Mix the abrasive powder with some water to
form a slurry (Figure
I
) and place a dollop of
the slurry on top of the limestone inside the drill
guide block. (You’ll need to experiment with your
choice of abrasive to find the consistency of the
slurry that cuts best.)
Carefully insert the drill shaft though the hole
on the top of the frame and then through the
drill guide block that is clamped to the limestone
block.
Add sand to the sandbags and hang them from
the bolt located near the crank (Figure
J
). I used
four sandbags weighing about 30 to 40 pounds
in total as a drill weight. Once the sandbags are
in place, take a moment to make sure the drill is
properly balanced and won’t tip over when you
turn the crank.
Once that’s done, you’re ready to start drilling.
The completed stone drills are shown in Figures
K
and
L
.
CORE WORKOUT
Grab the crank and spin the drill. As the shaft
rotates, the abrasive grit between the copper
pipe and the limestone will begin to cut a tubular
shaped hole in the limestone (Figure
M
). You will
be able to feel the grit cutting into the stone as
you turn the drill.
When you feel the drill slide rather than cut as
you turn the crank, it’s time to add fresh abrasive
slurry. Also, you may need to remove the drill
shaft every so often to clear any packed slurry
from the inside of the copper pipe.
This is not a particularly fast process, but if you
are steady and attentive to the feel of the abrasive
against the limestone, you will make progress.
Try to imagine yourself as an ancient Egyptian
stonemason, laboring on a hot summer day,
making a vase or oil lamp or even a sarcophagus
for a pharaoh. You’ll soon gain an intimate
appreciation for how much easier we have it today
with modern tools and equipment!
107
make.co
H I
J
L
K
M
WILLIAM GURSTELLE’s book
series Remaking History, based
on his Make: column of the same
name, is available in the Maker
Shed, makershed.com.
William Gurstelle
M85_104-7_RemHist_F1.indd 107M85_104-7_RemHist_F1.indd 107 4/10/23 2:10 PM4/10/23 2:10 PM
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