first cut is the hardest

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Brewpastor

Beer, not rocket chemistry
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I have the project started. :) I cut my slate for the front on my draft box. It was easy as pie. I did it on my table saw with a masonry blade. I am worried about boring the holes for the shanks. Any suggestions? I think a hole saw will do the trick, but I am not sure. I don't want any cracks. The slate is from an old blackboard out of my dad's old church.

Also, what wood treatment do people suggest? I am using hardwood with a light stain.

Anyway, the project has begun. :ban: I am taking photos and will post a series when I finish.

tomsbar4bq.png
 
Brewpastor said:
, the project has begun. :ban: I am taking photos and will post a series when I finish.

Screw that! Take pics as you go and post them during your breaks!

Can't wait to see it, if it looks half as good as the design, it'll be awesome!
 
Very Un-Dude said:
Screw that! Take pics as you go and post them during your breaks!

Can't wait to see it, if it looks half as good as the design, it'll be awesome!

Sounds good to me. I will see what I can do.
 
BP, Did you have any scraps when you cut the slate that you could test the hole saw on? If not, I would try to get a similar slate to test it on...needless to say, with that much sentimental value it would be devastating to crack it! As far as treatment, where you thinking a gloss polyurethane?
 
Poly urethane seems to make the most sense, but I am open. Durabilty is pretty high on the list of requirements! I do have some scrap, but it is a nice piece. I think I'll see about trying a piece of floor slate.
 
As far as the wood finish, spar varnish might be a good choice. That's what I put on my bar top. I have no idea if it would hold up better than poly.

And as they say, measure twice, cut once....
 
Drill slowly. Be really careful when you're close to hitting the backside with the bit...you don't want to pop a big piece out!
 
Spar varnish is a good finish for the bar, I would drill with some kind of water or liquid to keep the slate cool which should help with cracking. Heat and expansion are your enemies when working with stone. What kind of hardwood are you building the rest of the bar out of?

MP Wall
 
I think its always a good idea when drilling holes to place the material on a scrap peice of wood so it doesn't blow out the back when you get close to breaking through. This will support it and help prevent breaking or splintering.
 
I'd get a masonry bit and then test on a scrap section. They work on tile, so I'd think they'd work on slate, just not as fast...I'd be more concerned about a deeply veined stone than I would be with slate. It may help to have a stream of water on the bit, a la wet saw.
 
drill from bouth sides with the hole saw old bull stile dad dad theres some cows down the hill let run down and root a few old bull no lets walk down an root the lot:)
 
I would get a small masonry coring bit, which is like a hole saw, but with a diamond abrasive rim instead of teeth. Mount it into a drill press if you have access to one, so you can control alignment and pressure, and use a lot of water to cool and create a slurry that aids in the cutting and prevents heating and cracking.

I have done this through other materials in the past, but it was with a 4" coring bit and a drill that you anchor to the floor, as I was running heavy conduit for testing chambers through a 10" steel reinforced concrete floor. I also went through granite once with the same rig.

you might be able to get a loaner from a local rental place.....
 
I have a drill press and will see what bits I can find. I have drilled brick and concrete with masonry bits, but never stone and definately slate. The slate is nearly 1/2'' thick so I hope that will help. I need five holes for my shanks, so we will see.
 
Spoonta said:
drill from bouth sides with the hole saw old bull stile dad dad theres some cows down the hill let run down and root a few old bull no lets walk down an root the lot:)
alright, so i understand the first part... is there an american translation for the bolded part?
 
Polyurethane or spar varnish are probably the most durable finishes, but they are both very difficult to repair if the finish gets damaged.
I prefer shellac, which isn't as durable but can easily be fixed, and it doesn't look as plasticy.

-a.
 
To take things in a slightly different direction:

I have one really similar but instead of using real slate (which is just inherently cool) I used a piece of MDF and used kids chalkboard paint on it. Works well, not quite as cool though.
 
I'd personally contact a place that does granite counter tops and get their opinion on the job to be sure. Heck, it may be worth it for them to do the job for you since they're doing this all the time for kitchen counter tops and sinks. They have the tools to smooth out the cuts etc.

At least might be worth a quote. Toss some homebrew into the deal perhaps.
 
desertBrew said:
I'd personally contact a place that does granite counter tops and get their opinion on the job to be sure. Heck, it may be worth it for them to do the job for you since they're doing this all the time for kitchen counter tops and sinks. They have the tools to smooth out the cuts etc.

At least might be worth a quote. Toss some homebrew into the deal perhaps.

That is a really good idea. Leave it to the pros!
 
Lou said:
alright, so i understand the first part... is there an american translation for the bolded part?

Didn't you guys ever hear the parable of the young bull and the old bull? A young bull and an old bull were standing on a hill when the young bull spots some cows grazing in the meadow down below. "Dad, let's quick run down there and screw one of those cows", says the young bull. "No son," says the old bull, "Lets stroll down there and screw all of 'em."

I have no idea how that relates to drilling holes in slate but it's a great lesson all the same!

WOT
 
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