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The fabrication plant of Old World
Stone is located on 7 acres of industrial land in Burlington,
Ontario, Canada. It is conveniently located at the QEW highway
which allows us to access to the Greater Toronto Area and the
US border. The plant buildings cover 62,000 square feet and house
the latest technologies in stone cutting equipment.
Tours of the plant are available for groups of up to 50 people.
Schools of technology, property managers, contractors, architects,
engineers and design professionals are invited to contact our
offices and make arrangements for a convenient date and time.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Our in-house staff of design professionals are available to help
prepare shop drawings and templates, select the most appropriate
materials and detail their assembly. We use AutoCad for drafting
and detailing. Most
importantly, we have an extensive reference library of historical
and modern masonry ideas and over 125 combined years of expertise
and practical know-how.
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This reciprocating saw is capable of slabbing large dimension
quarry blocks measuring up to 11'(3.3 metres) in length by 6'
high. (1.8 metres). The blade measures 4.1m in length, capable
of running at 160 strokes per minute and has 42cm long stroke.
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The primary saw has a 64" diamond tipped blade and it's
carried on a 40 foot gantry over a 14 foot saw bed. All of the
equipment is water cooled. Precision guided lasers are used to
accurately cut the stone slabs and larger blocks. Computerized
controls ensure pin point accuracy, and increase efficiency through
automation.
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Next in line is the 40" diameter diamond tipped saw. This
equipment features a hydraulically operated cutting table. This
versatile and highly automated piece of technology has touch-screen
programming and is capable of slicing thin sections such as tiles
with precise accuracy and efficiency.
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The smaller 24" saw is next in line. Here, angle cuts and
drip details can be added. This computerized equipment is also
fully programmable to perform a series of cuts in sequence. Smaller
saws are used elsewhere in the plant for smaller dimension materials.
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Old world craftsmanship meets new world technology once again. The Blizz 39 five axis bridge saw for profile and shape work has a blade spindle which can rotate to 90 degrees for mounting of horizontal blades or routers. We have installed the CAD-CAM program for working 3D pieces. The speed and accuracy of this tool is amazing.
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Interesting detail may be added to any project with the addition
of turned elements such as balusters, columns, finials, urns or
spheres. The designer's profile is transferred to a zinc plate.
The hydraulic tracing arm of the computerized lathe follows the
profile exactly. A spinning block of stone mounted in front of
a rotating saw blade is transformed into a decorative accent piece.
With this system it is possible to produce multiple copies of
the exact shape. Over one hundred sandstone balusters were turned
on this lathe for the award winning restoration of Osgoode
Hall in Toronto. A variety of custom or standard profiles
are available to suit any project requirements.
Larger elements such as columns can also be turned on the lathe.
These are popular in residential design for entrances or colonnades.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! To help reduce waste going to the landfill
we have purchased and just installed a guillotine. This new equipment
is used to chop stone into useful dimensions for walling. We feed
it off-cuts from our fabricating operations.
We have for sale 200 tonnes of split-faced Indiana limestone in
random sizes which covers approximately 40 sq. ft. It is an ideal
material for house exteriors and garden walls.
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The newest addition to the plant is the Contoursaw which features
a 1000 mm blade that travels back and forth on an electronically
controlled bridge and is capable of rotating and lowering itself
to cut the profiles required.
In addition, a router attachment can be used to profile the stone
using selection of router tools, a technique which until recently
had to be performed by hand. Profiles and tool paths are designed
in AutoCAD and transferred to the machine through the touch-screen
control panel.
With both attachments the time it takes to prepare a stone for
finishing is greatly reduced.
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In the banker mason's shop, ornate detail is carved using air
hammers, or, in some cases traditional mallet and chisel techniques
are also practiced.
Old World's craftsmen will re-cut and consolidate friable surfaces,
repair damaged profiles, and replace other elements with new stone.
The creation of sculpted detail often begins with a deteriorated
remnant from a building or monument. In this example, carved panels
were re-created from eroded samples from the Legislative
Assembly Building in Toronto.
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Signs, date stones, plaques, and monuments with special inscriptions
or patterns can be cut into stone using rubber stencils and aluminum
oxide granules in our sandblast booth.
Hand cut or computer plot rubber stencils are adhered to the stone
surface, the letters or patterns are removed, and the blasting
begins. Once completed, the stencil is removed and the stone cleaned.
The Naval Monument in Burlington is an example of lettering and
crests which were sandblast in granite.
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Large flat surfaces of limestone are honed to a very smooth finish.
A variety of abrasive tool heads are used in conjunction with
water to produce the desired effect. This does not produce a surface
with a shine or lustre. It is commonly used for interior work
and large ashlar panels for building cladding.
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