Newbie saying hi, advice on house number plates

[tysfoot]

Hi,
This is my first post.
Im Gary 28 from Manchester, UK. I work as a postman and i would like a little hobby in the afternoons to keep me occupied, i like working with my hands and i wouldnt mind making a little extra income

I wanted to know what tools and equipment is needed to create simple slate house number plates

Here are two example of work that i would like to be doing:

http://www.slate-house-signs.co.uk/raised-letters.html
http://www.timpson.com/online-store/house-sign-ajax.asp?product_id=701

Any advive on tools, tequniques and tips would be great

 

[Tira]

Hello Gary,

On the first site the house signs look like they have been sandblasted. On the second I would say either sandblasted or CNC machined. I don't think either site shows work that was done with the type of tools we use here. The tools we use can be used on slate, rock, etc., but they will not give you the look of the two sites you show.

 

[KCSteve]

Hi Gary!

Glad you made it over here.
click here for that thread I told you about.

That's work done with tools somewhat similar to what most of us use here, and Gargoyle should be able to tell you what sort of things you need to do the work you want to do.

 

[monk]

i've done quite a lot of stone work. slate is one of them. if you want to, slate can be carved with nothing more than common , screwdrivers. chisels, punches, large nails, etc. carbides in a dreml tool will eat this stuff. slate is very soft to work. also very dusty. textures very well, holds a variety of paints if you want to do that. but the paint usually will not weather well outdoors. old flatware ( don't let yer wife see this) can be re-shaped into a variety of scrapers for working slate. rotary tools are ok, impact tools aren't too good if the slate is thin, it is kind of fragile.

 

[tysfoot]

so what's the best type of rotary or impact tool is best on the market to imprint numbers and letters into slate.

also, where is the best places to buy pre cut slate at wholesale and how much can you pick these up

 

[Gargoyle]

Slate is a beautiful material for handcut lettering, one of the best. It's lousy for sandblasting or grinding, because of how it will delaminate (the layers flake and peel).

The key is to use very sharp chisels, and learn the right angle to hold the chisel. Slate lends itself to really elegant work.

Track down a copy of Richard Grasby's book "Letter Cutting in Stone", ISBN 0-904614-31-X. Published in the U.K. in 1989, it's out of print, but there should be copies on the 'net.

There used to be a national guild of lettercutters in the UK, but I don't know if it still exists.

 

[Cloudy]

And slate gilds beautifully, too!!!!

 

[monk]

if you want to use rotary tools, i'd advise against the smaller dreml type. they are too slow in rpm and are difficult to control. get a rotary that's at least 50krpm. outline the numbers with a bonded or abrasive type bur, not a fluted type.
once the outline is established, follow by scraping, chiseling, or whatever you like. you'll find doing the large figures take too long doing them just with the small rotary. quite easy to finish out by non powered techniques.

 

[James Miller]

carving slate

Hi Gary,
I am a UK goldsmith, but some years ago I had a job that needed a slate base that was cut in the shape of an open book. I had a go at hammer and chisel work but then I came across a tool made by Bosch, this is a power scraper and chisel and it comes in a nice wooden box with many tools. Check it out here;
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Bosch-Bosch-PSE-180E-Power-Carver-Scraper-23036.htm

Regards
James

 

[James Miller]

slate engraving

Hi Gary,
I couldn't find a photo of the slate base I made, but I did find this photo of a slate house number plate I made for my sister. I used the Bosch electric chisel for doing this, although I did tidy up the numbers with a rifler file and a home made shaped scraper. The numbers are finished with a good quality gilding paint.
Cheers
James

 

[CRW]

Hi,
This is my first post.
Im Gary 28 from Manchester, UK. I work as a postman and i would like a little hobby in the afternoons to keep me occupied, i like working with my hands and i wouldnt mind making a little extra income

I wanted to know what tools and equipment is needed to create simple slate house number plates

Any advive on tools, tequniques and tips would be great

Hi Gary and welcome aboard.

I might be able to help a little since I have done wood and glass signs with a sandblaster in the past.

The tools needed are rubber mask, which can be purchased over here at least, from www.dickblick.com.
Place the mask on the material you wish to use, then draw or trace the design. After that is done cut away the part that is to be recessed, and pull off the mask in these areas. Next comes the blasting. I am not sure that they still have them, but I bought a blasting gun that is the same size and looks exactly like a spray gun with a cup and top, trigger and all, from Sears. This will not do very large stuff, but is great for the hobby person and the type work you wish to do. I then used volcanic sand (Black and real fine). I cannot give you a supplier for this since I had a local body and fender man in the area that always had some extra. I would suggest checking with a auto body man, he can probably tell you where to find it. Next you need a fairly good air compressor. One that will keep a consistent 60 pounds of pressure. Then do the blasting, (be sure to wear safety glasses), blast the areas of the piece that there is no mask to the depth you desire and then peel off the remaining mask. Now you have your work completed.

Another good source of information would be a person that makes tombstones, since this is the exact same method used for that also. He can tell you where to get everything you need.

I sure hope this helps. If you have any further questions that I might could answer, please don't hesitate to contact me by email, phone, or PM.

 

[monk]

i never tried, but i suppose the grs or lindsay powered tools could do this work on a limited basis. one would surely have to do some foolin around to make a custom chisel tip or two to get the effect they were looking for. there was an "automach" brand carving machine designed for wood carving that also may serve this purpose. it too, reciprocates and has a variety of tips available for it.