More Cool Tools

Looking for a good marking tool for stone? The dusty corner of your attic or basement may be the best place to find one. Old 78 RPM disks are made of shellac mixed with various fillers and compounds. When broken up, the edge of a shard can be used to draw a clear, black line on any stone surface. And unlike a crayon or pencil, they stay sharp. This was just one of the tips I got from Neil while being shown around the DSC equipment sheds in Lexington, KY last month. Besides being a mastercraftsman stone mason, Neil has invented and fabricated many useful stone trades items. I wish I’d had his drill template last week when splitting granite. The steel template has 3/4” holes drilled every 7” along its length. When placed on a stone, the holes allow a 5/8” bit to pass through and drill the stone. The template removes the need to measure and mark every spot to be drilled, very helpful when splitting multiple stones. Another time saving gadget Neil thought up is a sod cutter attachment that clamps onto the bucket of a skid-steer loader. This device cuts a 3’ wide strip of sod away from the subsoil, making a neat job of preparing the footing line for a long stretch of dry stone fence.