37 PM

Originally Posted by jkh

How hard are these stones compared to a coticule? I trimmed about 8mm of width off a 6" coticule with a standard hacksaw blade. Took me about 20 minutes, since I was continually pouring bits of water in the cut and being VERY careful.

Wow, really? Good to know as I would have never thought it would go so well...experience is King after all. Did it cut though the slate too?

**Harvitz81** · 08-21-2011, 09:46 PM

Dude, just buy a $5 small 325 DMT from amazon. That is what I use for a slurry stone and it works just fine. No need to take tools to precious stones.

**jkh** · 08-21-2011, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by Kentos

Wow, really? Good to know as I would have never thought it would go so well...experience is King after all. Did it cut though the slate too?

No slate, it was a combo stone

**Kentos** · 08-21-2011, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by jkh

No slate, it was a combo stone

Whoa, that's an impressive feat dude! No wonder it took 20 minutes. Not too many people would be able to cut it so straight...

**Wid** · 08-22-2011, 03:15 AM

Originally Posted by Kentos

Wow, really? Good to know as I would have never thought it would go so well...experience is King after all. Did it cut though the slate too?

+! That's what I did.

**honed** · 08-22-2011, 05:36 AM

Thuri's are generally softer then coticules.
And they don't usually have any inclusions or cracks.

But it might still be a risky business, OTOH we also have witnesses saying that they did it themselves without troubles.

I know of one vendor here, Ken Schwartz (ken123) that does stone-cutting professionally.
He cuts all type of stones on pro-equipment, might be the safest solution, but doing it yourself is of course the cheapest
If it works that is...

**Blix** · 08-22-2011, 06:44 AM

Originally Posted by Harvitz81

Dude, just buy a $5 small 325 DMT from amazon. That is what I use for a slurry stone and it works just fine. No need to take tools to precious stones.

Exactly, it's that easy. No need for a Thuri slurry stone at all, the DMT will do the same job.

**grump** · 08-22-2011, 10:39 AM

Why exactly do you want to cut it and how do you mainly plan on using the stone?

If you intend to use it as a polisher after the coticule then just water is fine. If you plan to use it with a slurry, the credit card DMT will work just fine.

I am with the just water group.

**Gamma** · 08-22-2011, 04:51 PM

I had a small DMT - I don't like the feel, or the look, and it warped on me. It wasn't the credit card one, it had a non-continuous surface.
In any case, I just want a slurry stone, don't want to use a diamond plate thing.
I have a few eschers... I use them with and w/o slurry. No worries, I'm not going to cut the Escher.. I'm going to cut a lowly Thuringian. hah... I should have kept the one I bought that was already split... doh.

**Noswad** · 08-22-2011, 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by mainaman

you can get a carbide coated blade for a hacksaw, they are made for stone cutting.
They are very cheap on Amazon.

A hacksaw with one of these blades would work easily.

I have one for my jigsaw that I got at Harbor Freight. Pretty cheap and it worked well. I used it for cutting cement board for tiling. Also, if you know someone with a diamond bladed tile saw, that would even better. I would do it for you on my tile saw but the postage would cost more than buying a blade and the post office might lose it. Did a quick search on Harbor Freight and did not see anything now. Maybe it was in store only...

Sears has some online so I would imagine any of the big box hardware stores should carry something.

**spindlecone** · 08-22-2011, 07:17 PM

Diamond blade on a skilsaw works perfect.

**Gamma** · 08-22-2011, 07:58 PM

All good stuff - thanks everyone.. I'll be at home depot in the next few days so I'll start looking there.

**Drybonz** · 08-25-2011, 08:41 AM

Don't break it, Gamma! :)

**Gamma** · 08-25-2011, 08:12 PM

Ahhh... it's just a thuringian.. no worries!

**Gamma** · 08-26-2011, 06:54 PM

Updtate.
Regular hacksaw blade can be used to cut an Escher. Yep - I did it. Yep - it worked. No issues. Took 5 minutes.
Risky? sure - but you only live once... And I know for certain that I'll never sell this particular stone so I'm not worried about someone not wanting it because I chopped 3/4" off the end..