Articles

If using power tools we create dust. We are wearing our masks so we aren’t breathing it in. But the neighbors… Wood dust collectors do not seem to work well. You can make a downdraft table but that is good for small projects ...

Visual references for hand proportions Marble hands by Patrick Doratti, Ted Fleming, and Art Wells                 ...

Bases are the frames for sculptures. To mount stone to a base you must use a pin to connect them (just glue will break apart). This should be a stainless steel rod so it won’t rust or a brass turning pin. To mount a turning pin drill the ...

To create a professional portfolio or to impress friends, it is important to have a clear picture of your work. Set up a backdrop appropriate to let the sculpture stand out. Black backgrounds avoid some shadow problems. Double-check that t ...

All the stones sold from 2sculpt are safe to carve. That means no asbestos, arsenic, radioactivity, or trans-fats. Still, you should always wear personal protective equipment (PPE), namely a paper mask and safety glasses. If you are usin ...

The most important tools are the basic hand chisels, a 1.5# hammer and a rasp. The first power tool should be an angle grinder (7.5 amps or more) and a diamond blade (or a Dremel if working very small). The next step is a big but wonderf ...

Enlightenment of Carving Stone (by a sculptor, not a geologist) There are thousands of possible stones to carve. Each has its own characteristics. They can be classified by hardness, workability, “bedding” plane, and chemical com ...

Useful diagrams for sculpting the human form.               ...

Useful diagrams for sculpting the human head Head Proportions (very generalized): 1. Distance between eyes is an eye width 2. The width of the nose is about one eye. 3. The eyes are at the vertical center. 4. The ears go from nose to e ...

Mark Donadio showed me how he etched a picture onto stone. He uses hobbiest Mod Podge to glue a picture to a flat stone. After it dries thoroughly he can rub the paper away with a sponge. The picture is then on the surface. He then uses ...

You can change the color of clear alabaster. This technique has been perfected in Italy. However, the dye is toxic and should not be flushed down the drain. If you want to experiment get the wood dye called ANILINE. Warm water to room te ...

Petro warns against flying hammerheads. Dry weather makes wood handles shrink. Soak the head and handle end in a solution of antifreeze (Propylene Glycol specifically) and linseed oil (50/50%). The solution gets into the wood cells and t ...

I have been told by a sage that there are two legitimate ways of dealing with flaws: 1) glue it before it breaks, and 2) accentuate rather than hide the break. I was unenthused about this sculpture. I left it in a bad spot and it got ki ...

I use the first two or three grits of sandpaper dry and the rest wet. I wash off the stone between grits and allow it to dry for inspection before continuing. Use an old sheet of 1000-grit sandpaper for a few minutes between grits to bri ...

First, those black abrasive blades are dangerous – my commentary. Diamond blades are wonderfully fast, long lasting and safe if used wisely. Use no more than a 5” blade on a 4.5” angle grinder (<12,001rpm): a 7” blade on a < ...

Use the right diamond blade for the stone and tool. Sintered blades are great for alabaster, limestone, and very hard marbles. They are the most durable but are not good for soft or medium marbles. Electroplated blades are for alabaster ...

Wanna get the finest detail? Try small carbide burrs. These are double cut steel burrs in 1/32” to 1/8” sizes for Dremel machines. With a steady hand you can get the most minute hairs or textures. The three basic types are rounded, f ...

 Yes, they are everywhere. I found many off the beaten path last year.  A visit to the Cimitero Monumentale di Staglieno demonstrates this abundance. Since the mid-19th century,  Genoans honor their deceased with elaborate marble carving ...

There are several ways to enlarge or “point up” from a model.  It is best to use an even increment of enlargement (2x, 3x, etc.) to make the math easier. (1) Use calipers and a ruler to transfer dimensions.       (2) Build ...

To laminate properly the surfaces must be very flat to avoid gaps. For large stones, we used power equipment, in particular, a Blackcat which is a diamond grinding wheel on an angle grinder. It still required laying a steel flat edge over t ...

