Synthetic Quartzite vs Marble Slabs

[Littlef]

1 hour ago, RidgebackCustoms said:

Very true.  I called around to a few shops before I found the good stuff and most were incredulous I would even ask.  But if you're in the Anderson, SC area I know a place lol.

That's a fine lookin scrap pile

[Gosut]

2 hours ago, RidgebackCustoms said:

Very true.  I called around to a few shops before I found the good stuff and most were incredulous I would even ask.  But if you're in the Anderson, SC area I know a place lol.

Anderson, SC? Have been there a few times, the last time in 1980, coming in from Hartwell, GA. That makes me think of Elberton, GA, and the granite there. At first glance, thought the photo was of a monument company lot, then noticed the granite in sheets. Think that most granite countertop material in the US is imported.

Thanks to the replies, think I'll go with the synthetic quartzite.

[MarshalWill]

I use a 1' x 1' piece of marble for a lot of my tooling. It has worked well so far but it is developing a fine crack across the middle. I also have a large slab of slate I use for larger pieces. It's pretty solid but I don't dare hit really hard on it. Your idea of quartz is a good one but like you mention, it's thinner. I have been tempted to get two slabs of quartz bonded together to make a thicker piece. I'll probably pursue that one of these days.

[Goldshot Ron]

I've used sink cutout granite pieces, scrap granite, and a 1.5" marble.  They all worked for a while.  The granite finally split in two.  I skive on my stones, and the marble is too soft to skive on.  The best find was at a monument company.  My wife and I were purchasing a headstone for a relative.  I asked one of the guys about scrap 3" stones.  I got one for free.  This company also had smaller stones (still 3 inches thick) for departed pets (about 12"x 18").  Yes, my stone is heavy, and I do not move it.  I set it into my bench, and that is where it stays.  I will say, I was not successful on my first attempt to find a discarded headstone, but I finally got lucky.  

[bruce johnson]

I don't see that anyone has mentioned granite inspection plates yet. You don't need a tight tolerance inspection plate for stamping on. I started out stamping on the 8x12 marble that Tandy sold and when my first wife died, the headstone company gave me a second stone with a small chip defect on an edge. It was good - plenty of mass for good stamp definition and absorbed sound well. The only thing that made me give it up was I wanted a bench with the stone inset and squaring up the edges was going to cost a bit. I ordered an inspection plate from Grizzly. They had a deal with Fedex Freight for shipping that was a smoking deal to get it to me also. They have several sizes of no-ledge and 2 and 3 inch thicknesses. 

[DieselTech]

19 hours ago, bruce johnson said:

I don't see that anyone has mentioned granite inspection plates yet. You don't need a tight tolerance inspection plate for stamping on. I started out stamping on the 8x12 marble that Tandy sold and when my first wife died, the headstone company gave me a second stone with a small chip defect on an edge. It was good - plenty of mass for good stamp definition and absorbed sound well. The only thing that made me give it up was I wanted a bench with the stone inset and squaring up the edges was going to cost a bit. I ordered an inspection plate from Grizzly. They had a deal with Fedex Freight for shipping that was a smoking deal to get it to me also. They have several sizes of no-ledge and 2 and 3 inch thicknesses. 

I was going to mention the Grizzly granite inspection plate/platen. But after I seen the $199 freight. I was like nope. Stone was $155.