Limestone Plaque

[Alexander James]

Hello All. A customer would like to do a dedication plaque for a new building in limestone. Does anyone have experience engraving limestone?This is a 18 X 24 plaque with coat of arms and an inscription. Customer would like brass cutout lettering partially inlaid into the engraving and possibly the coat of arms in brass.I only do laser engraving at this time....i have no experience with limestone.. i would like an outsorcing lead for the job.Thanks muchAlex

[Perry Brock]

I have lasered limestone quite a bit. It rasters well but with no contrast. It is also possible to get good depth but it takes numerous passes at high (100%) power and low speed (30%) on my 60w Trotec.

It is comparable to marble but lasering results in a sandy grit more than a dust.

I have masked it and color filled for fine detailed artwork and also 3D engraved it with good results.

I'll be glad to help.

[Alexander James]

Thanks for on how limestone lasers. I think the customer is expecting a rotary engraver finish and would like the engraved area inlay with metallic lettering. They would also like the letters slightly raised off the surface. Alex

[Dave Fifield]

I think you have correctly surmized that this is a job for a stonemason. Definately not the sort of thing you can do on a CO2 laser. My suggestion would be to go ask your local funeral arrangers who it is that does the headstones in your local graveyard. That'd be your man.

[Perry Brock]

I think you both missed my point.

Depending on how thick the individual letters made from brass are going to be and how thick the coat of arms plus the amount of protrusion your customer wants the letters to have, you can accomplish this on your laser.

I can make the letters for you in the font you specify or you can buy stock letters. You raster the pockets for the letters and since no one will ever see how deeply they are imbedded into the limestone this only needs to be deep enough to position the characters. About 4 passes will give you .020 to .030 inches of depth.

I will gladly build the desired plaque or make the brass text and coat of arms but you customer may not want to pay the shipping.