Hello Geoff,
Stone carving tools are readily available, and generally
not too expensive. There are three main suppliers that I
know of, they are:
HARBRO SUPPLIES
45-55 Rear Seymour Street, Cockton Hill, Bishop Auckland,
County Durham. DL14 6JF.
Tel: 01388 605353. Fax: 01388 603263.
B.I. CRAWSHAW
3 Silverwing Industrial Park, Horatius Way, Croydon, Surrey CRO 4RU.
Tel: 0181 686 7997. Fax: 0181 688 7978.
TIRANTI
70 High Street Theale, Reading , Berkshire, RG7 5AR.
Tel: 0118 930 2775. Fax: 0118 932 3487.
27 Warren Street, London W1P 5DG.
Tel: 020 7636 8565.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.tiranti.co.uk
I hope this is useful. I have bought tools and equipment
from all three and they all are well stocked and
helpful, however personal experience would lead me to
Harbro, as they have turned out to be the most efficient
and helpful. They all will send you a catalogue and
price list, and all have a mail order facility.
As an example last week I dealt with Harbro over the
phone, looking for a particular style of hammer that I
have been after for some time, as well as some types of
chisels that had proved difficult to obtain from the
other two suppliers who are geographically more
convenient. Harbro had everything I wanted and
dispatched them so I received the within 24 hours.
The techniques for polishing stone are many and varied,
usually dependent on the type of stone. However the
above suppliers also will carry a variety of rasps and
rifflers that are used to smoothe stone. As far as
polishing stone that again depends very much on the type
of stone, as they all will take a different level of
polish, it also depends on the finished surface the
sculpture needs.
If you want a polished surface, having achieved a
certain level of smootheness with the rasps, a greater
level of polish can then be achieved by using wet and
dry sanding papers, which again range in a number of
grades, depending on the level of finish.
All of this will also depend on your patience and enegy
levels as you can probably imagine it is painstaking
work.
If you choose to do so, some of this labour can be
alleviated by using power tools.
One word of caution, you may choose to use a mask and
eye protection, espescially with sandstones, as
sandstone releases a toxic chemical when carved.
I hope this is useful to you and good luck.
Peter Brown.
Geoff Poulton wrote:
>I have been working with wood and metal to produce sculptures for many
>years. Recently I was commissioned to carve a piece in stone. The
>material was the limestone currently being used to repair Salisbury
>Cathedral. The sculpture is now finished and installed, however the
>fascinating process showed my ignorance of appropriate tools for carving
>and finishing.
>
>Where can I obtain a selection of tools for grooving and shaping? What are
>the techniques for smoothing and polishing stone surfaces? Can you please
>help?
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