SANDSTONE QUARRY FUN FACTS

SAW MILL

Flatbed railroad cars carried large mill blocks of sandstone from all over the quarry to the saw mill where derricks lifted the blocks onto smaller railroad cars that ran right into the mill.  Saws suspnded from the ceiling cut the sandstone right on the flatbed cars.  Stone for sidewalk slabs, paving and other non-building uses were cut by steel saws.  Diamond saws cut the finer stone destined to be used for building blocks and trim.  The saws were not the standard type with jagged edges.  Each saw was a long straight band of steel about 12 feet long, six inches high and three-fourth of an inch wide.  George Brickman worked in the saw mill for many years.  He and the saw mill crew operated the saws, run by air compressors, that cut by wearing the sandstone away as they moved back and forth across the stone.  Water constantly ran on the saw and stone to keep the saws cool and wash away the sand.  Six steel saws, about five feet wide, could each make up ten cuts in a mill block of sandstone one time.  The blades were fastened to end plates with bolted brackets.  Size could be adjusted by moving the blades along the plates.  The only 16-foot diamonds per foot, was 20 feet wide.  The expensive diamond saws cut smoother and were reserved for use only on highest quality sandstone.