Allan Adler wrote:
"jacob" writes:
Just having a go at stone carving using hard local limestone; 'hopton
stone'. Proper 'stone mason's' tools are expensive but builders chisels
and tools are cheap. Is it a good idea to use cheap SDS chisels instead
- either old ones hit with lump hammer or just used in the SDS drill in
hammer mode?
What's special about the proper chisels as compared to other bits and
bobs of steel tooling?
Did you get any answers to your question? I don't know myself. I'm just
here to post a question of my own on a related topic, but it seems from
the threads that in this group carving means carving wood or ivory, but
not stone. I just watched a video on stone masonry by Bill Child and
found it quite interesting and informative. The website he refers people
to in the video is www.stonemasonry.net. So, you might find some useful
information there. Also, if you contact the people who sell the tools you
think are not cheap, you might ask them why they think (if that is in fact
what they think) you shouldn't use the cheaper tools you would rather buy.
At least they will make their case and then you can bounce their arguments
off other people.
The question I was going to ask is this: as I watched the video, I
started wondering what techniques one uses in sculpting stone that
aren't just variants of the techniques one uses in stone masonry.
So, that's what I'd like to know.
--
Ignorantly,
Allan Adler
* Disclaimer: I am a guest and *not* a member of the MIT CSAIL. My actions and
* comments do not reflect in any way on MIT. Also, I am nowhere near Boston.
I got answers via other newsgroups but in general the answer seems to
be that you get your hands on whatever you can and just get going.
Options vary between tungsten (3 times the price but last 10 times as
long) through plain steel to all sorts of stuff which you make use off.
Metal working skills useful but not essential. SDS drills useable but
apparently the air line powered chisels are better because they move
about freely (rotate) whereas SDS are set in one position.
Stone masonry / sculpture basically the same techniques but masonry has
prescribed formal base but sculpture open ended.
cheers
Jacob