Marble processing technology. Stone cutting: description and methods How to cut marble tiles at home

Diamond wrote:
If you have to cut various materials from stone, you should choose discs of universal brands, but if the material is known in advance, then it is more economical to choose discs of special brands.
It should be noted that different companies use different marking methods or symbols for marking, so you need to be very careful when choosing a disc, otherwise cutting can be very expensive.
Often, users judge too primitively, dividing the processed stone materials into two types - soft, easy to process and hard, difficult to process.
For a hard stone, a disc with a soft binder is taken and for a soft one, with a hard binder. But this is not always enough, as there are also soft materials made of stone, the processing of which can be much more difficult than hard ones.
One of the main features is the abrasiveness of the stone material. Thus, when choosing a brand of a disc, it is necessary to divide stone materials first into three groups according to the degree of abrasiveness and then according to hardness.

1. Soft non-abrasive stone materials such as marble and hard vitrified materials such as clinker.
   For working with these materials, discs with a particularly pliable binder are designed (for the most part, discs of the same brand are suitable for clinker and marble, although one of them is hard and the other soft material).
   Base: no abrasiveness that abrades the binder (opens the segments).
   These stone materials can be considered especially wedging (in the assortment of some companies you can find such discs where there is no binder, the diamond is applied galvanically directly to the body; such discs are suitable only for cutting marble and fiberglass).
2. Hard stone materials such as granite, reinforced concrete.
   For work with these materials, discs with a soft or medium strength binder are designed.
   Base: These are, of course, hard materials, but somewhat abrasive. For example, reinforced concrete: iron reinforcement is hard, concrete is abrasive, therefore, a binder of medium hardness will be optimal. Most suitable for this are discs of universal brands with a binder material of medium hardness produced by different companies.
   Note that reinforced concrete of any degree of hardness can be cut with a universal disc. For cutting very hard concrete or especially hard granite, choose a blade with a medium softness.
3. Soft abrasive materials made of stone, such as silicate, fireclay, asphalt.
   For work with these materials, discs with a hard and durable binder are designed. In the case of these stone materials, we are dealing with a very high degree of abrasiveness, and therefore with a strong erasing effect (like a grindstone), therefore, a very hard binder is required to avoid rapid wear.

Wow!!! And the fingers did not fall off so much to paint, so much so, to manage not to say anything !!!

And it was only necessary to say: the type of diamond, grain size and bond types for dry and wet cuts. All this in relation not to asphalt and granite, but to the material that was asked about.
Then the person would look to see if there are among his tools such as they are needed, and if not, then he would know which tool to go to the seller for.

And instead:

""""For a hard stone, a disc with a soft binder is taken""""

Those. it turns out that for cutting granite and corundum, you need a diamond tool on a bunch of P1 (I don’t know softer) - Ha-ha ...

Due to its flexibility in processing, unique beautiful pattern and color, marble occupies a special place in construction and architecture. This natural stone gives the house a special status and sophistication. But to reflect all the beauty of marble, you need to work hard on it. Marble processing is carried out in several different ways. At the same time, it is important to observe the technology and the order of work, and then the stone will come to life and sparkle with all its colors.

Marble processing technology

Marble, like any other natural stone, is processed in several different ways. But there are only two stone processing technologies - mechanical and thermal.

During heat treatment the surface of the stone is heated to high temperatures or exposed to high pressure. This processing technology is most often used in industrial enterprises where there is the necessary capacity and equipment. But it should be noted that thermal technology includes stone processing with various acids and concentrated surfactants.

Mechanical processing technology speaks for itself. The surface of the stone is exposed to various abrasive tools. This processing technology is used both at specialized enterprises and individual stone masters.

Thermal and mechanical stone processing technologies are used for all types of stone. Each of these two processing technologies has its own processing methods. Below are the methods that are used in the processing of marble.

