On Form is an exhibition of garden sculpture – all of it stone. It takes place in the rural idyll of Asthall Manor in Burford, Oxfordshire.
After going online only in 2020 due to Covid, it returned to the Manor last year and is back there this year from 12 June to 10 July, although you still have to book your tickets in advance, which you can do on the On Form website.
There is an open invitation to stoneworkers and carvers to submit their work to be included in this selling exhibition. Many have found it an excellent opportunity to develop a career in sculpture and carving. It's too late for this year, but anyone who would like to submit work for future exhibitions can find out how here.
You can see who is exhibiting what this year here.
All the sculptures on show at 'on form' are stone. The show is back in the rural idyll of Asthall Manor, in Burford, Oxfordshire from 12 June to 10 July. You can book tickets now.
Protecting eyes, hearing and lungs should be priority of working safely. Properly fitting masks should be considered essential in any dusty environment, especially when the dust contains potentially deadly respirable crystalline silica (RCS), as granite and quartz dust does. This picture is from Caesarstone’s new Master of Stone e-learning centre (read more about that here).
There are around 40,000 cases of people suffering from musculoskeletal disorders in construction every year, according to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). That’s aches and strains and painful joints, sometimes to a point at which it is debilitating.
There’s no getting away from the fact that sometimes working in the stone industry can be punishing, but there’s also no getting away from the fact that there have been a lot of devices created over the years – and many of them not so many years ago – that can take at least some of the strain out of moving stone around a factory and on to and into a building.
As D Zambelis says, traditional handling tools that have been used daily in factories, such as forklift booms, slab lifters and suction cups, are usually considered to be the first choice when it comes to lifting a piece of stone for processing.
Pillar cranes are frequently seen in stone company workshops and factories in the UK, used with vacuum lifts to load and unload machinery. Those pictured here were supplied by D Zambelis, which also supplies gantries and a range of other materials handling equipment.
But, says the machinery tools and equipment supplier whose range includes many materials handling products, with technology improving and more technologies being available, and with HSE expecting companies to be more responsive to how stone is handled safely, jib cranes and overhead cranes with vacuum lifters are a popular solution to moving materials around a factory. And D Zambelis supplies both.
They can be used for moving slabs into a factory from a store area, loading slabs on to a machine and unloading finished work pieces, as well as manoeuvring pieces around the factory for processing.
Jib cranes are used for moving pieces of stone between machines or placing them on A-frames, while an overhead crane is a safe solution to unloading slabs from vehicles rather than using slab lifters on forklifts. And there are bundle slab lifters, which can be attached to a crane and used to unload more than one slab at one time.
But D Zambelis says there is a growing interest in integrating material handling with the machines that are cutting stone on a production line, so that carrying the slab and processing it are part of the same system or structure.
For example, conveyor belts with automatic loaders can be used to feed slabs into the Italian five Axes OMAG saw that D Zambelis sells. The saw uses the suction pads on the head of the machine to position the workpiece. Once one job is finished, it can be moved off the table on a conveyor and the next slab put in place.
Such solutions require a more permanent installation or structure, but D Zambelis says they are considered an investment in safer operating procedures.
One of the benefits of such systems is that it reduces the amount of handling, which reduces the opportunities for people to get hurt and the workpiece to be damaged.
Digital inventory is also playing an increasing role in reducing handling and lifting, says D Zambelis, who supplies one of the systems available for this.
This involves setting up an area so slabs can be photographed as they are delivered. Slabs are individually photographed when they are unloaded and are given a unique QR code, with the data and photograph stored in a database. The information can be used when designing projects, making it easy to determine where the cuts will be made to make the most of veining, which really comes into its own for vein matching on waterfalls, back splashes and for book matching.
Having a digital inventory of slabs means that fabricators are aware of the slabs they have, what projects those slabs have been allocated to, and how they are to be cut for those projects, as well as having the drawings associated with them.
As a result, slab lifting and manoeuvring becomes more efficient. Slabs that are most suitable for vein matching are more easily identified, rather than an individual having to comb through the slabs to find them.
