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I have been on many boards and committees during my years at Stone World, and while they have all been important, and I feel like we achieved some worthwhile goals, no group has the potential to do as much good for the stone industry as the Natural Stone Council (NSC).

Calypso quartzite

Country of origin: Brazil

Specific mass (dry): 2,736 kg/cu.m

A year and a half ago, VIC International, with its engineering and manufacturing joint venture associate, Schubert Environmental Equipment, sought to address the problem of adequate water treatment for stone fabricators without “over costing the problem” with ultra high efficiency water cleaners.

Each year, the parent company of Stone World Magazine polls stone fabricators around the U.S. to get their outlook for the coming year and beyond. And over the past few years, the results have been overwhelmingly positive - for the short term as well as the long term. However, in this year’s report (beginning on page 58), the overall feeling was optimistic - but a bit more tempered than in the recent past.

Green Iron
Country of origin:  Brazil
Bulk density:  2.83 g/cu.cm
Absorption:  maximum 0.1% per hour
Compressive strength:  32.7 Mpa
Flexural strength:  7.2 Mpa

Designed specifically for the stone countertop fabricator, the Express 3200 from Regent Stone Products comes standard with many features that are generally sold as extras, the company reports. These features include: a heavy-duty cast iron bridge; a cast iron, fully synchronized and oil-filled rack-and-pinion gantry system that is sealed from the elements; and a direct-drive 20-hp motor with hand-held remote control.

The AIM MasterJetSaw, available from AGM, is a combination 20-hp saw and 50-hp waterjet. Engineered to be compact and efficient - open from the front and both sides - the MasterJetSaw systems offer easy loading with work areas that are free of obstructions. The MasterJetSaw is ruggedly designed for full-time production operation, with oversized bearings, full bellows way protection and optimized low-stress electronic servo drives.

Earlier this year, Stone World began conducting and publishing Online Forums with veteran stone fabricators at www.StoneAdvice.com. Our topics have ranged from templating to countertop and sink installation, and our latest forum on sawing techniques can be found on page 100 of this issue. We have been getting responses from stone experts around the country - from smaller shops with basic equipment to larger facilities with the latest stoneworking technology, and it seems that every response we get has a different, useful perspective on the matter.

Nordic Black granite
Absorption 0.04%
Density 168 lbs./cubic foot (2,691 kg/cu.m)
Compressive strength 25,567 psi (176 Mpa)
Modulus of rupture 1,649 psi (11.4 Mpa)

A young student has problems breathing when he is in school. He experiences itchy eyes, a runny nose and a constant headache. When he is not in school, he does not experience any of these symptoms. A young mother goes to work everyday and comes home feeling lethargic; she gets plenty of rest but she is always tired, but just during the week when she is at the office. When she travels, she cannot understand why she is not as tired as when she is not traveling. She reasons to herself that she should be more tired when traveling. These types of stories are becoming more commonplace. In many cases, these types of symptoms point back to “sick building syndrome.”