The mechanical technology of marble processing includes the following processing methods:

• saw cut. In fact, this is the initial stage of processing. The marble extracted from the quarry is sawn into slabs and then sent to the end customer or sent for further processing. In the first case, sawn marble has an uneven and rough surface with a well-defined pattern;
• grinding. This is the next stage of marble processing. In this case, the polished stone can be left in this form or sent for further processing. If sanding is the final step, the marble will end up with a slightly dull and matte finish. Usually polished marble is used in rooms where an anti-slip surface is required;

• spot processing. This method of processing marble allows you to create various sculptures from marble, as well as carve bas-reliefs on its surface. This option for processing marble is one of the most popular, since marble is a soft rock, and sculptors use it with pleasure;

• polishing. This method of processing marble refers to the finishing work. It allows you to reflect the pattern and color of marble as much as possible. And the sparkling glossy surface of the stone will be mirrored, reflecting the surrounding space. In addition, the polished surface is pleasant to the touch and absolutely smooth;

• . This processing method is also called bush hammering. It allows you to give the new stone an old look. Bush-hammering refers to the finishing work on stone processing;

The thermal processing technology of marble includes the following processing methods:

• heat treatment. This method of processing is used in industrial conditions and consists in short-term heating of the stone surface to the melting point. The result is a rough surface, on which traces of peeling are visible. This treatment is used to give the marble surface additional strength;

• crystallization. This processing option is similar to heat treatment. It pursues the same goals - giving the surface strength. But unlike heat treatment, crystallization is carried out using special chemicals, the so-called surfactants (surfactants) and various acids. As a result, the surface acquires additional strength and becomes a mirror, with a clearly defined color and pattern of the stone.

As you can see, as a result of mechanical and thermal processing of marble, its texture acquires a completely different surface. This allows marble to be used in different places and for different purposes. For example, marble with a sawn or heat-treated surface can be used for garden paths. But polished is good for stairs. At the same time, marble with a polished and polished surface can be used for finishing the floor, external walls of facades. As well as for decorating and interior decoration.

According to its structure, the stone is divided into hard and soft rocks. Marble is soft, which has earned the special devotion of stone masters. But, despite the high softness, the processing of marble is quite laborious and requires the use of a tool with high precision and compliance with the technological sequence. Today, manual processing of marble is a thing of the past and a variety of tools are used to process it. It can be both stationary marble processing machines and hand drills and stone grinders.

Special machines are used to cut marble slabs into smaller slabs., such as Fraccaroli FB/G 3500. Such machines are classified according to power and purpose. These can be tile, cantilever and bridge machines. So the tile machine is intended for trimming stone in place and can be used both indoors and outdoors. But the pavement is only inside specially equipped rooms. In addition, such machines can be designed for wet cutting with water supply or for dry cutting without water supply.

An example of a water-fed melter is the Manta LX TB 120/750 from Nuova Mondial Mec. It is compact and powerful enough to cut stone up to 300mm thick and up to 700mm long.

Cutting and grinding of marble is carried out using waterjet cutting. A tool of this type is quite versatile and can be used for other types of stone. Such a tool is quite expensive, and only enterprises specializing in working with stone can afford it.

Used for grinding and polishing marble different types grinders and polishers. These tools are equipped with speed controls, water supply, soft start and other useful options that provide maximum grinding quality with minimal material and effort. An example is the LW 802 VR grinder and polisher from Flex or the CHA 430 AA grinder.

In addition to the tools described above, various marble processing tools are used. As well as CNC machines for the manufacture of elements such as balusters and bas-reliefs.

But by themselves, tools and machines can do little without special milling cutters and polishing wheels. There are a large number of different cutters and circles. But all of them are divided into four groups: face mills, profile cutters, grinding wheels and grinding discs. Separately, it is worth highlighting circular saws, which are used only on cutting machines.

End mills are used in the processing of the ends of stone products. Profile cutters are used for grinding, polishing and profiling edges without using a stencil. Milling cutters are used with stationary machines or small tools.

abrasive wheels And grinding discs used for grinding and polishing marble surfaces. They are mounted on console polishers or edge grinders.

Separately, it is worth highlighting abrasive And artificial aging diamond brushes. They are used to give the marble an antique look. Brushes from Frankfurt Diam-S and Airflex are examples.

Most of the marble supplied for sale is pre-treated at the manufacturer's enterprises. It consists in sawing and rough grinding, as well as impregnating the surface with polymer resins. This technological approach makes it possible to close microcracks and cavities. In addition, it protects the marble from damage during transportation. Such marble requires additional manual processing directly on site. Of course, there are ready-made marble products on sale, polished with a crystallized surface. But over time, the surface of the marble still wears out and requires restoration. Knowing how and what to do, and most importantly, in what sequence, you can process marble with your own hands without any problems.

