Today there are a significant number of technologies that make it possible to give the surface of a stone a different texture. Different methods of treating the surface of granite allow the beauty inherent in this material to be revealed in different ways by nature. It is impossible to say which technology is the most popular. All of them allow you to get different results and are in equal demand. Modern stone processing technologies include:
- polishing,
- creation of a sawn surface (carried out in industrial conditions),
- grinding,
- polishing,
- heat treatment,
- bush hammering, etc.
Features of the technology
The stone is processed on a special machine with impact-rotational or impact action. The working body is a bush hammer made of hard alloys. The nozzle has a serrated surface. The frequency of arrangement and size of the teeth determine the shape of the relief that will be obtained on granite.
Before bush hammering, the stone must be subjected to heat treatment. A gas burner burns brittle minerals, impurities, and other substances that can affect strength from the surface layers of granite. The heat-treated stone becomes rough and matte. You can see what granite looks like after firing here. The stone is then sent for bush hammer processing. The created relief with a height difference of up to 0.5 mm is optimal for imparting anti-slip properties to the surface and preserving the natural shade of the rock.
The technology of impact-rotational bush hammering is used to give the stone a smooth relief without sharp protrusions. Impact processing gives a rougher surface and a more pronounced texture.
How to choose bush hammer?
For household use, it is best to choose attachments for a hammer drill or grinder.
Almost every craftsman has these tools, which means that a full-fledged bush hammer for the home will be relatively cheap, and at the same time fully functional.
Sculptors who perfect their works by hand should acquire a set of hand tools.
For professional activities in the construction industry, it is better to choose, depending on the working conditions, an electric or pneumatic option, which has a high impact force and operating speed.
You also need to have various attachments available to perform different types of work.
Areas of application of bush hammered granite
As mentioned above, the main purpose of creating a relief on a stone is to give it anti-slip properties. Granite tiles intended for cladding floors, stairs, and paving street paths are subjected to bush hammering. The rough surface reduces the risk of injury and makes it safe for pedestrians even when wet.
Bush hammering is also used for decorative purposes. Rough finishing is used in the design of monuments, monuments, parapets, embankments, and memorial complexes. Designers use bush hammering to give granite an ancient, aged look, as well as to achieve the visual effect of a massive structure.
Bush hammering can be combined with polishing. Pre-polished granite is sent for processing. Bush hammer acts on the surface pointwise, in strictly designated places. The result is a three-dimensional pattern consisting of alternating smooth and embossed areas. Using this technology, geometric patterns, ornaments are created on granite, and various images are applied.
How to choose a tool
If you need to bush hammer a surface, it is recommended to choose among the following options - manual and attachments for a hammer drill or angle grinder. Pneumatic ones are used by specialists when large amounts of work have to be performed. Sculptors use hand tools. In the production of finished granite or marble products, bush hammering machines are used. It is these devices that are used in industrial conditions in the manufacture of countertops, steps or monuments.
Having decided on the appropriate type of tool, when choosing it, you need to take into account the following recommendations:
Manufacturer - regardless of whether you buy a manual bush hammer or an attachment for a hammer drill, when choosing, you need to pay attention to the manufacturer. The effectiveness of the tool depends on this. Purchasing tools from little-known companies can cause not only rapid failure of the device, but also ineffective performance of assigned tasks
Purchasing tools from little-known companies can cause not only rapid failure of the device, but also ineffective performance of assigned tasks
Price – good tools will never be cheap. If you choose a manual bush hammer, it is better to buy a tool with a metal handle and a rubberized base for ease of work. It is better to choose a collapsible type for a hammer drill, which will allow you to change only the head if necessary.
Number of teeth and their sizes. It all depends on the type of work that you plan to perform with the tool.
With the right approach to choosing the tool in question, you can ensure the effective completion of the assigned tasks.
Mechanical bush hammer
This is a tool powered by some kind of energy source.
It processes the surface either by impact or by rolling star-shaped rollers.
Bush hammer nozzle
From options, both attachments for hammers, and specifically for construction power tools.
Mechanical tools, in turn, are divided into:
Electric bush hammers
A tool similar to a grinder, but instead of a cutting disc there is a round platform on which star-shaped carbide rollers are placed for bush hammering.
Cost – about 50 thousand rubles and more.
Pneumatic bush hammers
They work under compressed air pressure, but unlike a jackhammer, a compressor of less power is used.
The impact force is created inside the housing, and unlike electric models, the pneumatic hammer is practically not subject to overheating.
The main pressure on the treated surface is created due to its own weight.
The weight of such an instrument can reach more than six kilograms.
As a rule, the kit includes attachments with teeth of a pyramidal shape and in the form of longitudinal plates.
Due to the simplicity of the design, the tool is durable.
Its cost is from 10 thousand rubles (without compressor).