When cranes with vacuum lifts, automatic loaders and digital slab inventories are used in combination, the result is a factory that minimises manual handling, creating a safer fabricating environment, says D Zambelis.
Another Italian machinery company leading automation is Breton, and it has now introduced an automated slab storage unit called Breton Vertika, which is being sold by LPE Group – and LPE also offers a photographic slab inventory system. It is called Slabsmith.
The Breton Vertika is similar to storage systems used in archiving and in some warehouses outside of the stone industry.
Stones are stacked on separate frames for storage. The frames are on rails so they can easily be slid into a closed or open position (see the photographs below) by the motors operated from a simple control unit.
The Breton Vertika space-saving slab stacking system being sold by LPE.
The control unit is separated from the moving parts, so the operator cannot be in danger of being hit or squashed by the slabs as they are moved.
It is self contained, so needs no special foundations or structures as long as the floor can support the weight of the slabs. A single unit is 8.8m long and 5.15m wide. Units can be added together to increase the storage space.
Vertika allows stones to be stacked close together to minimise storage space (or maximise the amount of stock that can be stored in that space). To access the slabs, the simple electronic control unit operates a rack and pinion movement to separate the slabs that are required so they can be lifted easily from the frame. When the gap is closed, mechanical clips automatically join the units together.
It is ideal for use with the kind of slab inventory systems offered by LPE and D Zambelis, and Breton says it can be integrated easily with any warehouse system.
Materials handling equipment has not suffered too much from the shortages that have impacted many construction material supplies in the past couple of years, with many of the companies supplying the goods saying they had already increased their stockholding of faster-moving goods ahead of the Covid lockdowns in case there were any problems associated with Brexit.
Prices of transport and raw materials, particularly metals, have put pressure on margins and there have been some price rises, but all the suppliers are trying to keep prices as steady as they can.
One change at LPE, which sells ranges of materials handling equipment from Omni Cubed in America, Weha in Germany and Elephant in Italy, is that Kelly Wood has been recruited to sell the materials handling equipment. LPE Director Carl Sharkey says she is doing a great job and sales are up again this year.
She replaces Ash Butler, who has joined Simon Bradbury’s Stone Industry Group (SiG).
Among the products introduced by SiG is the No Lift Install System for transporting and installing worktops. It tilts through 90º, so it carries the worktop vertically for transporting and getting into the kitchen, then tilts to horizontally at the right height to slide the worktop on to kitchen units. It is especially good for tight spaces.
The No Lift Install System from SiG. Watch it in use on YouTube (click here).
Because it is easy to use, it speeds up the installation. And because the worktop can be slid straight off the No Lift on to the cabinet it is always supported, which reduces the risk of cracking or damage.
It means minimal awkward lifting for installers and makes it possible to fit large worktops without having to get more people involved in lifting, saving backs and time.
When it comes to the welfare of your staff, there’s no room to question quality, says Stonegate, which supplies an extensive range of products to help people lift and move stone and finished products safely.
Stonegate says it independently tests all its lifting and handling equipment to ensure it is well built and safe. It says stocking tried and tested brands, such as Hercules, with its heavy-duty, professional products that have undergone extensive testing, means its customers can feel secure they are in safe hands.
Stonegate says: “Underperforming lifting equipment is every stone fabricator’s dread. Our cutting-edge range of stone magnets, clamps and lifters are designed to handle all types, sizes and finishes of stone.
“From polished granite and marble slabs to porous concrete, rough-cut boulders, and sandstone blocks, we have a variety of stone lifters to get the job done right.
“Take, for example, the Stonegate Heavy Duty Scissor Carry Clamps, which are constructed using only the highest quality materials, including vulcanized rubber pads for added grip and protection.
The heavy duty lifting jaws (above) and Sky Rider slab grab (below) are two of the products in the Hercules range from Stonegate.
“Or try our Sky Rider, an automatic lifter specifically developed for lifting thin materials such as porcelain – it’s fitted with extra wide pads for increased surface area.
