Procedure for manufacturing artistic and utilitarian objects from stone

Abstract

Our invention titled A Procedure for Manufacturing Artistic and Utilitarian Articles From Stone, consists basically on cutting the stone blocks into flagstones to elaborate artistic and utilitarian objects and may be applied to nearly any kind of hard stone such as alabaster, onyx, marble, agate, etc. The flagstones are cut into pieces of different shapes according to the design of the object to work; then the stone pieces are refined with sandpaper to obtain a smooth and polished surface; finally the object is assembled by soldering the refined stone pieces using copper foil and lead or silver-based welding.

What we claim as our invention is:  
     
         1 . A procedure to work the stone that consists in: 
 a. laminating the stone into flagstones of approximately 0.8 cm. of thickness;    b. sanding the flagstones with sandpaper or electric sanders until obtaining a uniform thickness and a smoother surface;    c. cutting of the flagstones into smaller pieces according to the design of the object to work, by means of an electric ring saw or a manual saw;    d. grinding of the contours of the flagstone pieces with sandpaper or electric grinders;    e. refined sanding of the flagstone pieces with sandpaper of progressively increasing grit numbers (200 600, 1200) until obtaining a smoother uniform surface;    f. polishing of the refined surface with oxalic acid to obtain luster;    g. trimming of the contours of the flagstone pieces with adhesive copper foil;    h. soldiering of the trimmed pieces with lead or silver based welding and a solution based on zinc and chlorine;    i. protecting the welded lines with Patina that gives them color, luster and protects them from corrosion.    
     
     
         2 . The application of the procedure described above to any kind of stone, such as alabaster, onyx, agate, marble, quartz, and others.  
     
     
         3 . The application of the procedure described above for manufacturing artistic and utilitarian articles from stone such as lampshades and lamp bases, mosaics, panels for doors and windows, coffers and boxes, chandeliers, picture and mirror frames, ornamental figures and others.