From Quarry to Landscape: Explore the Process of Chili Bar’s Slate Production
We invite you to dive deeper into this captivating process by watching our video that captures every step, from quarry to landscape. Witness the dedication of our team, the awe-inspiring natural beauty of the slate, and the transformation that takes place as it becomes a part of your outdoor world. We also want to extend special thanks to Sierra Landscaping Materials for their help with this project. If it weren’t for local businesses like them, our Black Slate would never make it to your backyard. We hope you enjoy the video!
At Chili Bar Slate Mine, the journey from raw stone to exquisite landscape element is a fascinating process that combines nature’s beauty with meticulous craftsmanship. We’re excited to take you on a behind-the-scenes tour of this transformation, showcasing the incredible journey of our black slate from quarry to picturesque landscapes.
Delving into the Quarry
It all begins in the Sierra foothills, where our mine is located on the biggest slate deposit in the Western US. Our miners carefully gather the slate from the hillside using bulldozers, excavators, and other heavy equipment. While this is the most dangerous part of a mining operation, we are lucky; most of the material we process has already fallen off the mountain, just waiting to be scooped up and crushed. This pristine material holds the promise of becoming something truly exceptional. As each piece falls away from the mountain, it carries with it the ancient history of the earth. These unique stones have been forming for millions of years, adding a layer of extreme reliability to the end product.
The Crushing Plant
Once the raw slate material arrives at our crushing plant, it undergoes thorough processing that shapes it into our renowned Slate Chips. A massive crusher first processes the material into a more manageable size. From here, conveyors move the slate to our hopper, where intense vibrations sort the chips through different sized screens. During this step another conveyor transports oversize material back to the crusher, to start the process again. This step ensures that every piece meets the highest standards of quality, ready to transform outdoor spaces into breathtaking works of art.
Beyond the Quarry
Once the different sizes have been sorted, they’re ready to be shipped out across The West. Hundreds of double transfer trucks visit Chili Bar each year and they all come for the same thing; Black Slate. Trucks are loaded, weighed, and sent off daily across California, Nevada, Arizona, and beyond. You wouldn’t believe all the places you can find your own Black Slate Chips! From sprawling rural wineries to urban museums and parks, our slate has found its home in diverse landscapes, elevating the aesthetics and adding an element of historic beauty. Perhaps your backyard will be next!