“We know first-hand how back-breaking even the smallest of installations can be, not to mention the numerous difficulties that can crop up on site during installation (gravel drives, steps – need we list any more?). Take the hard work out of the job and ensure it gets completed in one piece with our extensive range of handling equipment, including A-frames, dollies and carts, sink bars and winch carts.
“Our A-Frames are particularly popular for fitting out vans for ease of transportation. And, true to our quality-first policy, all Stonegate A-frames are powder coated for an extended lifespan and come with options of wheels, support bars and lifting eyelets.”
Stonegate also sells the EZ Pro Winch Cart, which is designed for raising, loading, and unloading finished slabs safely and with minimal labour. It has four solid rubber tyres on a sturdy frame, with remote control for additional versatility.
Another supplier of handling equipment is Waters Group. It has been the distributor of Righetti vacuum lifters in the UK and Ireland for more than 15 years and says the Righetti P3A625, a three-pad lifter with a 625kg lifting capacity and pneumatic tilt, is by far the most popular in the range as it perfectly suits the needs of the kitchen worktop fabricator lifting granite and quartz.
The Righetti P3A is Waters Group's best-selling lifter.
The easily replaced non-marking gasket pads are one of the reasons the Righetti lifters are so popular. Michael Nicholas, Director of The Marble Group in Hatfield, says: “I purchased our first Righetti vacuum lift around eight years ago to load our saws. This vacuum lift is still going strong, working in the harsh conditions of a worktop factory. We have since purchased another five units to service our edge polisher, CNC machines, waterjet, masons area and face polisher.
“The pneumatic system makes the loading and unloading of fragile materials accurate and effortless. We simply attach the unit to our jib cranes, plug in an airline and off you go.
“The Righetti vacuum lifts are a solid piece of handling equipment. The non-marking gaskets are easily replaced. All in all, very happy with this system.”
And with the increasing popularity of large ceramic slabs, Righetti saw a need for a new range of vacuum lifters specially for handling them. Righetti’s Sales Director, Olga Kaliska, says: “When we started to develop a new line of vacuum lifters entirely dedicated to big porcelain and ceramic slabs, we immediately understood that this material could not be handled in the same way as marble and other stones.
“What we learnt from the handling natural stones was useful but not enough. We were approaching a completely different material. The vacuum pads used for stones were not performing perfectly on ceramic, so our R&D division had to start projecting something distinct.
“After several experiments and plenty of material tested, we developed two types of suction cups specifically for porcelain. One is for smooth, standard slabs and the other, with softer gaskets, for irregular surfaces.”
Since porcelain slabs can be thin, to avoid them bending and breaking, especially when they are being lifted horizontally off a machine, the slab must be grabbed at various points, using several smaller vacuum pads. So, Righetti decided the standard central beam couldn’t be shorter than 2500mm.
Also, the frame had to be modular in order to be adaptable, with the arms moving along the central beam, and the suction pads had to move along the cross-arms. It would be necessary to be able to shut off individual pads so the vacuum lifter could be used for kitchen tops and semifinished products and the lift had to be able to tilt.
All this has been incorporated into the standard P8 and P12 ceramic Righetti lifters, which have a 0-90° powered tilt system driven by a joystick beside the handle. And they can be operated by compressed air or electricity.
The Righetti P12 porcelain slab lifter sold by the Waters Group.
P8 and P12 suit most of the needs of ceramic handling, but Righetti can also build customised vacuum lifters if customers have any specific requirements.
Righetti also saw a space in the market for a portable, customisable, single pad vacuum lifter aimed towards specialist architectural masonry companies.
Gone are the days of requiring a special size vacuum lifter for a one off large project. The Righetti Serie S1 has a range of eight easily replaceable suction pads. Custom made pads are also available on request.
And if there is no access to electricity onsite, the battery powered Serie S1-B, with an easily removable and rechargeable integrated battery, is the answer. It incorporates a visual and acoustic alarm warning of low vacuum levels as an essential contribution to health & safety on a noisy construction site.
