is it possible to router stone?

[Robert Lambie]

well i tried this a while back… not actualy routing it but yeh same idea… what i would like to know is… are they just supplying you with a disk made from stone? is it possible for them to give you the mix to set yourself… 😉

well ill elaborate on this later… im in work and kinda sweating blood here… 😉

[Doug Edwards]

I have never tried cutting stone on the router but it sandblasts fairly easy Most monumental stone sculptors now use sandblasting to “engrave” into stone. might be worthwhile subcontracting the job out as there is not a lot of room for any error on this type of work. good luck I will be interested to here how it goes regards doug edwards

[SignMadeMike]

Never considered sandblasting. might be the final option at the end of the day, although we do like to keep in house as much as possible.
My experiments indicate that an initial deep (>2mm) cut might be the answer.
I would like to be fairly sure that the setup is right before we go ahead!! lol

[Doug Edwards]

might be worth speaking to the blast shop in manchester
tel 0161 736 1794 they are stone sculptors and they supply to the trade. in the past I have found them very helpful with advice, regards again Doug

[Robert Lambie]

Mike
We where asked to do this a while back. Having an AXYZ router myself, we contacted AXYZ for some info on routing stone. They said that it is “not” advised. They think it will simply shatter the router bit.
So it was back to the drawing board for us. Like you we prefer to always do things in house as opposed to farming it out. (“Why take on debt, when you can possibly do the work yourself & make more profit. With a little extra thought put to it” I think so anyway!)
So what could we do I thought. Well we made wooden cut letters. 2” thick. By doubling up plywood we achieved this. They then put screws on the backs of each letter…
After producing the mix and pouring it into a mould shape. we took the letters and pressed them into the wet concrete. Left them there until the cement went firm but not hard… then by holding the screws, gently pulled the wooden letters back out. Leaving perfect letters imprinted in the concrete… the customer went on to build a wall using the facing moulds… with pillars, ball top copes the lot. Ground level spotlights shining on it finished it off beautifully.
So with that in mind. Why not make a mould shape. A circle with returns facing up… maybe in metal… easy done on the router… then cut all the text etc that’s need to be engraved in reverse & in wood. Then cut a peace of .5-inch plywood circle & screw all the letters or logo into place. In the end you should have a circle with the design you want all in place on the circle but reverse.
Next pour the concrete into the circle with the returns… then take your other circle with design… gentle press the top piece onto the wet cement until the top circle becomes flush with the returns on the bottom one. Leave it to become firm then lift off…. If all goes well you should be left with the design in the cement like we had… but a little more intricate….

Just an idea mate… hope it helps

[SignMadeMike]

What a great idea!!
Unfortunatlely the customer has specified a particular type of stone to be used. If I had your option initially we may have been able to talk the customer into this (I’m sacking my sales team lol).
As to the router breaking bits etc, the machine cuts stone easily! I’ve yet to try higher feed rates (500mtr/min so far), and I feel 1500 would be a breeze. I’ve produced our logo into the sample provided by the stone supplier using a 2mm twin flute cutter, which gives a better edge than a single. A little cheat is to use an engraving bit with no offset to chamfer the edge.
We get there eventually!!

[Robert Lambie]

good to hear your etting there mate… i thought it would also but because they said no i thought well i better listen… not wanting somthing to break and they say well our warraunty doesnt cover cutting concrete 😆 😆

let me know what you do in the end… it would be interesting to hear how things develop.
the twin flute bit.. what kind did you use… i mean what was its real purpose. acrylic, wood, metal? does it last long as far as staying sharp is concerned? just asking mate… not quizing 😉 😀