The marble processing sequence is as follows:

• sawing and trimming of marble;
• grinding. Simultaneously with grinding, if necessary, cleaning can be carried out;
• artificial aging (optional);
• polishing and polishing. At the same time as polishing, it is also possible to stain the marble;
• crystallization of marble.

As already noted, this type of work is quite simple. It is performed on special machines and there are no secrets how it is done. It is enough just to set the limiters on the machine to a certain size and then carefully perform the work itself. Sawing and fitting marble slabs most often have to be done during their first installation. But if during the operation it becomes necessary to replace part of the stairs, floor or slabs on the wall, then you will also have to cut and fit the marble.

But despite the simplicity of this operation, two important moments. Firstly, cutting work is most conveniently performed on water-cooled machines. This will extend the life of the machine itself, and also get rid of dust. Secondly, when choosing a cutting machine, pay attention to the possibility of cutting at an angle. This simple option will expand the range of possibilities in the use of marble products.

After the installation of marble slabs, as well as in the process of their restoration, surface grinding is often required. This allows you to even out small differences and eliminate chips and potholes. Grinding is performed using an angle grinder with diamond or corundum grinding wheels installed on it.

The grinding work itself looks like this:

• we prepare the wash solution, dilute the concentrated surfactant and wet the surface. We choose the proportion according to the instructions on the package;
• remove excess with a grinder. If the treated area is very different in color from the rest, then we perform grinding. The main thing is to try to remove the minimum layer of stone from the surface;
• apply protective equipment.

After grinding, it is not uncommon to notice various impurities that have eaten into the structure of the stone. To eliminate them, you will have to clean the stone. The work consists in applying cleaning agents to the surface for a certain time. After the cleaning agents enter into a chemical reaction, the surface can be sanded. Below are the marble cleaners.

High-tech concentrated surfactant- used to remove surface contamination and previously applied protective agents.

Weak cleansers- used to eliminate various metal oxides such as rust.

Impregnating compositions- these substances are used for an already polished surface. Their main purpose is to protect the marble from further contamination.

Polyacrylates, polyethylenes And polyurethanes- These products are also used over an already sanded surface. As with impregnating compounds, their main purpose is to protect the surface.

Important! Impregnating compositions, polyacrylates, polyethylenes and polyurethanes are used in the event that further processing of marble will not be carried out.

Sanding "Antique"

The artificial aging of the marble surface makes it especially attractive to lovers of antique style. Works are carried out after the grinding process with the help of special brush nozzles.

The works on artificial aging themselves are as follows:

• prepare the wash solution. To do this, dilute the concentrated surfactant and wet the surface. We choose the proportion according to the instructions on the package;
• using a grinder with a special nozzle, we grind the surface;
• using an industrial vacuum cleaner, remove excess solution and let the surface dry;
• apply protective agents and proceed to polishing;

Polishing and polishing marble

Upon completion of the polishing of the marble surface, it is polished. For these purposes, the same tool is used, but the abrasive element in it is used in a finer fraction. There are no special secrets in polishing. All works are similar to grinding - the difference is in the abrasive element. Upon completion of grinding, it is necessary to apply protective agents, as well as to crystallize the surface.

This process is the final step in marble processing. As already noted, it gives the surface additional strength, and also enhances the color and pattern of the stone.

The crystallization works themselves are as follows:

• knead the crystallizer to a creamy state. For crystallization, you can use the powder crystallizer "CRISTALLO", or the liquid crystallizer "VETRO-GLASS";

• apply the paste on the surface of the marble and distribute it over a small area;
• using a grinder with an abrasive element of a fine fraction, we polish the entire surface until a shine appears;
• remove dirt and crystallizer residues with an industrial vacuum cleaner;
• thoroughly wash the floor.

The processing of marble, like any other stone, is a matter that requires attention and understanding of the work performed. But today, the processing of marble and granite, limestone, travertine and sandstone can be done at a professional level by a master without much work experience. And the key to this is strict adherence to the sequence in processing technology and quality tools.

Natural materials, in particular various types of stone, have a shapeless appearance before processing. To give them the necessary shape, and in order to make it possible to use them in the future, a special processing of the stone is used.