The Grabo battery-powered vacuum lift is a powerful aid to lifting stone on-site, including porous sandstone and limestone. It is supplied by Amastone, the online Italian-based supplier of equipment.A Weha Kaiman. Weha equipment is sold by various suppliers in the UK. This picture came from LPE Group.Some of the trolleys and dollies in the Omni Cubed range sold by LPE Group in the UK.One of the range of Manzelli vacuum lifts sold in the UK by On Point Engineering.A vacuum lift from Elephant, another brand of materials handling equipment widely available in the UK. This picture is from LPE Group.
The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has launched an e-learning Health & Safety Certification course that can be used to gain a CSCS card by professionals who need to access a site but are not site-based.
Successful completion of the course, including the final exam, has been accepted by CSCS as a route to obtaining the CSCS Academically Qualified Person (AQP) card or CSCS Professionally Qualified Person (PQP) card.
CSCS says the successful completion of the course is an acceptable alternative to the CITB Health, Safety & Environment test.
This course was designed in collaboration with training company Accredex to plug a gap for a test for those who are required to visit a site (or sites) as part of their role but who are not site-based.
The course can be accessed on any internet-connected device at any time, so the modules can be completed wherever and whenever suits you.
There are six modules, including some not in the current CSCS routes to a card (such as staying safe on sites not controlled by a principal contractor).
The modules include legal requirements on site, safety on site, health & welfare on site, risk management issues, design of risk management, and environment protection.
The modules have a ‘teach me, test me’ approach that enables users to practice their understanding of the content as they work through the course.
Successful completion of the final exam gives the individual three years certification.
The course costs between £29.99 and £39.99 per person (it costs less per person the more people taking it within a company). The price allows for two attempts at the examination.
Restore London is anticipating its best year yet as it celebrates its 10th anniversary, giving it plenty to celebrate and look forward to, says MD John Rushworth.
From a window in Restore London’s offices in Queen Victoria Street you can look out and see St Paul’s Cathedral. John Rushworth, Restore London’s Managing Director and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building, believes that location is part of the reason for the company’s success.
Restore London wanted offices in the centre of the city to be close to the projects the company undertakes. Having them has enabled it to establish a reputation for responding rapidly if the need arises.
Although other specialist contractors now also have offices in central London, Restore London is proud of having led the way and is flattered that others have followed suit.
Of course, just being able to do something does not always mean it gets done. A second essential element is having a team that is willing and capable of responding in a way that customers want. And John Rushworth is proud of having just such a team.
“Because we’re not a big beast, the level of involvement from the directors is great. Clients like to have access to the directors and we have a hands-on, personal approach.”
Part of this is a 40-minute CPD presentation that Restore London offers consultants and professional teams. It includes a video of work the company carried out in Bedford Row that received 25,000 views when it was posted on LinkedIn.
John Rushworth (centre) FCIOB, the Managing Director of Restore London, with Operations Director Steve Morgan (left) MCIOB and Contracts Director Ian Tolliday on the roof at the firm’s offices in Great Victoria Street. St Paul’s Cathedral can be seen in the background.
Refreshingly different
It is factors like these that are enabling Restore London to look forward to the next 10 years as it celebrates the successful conclusion of its first decade of trading.
The celebrations will take place in September in Drapers’ Hall, in Throgmorton Street, where a considerable amount of Restore London’s Stone Award-winning work can be seen (see below).
John says Restore London now regularly appears on the same tender lists as companies that have been around a lot longer. He believes that’s because “we’re doing something refreshingly different” which comes from “a team with the right philosophy: that nothing is too much trouble”.
It is a philosophy John has nurtured and developed. “We do develop people to help them achieve ambitions when they see themselves being somewhere. We try to encourage their ambition and train and support them in that. We have two of the guys going through Chartered Institute of Building training at the moment. We are a Chartered Building Company and a training partner of CIOB.”
