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how do i go about carving stone please?
hi, i often look on some of the work here with awe, wishing i could do stuff like i see before me, i have dabbled with wood carving in the past, as well as engraving (more like gauging out !) marble with a heavy duty pro engraver, i dont get alot of time to do it these days, but would like to try and get better, more for pleasure than profit,
below is a design i drew (well.. i’ve drawn it about 6 times cos it keeps getting rubbed off with the kettle that sts on it !) about two years ago, the marble is relatively soft, in the past i have done what joe mentioned on his latest thrad, basically carving out a deep V for the outlines and then adding the detail to the remaining material betwen them, relief something or other ?! i usually paint in the detail using modelling paints and a thin brush !
so, if i were to get some stone working chisels, wha should i look for, what looking after do they require, and whatwould be the best way of going about this sign,
please excuse the designs roughness, i literally sketched quickly over the faded outlines !
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4 Replies
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Hi Hugh
What about (dare I say it :lol1: ) a Dremel?
Chuckle…..are you reading Peter?
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quote Lorraine Clinch:Hi HughWhat about (dare I say it :lol1: ) a Dremel?
Chuckle…..are you reading Peter?
Yes I am always watching over you lot.
Hugh, if its real marble it should be very hard, if its what we used to call terrazo, its sort of a concrete made from marble dust, not quite as hard.
but it could be soapstone, very soft and workable with wood carving chisels, or a dremel. (for small intricate work a dremel is fine) :noeveil:
Anything harder and usual rules apply. A diamond tipped router would be the best way to go on hard stuff, hand chisels can be used, but its a matter of decreasing the cut and finishing with a carborundum stone to polish, Quite time consuming.Peter
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proper marble, just not a granite hard marble ! i have some offcuts (all from a stone masons i used to have to visit) that are so hard you can barely scratch them, and others not so bad, this stuff chips a little, i normally use a very fine point engraving tool/bit, takes hours !!
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Hello Hugh,
Only just seen your post or I would have replied sooner.
It is feasible to carve your design by hand without the need for a Dremel although if you have one it may save you some time.
Use either a mason’s dummy (1.5lbs or 2lbs) made from maleable iron (kinder on your tools and less of a shock to the carved material) or a carvers hammer (again maleable iron) same weight range.
Three chisels (Tungsten tipped) should do it although I can’t gauge the size of the marble from your photo and this will dictate the chisel sizes (for two of them anyway).
I would suggest a traditional vee-cut on the design and then either gold leaf it, paint it or leave it as it is. Don’t use silver leaf though, it tarnishes quickly and soon looks shabby.
If you require any further details on technique, tools suppliers et cetera, just ask.
Mike Delta.
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