Bush hammering machines
This is stationary equipment designed for processing a large number of flat stone surfaces, for example, in the manufacture of steps and countertops.
There are both fully automatic and manual models.
The cutters are predominantly a spring-loaded rotating head with three rows of bush hammering rollers.
Such devices allow you to quickly process large volumes of stone.
The cost of the simplest models of heads starts from 5 thousand rubles.
For domestic use, bush hammer attachments for various power tools remain unrivaled:
Bush hammer for hammer drill
The most common version of this tool.
These are square bits with an SDS plus and SDS max type shank, with a different number and shape of teeth.
For a hammer drill, a so-called collapsible bush hammer is more often used, the shank for which is purchased separately for the type of power tool chuck.
The cost of a collapsible model paired with a shank is from 4.5 thousand rubles.
Similar to models for rotary hammers.
Common shanks are SDS and HEX.
Bush hammer attachment for angle grinder
An ordinary grinder can also be turned into a full-fledged electric bush hammering machine if you use special heads.
Their cost is from 15 thousand rubles.
This means that a grinder with such a head will be several times cheaper than a full-fledged electric hammer.
The main disk for bush hammering, on which the rollers are located, is selected in accordance with the diameter of the disks the grinder itself is designed for (125, 150, 180 or 230 mm).
Three-row and double-row bush hammering rollers can be installed on the main disk, as they are the most effective.
DIY installation
First you need to know the requirements of fire safety rules SP 7.13130.2013. This is the main document in the Russian Federation used when installing boilers, stoves and fireplaces. Next, you need to understand the amount of materials needed, including fasteners, chimney elements, and even tiles with adhesive. You will also need knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of these materials in order to work and apply them correctly. Don't forget to take at least one assistant. It will be difficult for one person to install a stove and chimney; heating equipment weighs up to 400 kg, and the pipes themselves are only light at first glance. We will be glad if you master the intricacies of installing stoves, fireplaces, and boilers. Perhaps in the future you will become our partner.
Types of shanks for corresponding hammer drill chucks
The tail part of the nozzle plays an important role, since it is this side of the nozzle that is installed in the hammer drill chuck. The easiest way to distinguish a drill from a drill is to compare their tail parts. If the drill has a cylindrical design, then on the drills the shank has special grooves. Experienced specialists will be able to determine without unnecessary difficulties whether the nozzle is suitable for the cartridge of a particular hammer drill.
To avoid difficulties when choosing drills for your rotary hammers, you need to understand their varieties. Based on the shape of the shanks, they are classified into the following types:
- SDS plus is a commonly found shank type with a diameter of 10 mm. The design of such a shank is presented in the form of a cylindrical base with grooves. These grooves are needed to connect to the tool chuck. There are 4 grooves on the nozzle, two of which are considered open or solid, and two closed. The length of the tail section on drills of the sds plus type is 40 mm, and the diameter of the working part ranges from 4 to 26 mm. Typically, such attachments with shanks are used to work with household and semi-professional power tools.
- SDS max - the main distinguishing feature of these shanks from sds plus is the diameter, which is 18 mm. In addition, the length of the part that is inserted into the tool chuck is also much longer and is 90 mm. The design of the grooves is almost identical to sds plus with a slight difference in their size, and the diameter of the working parts is from 26 mm. Bits with SDS max shanks are used in professional devices, as well as in jackhammers
- SDS top - this version of the tail section is less popular, and nozzles with an sds top shank are rarely found (the design is something between plus and top). The diameter of the cylindrical part is 14mm and the length of the inserted area is 70mm. Such drills are produced with working part diameter ranges from 16 to 26 mm
- SDS quick is an even less popular tail shape that was developed in 2008 by Bosch. The attachments with these shanks are significantly different from the previous ones, and they are more similar to drills. The hexagonal design of the shank has keys or protrusions instead of grooves, due to which the nozzle is fixed in the tool chuck. The advantage of this tail section design is that they are intended not only for use in hammer drills, but also in drills and screwdrivers. If you take a drill with this type of shank, then it is suitable exclusively for Bosch rotary hammers of the Uneo and Uneo Maxx models
- SPLINE is a new type of drill shank design for a concrete hammer drill, which has a spline design. This is a new type of shank for rotary hammers made in China. Spline shanks were developed by a Chinese company producing rotary hammers, which may have been the impetus for the transition from the usual sds plus and sds max to new devices. Today they are not very popular, but it is only a matter of time. Spline shanks on rotary hammer drills have proven their reliability and efficiency, so there is a high chance that you will soon have to replace the chucks on your outdated power tools. The SPLINE shank design is shown in the photo below
For ordinary household and even semi-professional models, standard drills with SDS plus shanks are used. These are the most popular models that are quickly inserted into the cartridge and also quickly removed from it.