One of the people on a CIOB course is Arturs Legzdins, who received the ‘Rising Star’ Award in the Stone Federation Great Britain Natural Stone Awards 2020, although the winners were not announced until last year because of the Covid lockdowns in 2020.
John Rushworth said when Arturs received the Award: “He is without doubt a rising star within both our business and the wider industry.” It was John who entered Arturs for the Award in recognition of his contribution to Restore London’s success.
Another member of the team, Gill Parselle, who started in admin, was particularly interested in health & safety and has since become the company’s in-house health & safety officer, having successfully completed a Tech IOSH course.
She carried out risk assessments and developed safe working practices during the pandemic, which enabled Restore London to keep working throughout most of the various lockdowns.
A team ethos
Team is a word that comes up frequently when John talks about the rise of Restore London. “We value our people. Without them the last 10 years would not have been possible. Investing in our people (and technology), employing a dedicated health & safety manager early on (not something all companies would have done) and establishing the right culture is something clients recognise and appreciate. The business continues to actively champion apprenticeships, training and development to bridge the skills gap.”
Restore London was helped to a roaring start by being incorporated in October 2012, when the industry started growing strongly out of the recession that followed the credit crunch crash of 2008.
John had no doubt about how severe that crash had been because throughout the recession he had been a Director of other specialist contractors before starting his own business, the success of which now makes him wish he made the move 10 years earlier, although he admits “it was scary at the time”.
Award-winning projects
In its first year, Restore London, then consisting of five people, turned over about £500,000. It started working as a sub-contractor but John’s background meant he was no stranger to the restoration sector and he had plenty of contacts among clients and specifiers, and before long the firm was working as the principal contractor on projects. There was an impressive growth curve as the company regularly out-performed its business plan... at least until Covid struck.
The first significant project it won was the conversion of the former Liberal Democrats headquarters in Cowley Street into super-prime private residential accommodation (see box right).
It helped establish the company’s reputation and Restore London started to win regular work from major developers and contractors working in London, such as McLaren, CBRE, and ISG.
“The multi-disciplinary team we assembled meant we hit the ground running and delivered a challenging scheme,” says John. As a result of that project Steve Morgan, now Operations Director, joined Restore London.
Steve’s multi-trade background and understanding of M&E led to Restore London being appointed as Principal Contractor at Harrods on £1.5million heritage roof works. Restore London joined the ‘contractors village’ at Harrods that remains a satellite office, although John says it is “not quite as genteel as it sounds”.
Harrods gave Restore London the secured turnover that allowed it to be more selective about the projects it took and the clients it worked for, and it went on to work on other prestigious award-winning projects that further enhanced its reputation – projects such as the London First Award-winning Bow Street Magistrates Court; Camden Town Hall, which was concrete restoration but John says brutalist structures cannot be ignored; Dixon House in the City; and The Royal Academy.
Then came Covid
Covid did take its toll on Restore London’s growth. In 2020 the company looked lined up to break through a landmark turnover level but with projects shutting down and being put on hold, it did not happen.
Restore London itself did shut down for a couple of weeks, but thanks to Gill Parselle’s work, systems were quickly developed to allow the offices to re-open, with three people in at a time in three separate offices. Most of the by now 30 people working for Restore London stayed out on site and everyone got used to Zoom and Teams meetings.
“I think what it taught us,” says John, “was that as a team we had the right people. We bonded even more through the Zoom and Teams meetings. Turnover was certainly affected but we worked leaner and meaner and nobody was laid off. In the end, we had to take on two more people – a contract manager and someone on the pre-construction side.
“The pandemic was just a blip in an otherwise upward growth curve. Our secured turnover for 2022/23 is looking healthy and we would expect to be looking at turnover in excess of £10million in our 10th year.”
And John and his fellow Directors believe the prospects for Restore London’s second decade look bright. John: “The enquiries we get now are for the top, iconic buildings in London. We’ve hit that sweet spot with clients where working together is a pleasure. We have never been happier than we are now.”
