Very fine lines can be etched with an abrasive blaster. Silicon carbide is the best blasting material, but aluminum oxide (less expensive) also works well. I hire a sign maker to blast the granite (and occasionally marble) stones for my Sawyer Equant sundials. The lines are about .040" wide and .005" deep, and paintfill nicely with the mask still in place. The mask is a thin (sign) vinyl, cut on a signmaker's vinyl cutting machine from an adobe illustrator file. It costs about $40 per stone. If you do it yourself, be meticulous about eye and lung protection -- This can be hazardous. Photos on my website.
I'm sure you could also use a rotary dremel-like tool with an inexpensive diamond ball bit. John Carmichael engraves his stone dials this way. He gave a demonstration at his home a few years back, and this method was very effective and did not appear too difficult. He glues the design right against the stone, and cuts right through the paper (or vellum?). He has a hose trickle water over the cutting surface to cut down on dust and prolong tool life. His website is www.sundialsculptures.com Bill Gottesman www.precisionsundials.com Ricardo Cernic wrote: > Hi dialist fellows! > > I'm considering to make a sundial with marble. Does anyone have some tips in > how to engrave this type os material? I've already manually engraved slate > with nails of different diameters, but when I try the same process with > marble I do not get neat lines. > > What I'm looking for is a process that can be done at home without machinery. > Chemicals are an option. > > Thanks, > Ricardo > São Paulo - Brazil > > > --------------------------------------------------- > https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial > > > > --------------------------------------------------- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