Only some types of materials that have decorative value do not require processing, first of all: corals, pebbles and pearls.

Today, modern stone-cutting production makes it possible to process almost any type of stone. The processing technology of marble, as well as other natural materials, is divided into several important stages:

1. Sawing blanks;
2. grinding;
3. Polishing.

How it happens was described earlier in the http: // site. For this, special technology and tools designed for these purposes are used.

As mentioned above, it is divided into stages, the first of which is the sawing of natural material. For cutting, only specialized machines are used. They can be tape, disk and cable.

After sawing marble, its surface is not particularly smooth and even, so the next step is to polish it. Polishing of marble is achieved by using an electric tool with special grinding nozzles.

In production, grinding and polishing machines are used for this. At home, for the processing of marble, the main tool is a grinder and polishing discs for it, with varying degrees of abrasiveness.

The final step is polishing the marble and protecting its surface for further use. Polishing natural stone a very important technological process that helps in many ways to reveal not only beautiful drawing stone surface, but also its natural color.

The most time-consuming part of the work associated with the processing of marble at home is, of course, cutting the material. It should occur with the use of water and in a room with good ventilation. This will help not only in cooling the tool, but also reduce the amount of stone dust emitted.

Stone dust emitted both during cutting and grinding of natural stone is very harmful, so the presence of a high-quality hood is simply a necessity.

Most often, for cutting marble at home, an ordinary grinder with an installed stone disc is used. For more precise cutting, metal sawmills with movable platforms are used.

Grinding and polishing of marble, in many respects similar technologies, allowing to give the material a finished look with a smooth surface. The tools that are most often used for such work are polishing machines and a grinder with grinding discs.

Well, for engraving natural stone, including marble, special devices with stone cutters are used. For subsequent processing of marble after engraving at home, an electric drill with polishing nozzles is most often used.

For a long time, marble has been used by man to give the interior majesty and aristocracy. The rooms, finished with this material, are distinguished by their magnificent sophistication and bewitching beauty. The nobility of this stone has inspired many famous sculptors to capture their masterpieces in it.

This material is practically timeless, and for many decades retains an attractive appearance. Due to its qualities and appearance, this stone will always remain beyond whims. fashion trends and trends. He is eternal, and from this pedestal he will mockingly and condescendingly observe everything vain and perishable.

But in fact, marble is the most common limestone, only having a high degree of crystallization of its particles. The strength of this material depends on the degree of crystallization: the higher it is, the stronger the stone. Besides all this, this natural material it is considered quite soft, which somewhat limits its use for some types of finishes.

Why are we in danger of cutting marble?

To create interior solutions from marble, it is necessary to give it the appropriate forms. Previously for trimming natural stone used mechanical tools, which could leave microcracks and other damage at the cut site. With the development of modern technologies, waterjet has become increasingly used. marble cutting, which allows you to cut the material without causing damage to it, as well as create a very thin, artistic cutting of the stone.

But all this is applicable for large and voluminous work with this stone, and if it is necessary to carry out small repairs in your own kitchen or bathroom, then the question inevitably arises as to how to drill marble? Now many will chuckle: if there was enough money to finish the bathroom with marble, then they will be enough to call a qualified master. What if you want to do all the work yourself? Then you need to be patient, as well as a drill with a set of diamond-coated tube or pen drills.

Drilling marble is a long and laborious process. It is necessary to drill at low speeds of the drill, while constantly adding water to prevent overheating of the drill.

We cut marble at home

In modern design, marble slabs are most often used for wall cladding, floors, as well as for the manufacture of window sills, countertops, etc. Before all these elements reach the final consumer, they first go through a processing cycle at the manufacturing plant. There, this natural material is subjected to cutting and subsequent grinding using pneumatic and electric tools (diamond wheels, marble cutters).

All these technological processes produced on specialized equipment and by qualified specialists. But what to do if marble cutting needs to be done at home? How to cut marble in such cases?

For cutting marble slabs at home, they use a grinder saw and special diamond wheels for working with natural stone. The saw needs to be operated at low speeds. In addition, water must be constantly supplied to the cutting site to cool the working tool, as well as to prevent the formation of chips and microcracks at the cutting site.