Restore London is currently carrying out masonry work at the Grade I listed National Portrait Gallery, in St Martin’s Place, London, removing three northern façade windows to turn the openings into doors to form a new visitor entrance in the East Wing as a £1million contribution to an overall £35.5million redevelopment – the most extensive as well as the most expensive the Gallery has seen since moving to its current home in 1896.
Restore London has been working closely with the delivery team from Gilbert-Ash, the principal contractor, to provide various tooled finishing samples. And while the Restore London masons have been carrying out the initial working back of stone transom sections, other members of the team have been undertaking the removal of original materials prior to cleaning and storage ready for re-use.
The various samples of tooled finishes of the stonework are being prepared for approval by the professional team before the stonemasons hand work the final masonry. Restore London is also carrying out façade cleaning and restoration works throughout, including marble mosaics.
Nick Chantarasak, the Senior Architect from Purcell on the project, says: “It has been a real pleasure work-ing with Restore London at the National Portrait Gallery. I’ve really enjoyed spending time working through the issues on site and it’s already clear they will deliver an incredible result at the end – a project like this requires really skilled and passionate craftsman, which they are. I haven’t worked with Restore London previously, but I will be putting them forward in the future for similar heritage masonry work.”Restore London’s work on Drapers’ Hall, one of London’s Livery Company halls, in Throgmorton Avenue, included the erection of access scaffolding to the courtyard to overcome restricted loading capacity and access issues and ensuring no damage was caused to the building, rebuilt in 1772, or its contents, including valuable oil paintings, sculptures and antiques.
The ornate Portland stone façades were cleaned using a combination of Doff & JOS Vortech methods, coupled with careful poultice application to the ornate mouldings to remove heavy staining caused by historic water leaching.
Stone repairs included the replacement of Portland stone cills and mouldings, indent repairs, repointing and intricate repairs to ornate stonework (pictured above in progress). All repair and pointing mixes were expertly gauged to match existing mortars and were approved by Purcell, the architects on the project, before use. Other works included leadwork and in situ repair and varnishing of hardwood windows to achieve a high gloss finish.
During the project, noise levels were monitored, controlled and documented to ensure minimal disruption was caused to the building’s occupants. The work was completed ahead of programme, on budget and to the client’s delight.
Louise Priestman, Purcell architect, said afterwards: “Restore London have shown exemplary standards when undertaking the cleaning and repair works at Drapers’ Hall. The works were undertaken to the highest standard with attention to detail in both the standards of the repair works themselves and cleanliness and management of the site. Clear and regular communication ensured a smooth operation of all the works.
“Restore London’s attention to detail has ensured and protected the longevity of a very fine internal courtyard, which will be enjoyed and admired for many years to come. We would therefore recommend Restore London to anyone seeking out a strong team that can deliver on time and on budget.”Restore London was the principal contractor for the design, procurement and installation of all elements of this £4million restoration project in Cowley Street, London. It was a project that helped establish Restore London.
It involved a change of use from a Grade II listed office space used by the Liberal Democrat Party to a 7-bed ultra-high-end residential property.
The work included:
Complete new roof and roof terrace
Cleaning and restoration of external stone and brickwork
All new bathrooms, services, electrical, lighting and audio-visual
French polishing of existing woodwork
All internal finishes to timber, marble, stone and decorations
Repair and restoration of all retained internal finishes
Construction of new basement swimming pool
Installation of a lift
Window replacements.
The client’s Project Manager, Colin Davies, was delighted with the project. He said of Restore London’s work: “Fantastic results from a great team – the quality achieved in every aspect of this project is an absolute joy.” Restore London worked alongside Galliard Homes and EPR Architects for this Crown Estates project at 1-5 Great Scotland Yard in Westminster, London. Restore London initially provided samples and technical solutions for external finishes. Its team used a super-heated cleaning system to fully clean the façades, including those of the adjoining buildings.
Restore London repaired and replaced masonry consisting of stone, brickwork and glazed terracotta. Each material was finished and jinted using appropriate pointing techniques, including artisan tuck pointing. Additional works included stucco, render, tinting and mineral paint matching of special bricks (which could not be sourced).
