Carving a Stone House Sign
You will need at least one good chisel, a quarter inch steel splitter will do the job. A steel club hammer, as small as possible, a straight edge or square and a scriber, a sharpened masonry nail will do, and a Riffle file would also be very handy. A riffle file is a small metal rasp with two shaped heads. If you don't have a riffle, use a small fine rasp.
Tips:
Search in your local street market for second hand tools, it may save you money.
If you find a small club hammer with a short handle and a hollow worn into the side of the head, rejoice, you have found an original stone carvers hammer!
Cut down the handle of an ordinary club hammer to about six inches, this will make it much easier to handle and control. When using the hammer with a chisel, strike with the side of the head, this will help you keep greater control of the both the hammer and the chisel, use the thumb pressed against the head or handle to help keep the hammer steady.
To hold the chisel correctly first lay the chisel across the bottom joints of the fingers and fold the fingers over to grip the chisel, do not clench your fist, the thumb rests on the shaft of the chisel to help with control. Keep both your elbows tight into your side and not waiving around in space, this will help with control, and also prevent shoulder ache. If you find this difficult, try to hold a pencil under your armpit while working!
To make a small scriber or point try using a sharpened Oboe masonry nail.
I suggest trying to carve out a sign in relief, that is where the carving stands proud of the background, rather like a cameo. Leave a raised border around the edge to reduce the amount of work. Choose a style of font that suits your house or design of house sign. However, I suggest not to use a font with thin or narrow sections, as these can be fragile when carving. You could include a motif , for instance a flower or leaf pattern but do keep it simple for your first effort.
Mark out the layout of your house sign or number in pencil. When you are happy about the design use the scriber and straight edge to scribe in deeply all of the straight lines in the design, even the straight lines on the lettering or numbers, then pencil in the scribed lines. When you are carving you will find the edge of the chisel can be lodged into the scribed lines for greater accuracy.
One of the most difficult problems to overcome is how to hold the piece of work steady while carving. To solve this problem fix the sign to a larger slab of stone or paving slab with plaster of Paris. When the job is done simply tap a chisel into joint between the sign and the backing, it will just pop off!
The first task with all stone work is to remove the waste material. Keep away from the lettering or border, remove as much of the waste as possible before tackling the important bits. Approach the edges of the letters gradually, don't try to do too much too quickly. Carving stone is really a process of shaving off layers until the required shape is achieved.
To finish off, sand down with a coarse grit wet and dry abrasive paper, used dry not wet.
Good luck, and please let me know how you get on, you can contact me through my website
Related Tags: house signs, engraved stone, house numbers, yorkstone house signs, granite signs, slate house numbers
Steve Walker has been a craftsman in stone and marble for 40 years. Leaving school at fifteen he entered an apprenticeship as an ecclesiastical marble mason with an old London firm, and in his long career have practised as a stone mason, letter cutter, restoration carver, marble mason and carver, fireplace designer and manufacturer. He has worked in old fashioned traditional stone firms and in modern marble workshops, in almost every type of stone marble and granite. He is now the sole owner, and craftsman of StoneEngravings House signs - http://www.stoneengravings.co.uk
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Home Wall Art: Get Value For Your Money
If you have a beautiful home, it is only natural that you may want to decorate it so as to make it m - Bejeweled by Mens Ring Tiffany
Tiffany & Co. is one of the largest jewelry companies in the USA that has expanded the market in mos - Inexpensive Ideas in Making Wedding Centerpieces
One practical way to cut down the wedding expenses is to consider do-it-yourself ideas. There are se - Preserve Moments With Picture Frames
Of course we don't want our memories to suffer the brink of oblivion that is why we always try hard - For Home Decor, Try Wall Art Prints
In order to make a smaller room look and feel bigger, many home interior decorators will use large w - How to Choose the Right Gift For Your Bridal Party
Your wedding day will likely be shared with friends and family members who mean the world to you. A - Beautiful Baby Shower Napkins
There are many thoughtful and creative things that you can make for your soon-to-be bride friend. Sh - Learn How To Decorate Your Living Space With Abstract Wall Art
Abstract wall art can offer you different ways to decorate or redecorate and express yourself. A lot - Adding Class to Your Home With Wall Art Painting
Since mankind's dawn the wall art painting has been a desired form of decorations. Early cave dwelli - Use Fine Art Oil Painting To Decorate Your Living Space
There are many good things towards buying fine art oil paintings for your home. For example: If one
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Homemade Baby Gifts and Instructions Ideas
A baby shower is a wonderful event that is filled with joy and happiness. Getting a perfect and un - Enter Photo Competitions
A great morale booster is to win or even place in a highly regarded competition. Many professional p - Why I Love Melt And Pour Soap Making
I love making soap using the melt and pour soap making method. In my experience it's the easiest way - How To Do Metal Detecting In Dry Sand?
In general, larger searchcoils will give better depth with larger targets and better ground coverage - How to Face Paint: 5 Things You Must Know Before Getting Started
Learning how to face paint can be easy and lots of fun once you know how. It's a great way to have f - Tips For Metal Detecting
A pulsing current is applied to the coil, which then induces a magnetic field shown in blue. When th - Christmas Soap Making
Since Christmas is almost here, what could be a better gift than Christmas themed hand made soap to - Why Choose a Wine Gift Basket?
A wine gift basket is probably one of the most beautiful gifts that a person is likely to receive. - Create A Metal Detecting Book
Are you purchasing a detector to use occasionally at a lake or beach? Or do you now find yourself wi - Simple Face Painting Designs: Where Can I Find Them?
If you're looking for simple face painting designs, you're not alone. Trying to find simple face pai