“Rouge” literally means red. Not so in the polishing business: it means fine abrasive. After sanding up to 600 (higher on darker stones) you may still want that deeper color and shine. “Rouge” may be the answer. This is a block or ...

Sand, sand, sand. The more scratches removed the deeper the color and the more gloss. If you “finish” sanding and then wet the stone it might look much better. You can continue sanding to get more scratches out or apply a coat of color ...

Sandpaper and grinding tools made with aluminum oxide (AO) do not work well with stone. Silicon carbide (SC) grains develop new sharp edges as they wear so they are the stone-cutting choice – unless you have the diamond option. &nbs ...

There is no “magic wand” to finishing a stone sculpture.  It is just plain patience and work.  The critical work takes place in the beginning – getting the worst scratches out.  The steps are: flat chisel, rasps, sandpaper, rouge, ...

When choosing a stone for sculpting we must consider its consistency (how fragile it may be), it’s patterning (how busy it is), and its workability (its hardness). The MOH scale is a quickly accelerating rating of stone from “1” f ...

Yeah, stone is heavy. Alabaster weighs 160 pounds per cubic foot and marble 170 pounds.  Brute strength lifting is not wise: thought and cleverness rules here.  Think of the ingenuity of the Egyptians or Mayans of erecting tall stone monu ...

 Get a flat and level surface to work upon  Determine sculpture position; secure and hold it  Mark bottom level line  Cut bottom; check for flatness (might use a tile)  On larger bases, cut out the center of the bottom to make flatten ...

All the stones sold from 2sculpt are safe: no asbestos, arsenic, radioactivity, or trans-fats. Stones of which to be cautious are sandstone and granite (silica), soapstone (asbestos), and jade and copper (heavy metals). This is not to say t ...

There are hand and air hammer chisels – and rarely should the two meet.  That is an air hammer chisel should never be struck by a hand-held hammer. That distorts the shank of the chisel which, in turn, distorts the piston of the air hamm ...

Air hammers are a major investment. However, they increase speed to about 6 to 7,000 blows/minute. Still, you stay in touch with the stone meaning that you do not lose control; stay “spiritually” connected.  Too often with a saw or gri ...

Ravinder from India once drilled a series of small holes in a 6’ deep block of marble. He inserted feathers and wedges in each hole and hammered a little on them each hour for a couple of days. Sure enough, the stone developed a crack ...

For smaller or uneven stones a sandbag will stabilize the art-to-be. You can cut the legs off an old pair of jeans, fill it 2/3rds with play sand, and seal the ends with plastic ties. I like using old truck tire tubes from my car repair pla ...

Don’t. One wrong twist or extension can have long-term implications. I got impatient and reached over the edge of my trailer to lift the edge of a heavy stone just a little. Cantilevered at a 90-degree angle I did the worst thing and pull ...

Marble is compressed shells and bones. Its adventure starts on the seabed where these calciums deposit and eventually become limestone. Then one of two forces, volcanic activity or tectonic plate movement, compress and heat the limestone ch ...

Sometimes we need to secure a small crack, a micro-fissure, in a stone. Most often a few drops of super glue (Cyanoacrylate) will hold it until you finish working the area. I use the inexpensive stuff but for tight cracks, you might conside ...

You must use silicon carbide sandpaper (or diamond sheets or pads). The grains of aluminum oxide paper quickly round out and stop cutting. I use the first two grits of sandpaper dry and the rest wet. I wash off the stone between grits and a ...

A base is like a frame. It accentuates the sculpture. It is important to select a base that is not too busy or large for the sculpture. You don’t want to take attention away from your masterpiece. You want to have a stable base but so ...

All the stones sold from 2sculpt are safe: no asbestos, arsenic, radioactivity or trans-fats. Still, you should always wear a paper mask and safety glasses. If you are using power tools and therefore creating a lot of dust you need ear prot ...

The most important tools are the basic hand chisels, a 1.5# hammer and a rasp. The first power tools should be an angle grinder (7.5 amps or more) and a diamond blade (or a Dremel if working very small) and perhaps a straight “dieR ...