There was Portland limestone renewal and the reinstatement of sections of brickwork, architectural metalwork repairs and replacement, York stone paving and steps and other stone features.
Jim Donnelly from the developer, Galliard Homes, praised the quality of Restore London’s work and added: “Restore London are not only very good at what they do but are a joy to work with.”
Nitya Sandstones has been in operation since 2016, and we take delight in providing Kandla Grey Indian Sandstone and Raj Green Indian Stones to your home.
Kandla Grey Sandstone has a distinct look throughout the year thanks to its gradient-like grey colour.
The vibrant colours of Raj Green Indian Sandstone create a sense of openness in even the smallest of spaces.
We are direct importers and suppliers of all kinds of Semiprecious and Natural stones, floorings, porcelain and various other building materials from Source to wholesalers and large projects. Specialise in projects VE.
Machinery, tools and consumables supplier D Zambelis was delighted with the enthusiasm among stone companies for its first open days at its new showroom and demonstration area at its headquarters in Essex.
The event was held 19-21 May. It was supposed to have been held last year, but was postponed because of the Covid pandemic. With restrictions now lifted, there was enthusiasm from the trade for getting together at a live event again.
Jasper Zambelis said afterwards: “As it was our first event we were a little unsure if people would be willing to travel great distances to come and see us, and we were expecting more local companies to attend. So we were truly surprised and pleased to see people who had travelled up to four hours to visit us from Leeds and South Wales, even though the weather was not on their side.”
During the three-day event, there was a range of machinery, tools and consumables on show and being demonstrated, giving visitors an opportunity for hands-on experience of the Achilli Gold, four and five axes versions of the Terzago CUTe saw, the Omag CNC Workcentre (DigiMill) and the five-axes Omag Digitale saw.
Also being demonstrated were the latest versions of CAD software from EasyStone and Taglio.
Visitors were able to view the range of tooling the company supplies, with a 10% off special offer during the event for those who wanted to take the tools away with them after having all their technical questions answered.
And, of course, there were snacks, drinks, and a buffet for visitors to enjoy.
Some visitors brought along details of projects they were working on to ask about the machinery and tools (and their settings) D Zambelis would suggest for the successful completion of those particular jobs.
On the Saturday, when the sun finally decided to make an appearance, even more people visited. And as it was the final day of the event D Zambelis drew the raffle.
Polishing Pads – Natural Stone by Safa Ltd (Bedford)
There were orders signed for machinery sales during the event and some customers who could not make it in May because they were too busy are now asking for more open days so they can take part. D Zambelis says there will be announcements about that in the near future.
The winner of the grand raffle prize, the Slab Lifter, Almaz Worktops commented: “The event was extremely well organised and we enjoyed seeing all the newest products from D Zambelis. As always, the Zambelis family were very welcoming and spent their time showing their products and answering all our questions.
“The biggest surprise came on Saturday when we were contacted by Jasper Zambelis, to let us know that we had won the grand prize. We still cannot believe our luck. We will certainly join the next open day event!”
Another visitor, Jamal Faisal from Stone Range, said: “It’s great for D Zambelis to have an open day like this. It’s good to see their entire range and capabilities.”
Engineered stone manufacturer Caesarstone has launched an online health & safety and professional standards training programme for stone fabricators in the UK.
It includes a virtual training centre with topics covering health & safety, professional know-how, and value adding.
You can take a look at it at bit.ly/master-of-stone, although to access the training centre you need to contact your local Caesarstone representative or email info@caesarstone.co.uk to receive a company code and ID number.
“We are delighted to launch the Master of Stone training programme in the UK,” says Amir Reske, Managing Director of Caesarstone in the UK.
“Since we set up our UK business more than five years ago we have promoted health & safety industry best practice to our customers, starting with the Caesarstone University.
“As our business has grown, we have moved this training material online in order to make it more accessible to those working in the industry.
