stoc:stone_carving

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-# Stone carving+This topic is part of [[gt:crafts|Crafts & making]]. 
 +====== Stone carving ======
  
  
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-## What is stone carving?+===== What is stone carving? =====
  
 It’s working stone as a craft or as an art, in three main areas: It’s working stone as a craft or as an art, in three main areas:
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 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-### Types of stone+==== Types of stone ====
  
 There are hundreds of different types of stone, from extremely hard granite, through intermediate stones like marble and sandstone to soft stones like alabaster and soapstone. There are many different colours too, and all require different tools and techniques, and are suitable for different purposes and locations. There are hundreds of different types of stone, from extremely hard granite, through intermediate stones like marble and sandstone to soft stones like alabaster and soapstone. There are many different colours too, and all require different tools and techniques, and are suitable for different purposes and locations.
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-## What are the benefits of stone carving?+===== What are the benefits of stone carving? =====
  
 You can find your stone locally without having to pay for it – directly from nature, or from stone quarries that provide pieces for kitchen worktops, but who may be happy to give away smaller offcuts. In north-west Wales you can find slabs of slate at old, disused slate works, or even just on the side of a hill; they can be used for relief carving work. You can even use pebbles picked up from a beach for very small jobs. Even if you buy larger pieces, stone is not a very expensive material to work with. A one-tonne block might cost around £100, including delivery if not too far. You can find your stone locally without having to pay for it – directly from nature, or from stone quarries that provide pieces for kitchen worktops, but who may be happy to give away smaller offcuts. In north-west Wales you can find slabs of slate at old, disused slate works, or even just on the side of a hill; they can be used for relief carving work. You can even use pebbles picked up from a beach for very small jobs. Even if you buy larger pieces, stone is not a very expensive material to work with. A one-tonne block might cost around £100, including delivery if not too far.
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-## What can I do?+===== What can I do? =====
  
 If you want to work in masonry / repairs to buildings, you’ll need to do a City & Guilds with a relevant college and / or an apprenticeship. A number of cathedrals have their own works departments, training stone sculptors for repairs. Once you’re trained, there’ll be plenty of work, as there are lots of old buildings needing repair. If you want to work in masonry / repairs to buildings, you’ll need to do a City & Guilds with a relevant college and / or an apprenticeship. A number of cathedrals have their own works departments, training stone sculptors for repairs. Once you’re trained, there’ll be plenty of work, as there are lots of old buildings needing repair.
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 To sell your work, you’ll need to exhibit. There is a demand for smaller pieces, which may take a couple of hours and can fetch £50 or so. This may be a reasonably worthwhile sideline at first, as you could sell several per year. For larger pieces (for example, for hospital foyers, housing developments or parks), commissions are listed on the website of the [Royal Society of Sculptors](https://sculptors.org.uk/) - but it’s difficult to make a living from sculpture unless you make a name for yourself. To sell your work, you’ll need to exhibit. There is a demand for smaller pieces, which may take a couple of hours and can fetch £50 or so. This may be a reasonably worthwhile sideline at first, as you could sell several per year. For larger pieces (for example, for hospital foyers, housing developments or parks), commissions are listed on the website of the [Royal Society of Sculptors](https://sculptors.org.uk/) - but it’s difficult to make a living from sculpture unless you make a name for yourself.
  
-### Tools & equipment+==== Tools & equipment ====
  
 To practise any of this kind of work, it’s pretty cheap to get started. You’ll need stone, then depending on the stone and the type of work, a set of chisels, a wooden mallet and a pencil and ruler for design work. For letter carving, there are little metal hammers called ‘dummies’. For larger pieces, you’ll need to be able to collect / move the stone. A vehicle with an open back or trailer is useful, and anything over 60kg will require lifting gear – a block and tackle, and gantry, and with larger pieces you may even require a telehandler capable of lifting up to 3 tonnes. To practise any of this kind of work, it’s pretty cheap to get started. You’ll need stone, then depending on the stone and the type of work, a set of chisels, a wooden mallet and a pencil and ruler for design work. For letter carving, there are little metal hammers called ‘dummies’. For larger pieces, you’ll need to be able to collect / move the stone. A vehicle with an open back or trailer is useful, and anything over 60kg will require lifting gear – a block and tackle, and gantry, and with larger pieces you may even require a telehandler capable of lifting up to 3 tonnes.
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-### Health & safety+==== Health & safety ====
  
 You can get all health & safety gear from builders’ merchants: You can get all health & safety gear from builders’ merchants:
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-### Techniques+==== Techniques ====
  
 To remove large volumes of stone, use a ‘point’ (a pointed chisel). Make grooves from left to right, then top to bottom to remove stone quickly (by hand), for basic shaping. Then to refine that shape, use a ‘toothed’ or ‘claw’ chisel, which removes less material than a point; and then a flat chisel will smooth off all the ridges made by the previous chisels. To remove large volumes of stone, use a ‘point’ (a pointed chisel). Make grooves from left to right, then top to bottom to remove stone quickly (by hand), for basic shaping. Then to refine that shape, use a ‘toothed’ or ‘claw’ chisel, which removes less material than a point; and then a flat chisel will smooth off all the ridges made by the previous chisels.
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-## Further resources+===== Forum ===== 
 + 
 +This topic belongs to the section [[gt:crafts|Crafts & making]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/crafts). 
 + 
 +===== Further resources =====
  
 - [Rock & Tools](https://rockandtools.com/en/blogs/blog-rock-tools/discover-the-secrets-to-stone-sculpting-advanced-techniques-and-tools) - discover the secrets of stone sculpting - [Rock & Tools](https://rockandtools.com/en/blogs/blog-rock-tools/discover-the-secrets-to-stone-sculpting-advanced-techniques-and-tools) - discover the secrets of stone sculpting
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 +===== Related topics =====
 +
 +- [[craf:Craft| Craft production]]
 +- [[flin:Flintknapping]]
 +- [[drys:Dry stone walling]]
 +- [[stob:Stone building]]
  
-## Related topics 
  
  
-## Specialist curators of this topic+===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
  
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