“Master of Stone is the next step in this evolution and the e-learning modules have moved the industry forward again.
“The development of the program is an investment in our wider industry, and Caesarstone is committed to establishing a safe working environment for everyone operating within it."
The Master of Stone e-learning modules cover areas such as air monitoring, water with machinery, respiratory protective equipment, and worktop installation safety.
They can be easily accessed on any PC, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. Globally, around two thousand fabricators have already completed the training modules, which can be achieved in under an hour.
Having completed the course you receive a Master of Stone certificate.
By following simple guidelines, stone workers fabricating high silica content quartz and granite worktops and vanities can be kept safe.
Amir: “We have to keep working in such a way that protects and promotes health & safety in the workplace and the long-term sustainability of our industry, which is reliant on the raising of professional standards and the protection of all those working throughout the supply chain.
“A race to the bottom, in any sense, inevitably leads to compromises on health & safety, material quality, craftsmanship, service and industry professionalism, which in turn will set the fabrication industry on a declining path.”
Caesarstone believes there is a real need within the industry for clear, concise information, which is why it decided to provide a platform offering health & safety and professional information for fabricators.
And it is not just for UK companies. Caesarstone is based in Israel and launched its Master of Stone programme for international consumption in 2019, beginning with the publication of a Good Practice Guide that details how people fabricating worktops can maintain a safe environment.
This was handed out to fabricators working with Caesarstone in conjunction with Safety Data Sheets containing further technical and safety information. More than 650 UK fabricators have received these publications.
Since then the Master of Stone programme has evolved and now consists of several components, including a website, online training centre, certification, and educational and awareness material, all of it available free to everyone in the industry, not just those who work with Caesarstone.
The goal is to provide educational information and training, presented in a straightforward, clear and digestible manner. And it is available in 10 languages.
Through Master of Stone, Caesarstone emphasises that safety is a crucial part of a fabricator's professional skills.
The online training centre contains nine training modules, which take about an hour to complete. They can be seen on mobile phones, desktop or laptop computers.
With the right computers, software, CNC machines and attitude you can build yourself a Gothic monastery.
That’s what Carmelite monks in America are proving 2,300m up in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming. They couldn’t afford to have the new gothic stone monastery they wanted built by a commercial firm, so they bought themselves a bridge saw and a Prussiani CNC and are building their own.
They have just finished carving the stone for a Chapter House, an ornate chapel where the Roman Catholic monks profess their vows to live a life of obedience, chastity, and poverty. They have created a website with videos of how they worked the stone and tracking their building of the monastery which you can visit at carmelitegothic.com.
The monks had intended to contract the stonework to a commercial company, but Brother Isidore Mary, the 30-year-old monk in charge of construction, says: “When we heard the cost, we almost had a heart attack. There was no way we could afford it, so we decided to figure out how to build the monastery ourselves.”
In 2013 the monks purchased the Prussiani CNC and computers with CAD software for designing the stone and sending DXF files to the Prussiani. After several months of trial and error, they began carving ornate masonry and statues for the building.
Brother Isidore Mary: “Nobody is building authentic gothic buildings anymore. We had to rediscover the architecture principles from dusty old books and then apply them to the digital realm.”
One monk creates digital models of the stone elements and others convert it into DXF files for the Prussiani. Others lay out the blocks of Kansas limestone, sawn on the monks' bridge saw, on the Prussiani’s 4m wide carving table.
Once programmed, the CNC works 24 hours a day until the job is finished, leaving the monks to get on with their strict life of prayer and devotion, although they do finish the stones by hand using pneumatic chisels when the stone comes off the CNC.
The monks say they chose to build in Gothic style because they believe the soaring ornate stonework speaks to the soul and reflects some of the perfection of God.
“It’s our offering to God,” says Brother Isidore Mary. “Even though building in Gothic presents many challenges, we are determined to overcome each obstacle. We believe God deserves to be worshiped in a fitting place.”
Below are scenes from a video the monks have posted on You Tube.
