Stone carving for beginners?

Sink-hole offcuts?

Owain

Reply to
Owain
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Just remind him tactfully that you don't want to see the outcome of a Biology practical in 9 months time ;-)

Owain

Reply to
Owain

The main thing is that she likes her dad. Everything else sorts itself out over time, but not that

Reply to
Stuart Noble

Good point ;-)

She did express an interest in doing some name carving so you might be onto something (more artist than sculptor etc).

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

Well exactly!

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

Oh, I guess, good point (and something I hadn't really considered Stuart) sorta taken for granted as such?

To be honest I didn't really think about having kids. I inherited one when I met my current wife (her daughter was about 8 or so at the time) but that's not the same as having a baby, especially your own (I was always ok with 'good' kids, especially when you could communicate with them properly, just didn't need one of my own).

Because her biological clock was ticking away and she was around 40 (I was 33) we decided if we were to go for a child of our own it should be sooner rather than later.

I still didn't have that paternal urge thing but we went ahead anyway.

As it turns out she has been 'daddies girl' and often my little chum and workmate. Up till having her own motorbike she was my regular pillion and still my key stoker (on the tandem). That's not to say we haven't had our moments but they are generally few and far between. ;-)

we haven't had any trouble with her .. she will share half of one of my beers if she feels like it or I'll share one of her ciders . She doesn't like smoking (just seeing her Nan die of emphysema a good reminder of why she shouldn't, should one be needed) and she has seen how the 'wacky backy' can screw up peoples heads when dealing with her (10 year) older sister.

Part of the reason she left college was she *thought* she would be with people who were looking to actually learn, be respectful of their tutors and each other. :-(

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

Another good idea, keeping on your decorate rather than carve theme.

My mate could probably keep her in materials for years! ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

And personalised cheeseboards could turn into a profitable sideline at a craft fair or on ebay

Don't let on they're of value :-)

Owain

Reply to
Owain

6:! is hard, no sign of crumbliness, once cured. But whether its any use for stone carving I wouldnt know, and suspect not. I'm guessing aerated blocks or mix would be better, as any local cracking wont propagate, and I know aerated blocks are carvable with a serrated knife.

Quite. Wrap em up in cotton wool and you get a kid without a clue.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

It's funny you should say that Owain, I've suggested all sorts of things that might earn her a couple of quid doing things like that but she's not really interested. It's not like she get's any pocket money as such (and never has) nor asks for any, outside of being able to pay her way if she is going round her boyfriends and they are getting a takeaway etc, she just isn't money orientated. Give her 20 quid to get some clothes and she's straight in the local charity shops. ;-)

An idea she came up with based on several political campaigners that knocked on our door, failing to see or choosing to ignore the sign saying "No free papers, religious or political reps". It was a small mirror that could be stuck on the outside of your front door saying "If you look like this, go away!" ;-)

To be fair I think they cut some offcuts up to provide samples to give away to potential customers but I bet there's a lot that goes in their skip.

I will ask the next time I go past though.

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

Definitely.I almost cried when I saw the skip at ours..

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Try Oolitic Limestone as a starter, in my very limited experience it is quite soft when "young" but hardens on exposure to the weather. When building a new house (early seventies), I was lucky enough to have an offer of two lorry loads from a small church that was being demolished locally. The inner lining consisted of cream coloured soft stone slabs which cut easily into brick sizes with the aid of a bolster and club hammer. I built an entrance to the site with the "bricks". I took a piece of the stone to our local University Geology Dep who identified it as Oolitic limestone, I think it is also known as Bath stone among other names depending on the quarry. Although I know nothing about stone carving, I'm fairly sure that this would be an ideal stone to start on. and has the advantage that it hardens on exposure to weather. I think that sandstone is slightly harder than limestone, but probably depends on the source. Hope this helps. Regards Don

Reply to
Donwill

If you are in Winchester you can see some of his work - the "new" Castle (County Buldings) where he carved the heraldic crests set over many of the exterior doorways. He also did the "proper" bust of William Walker - the diver who went under Winchester Catherdral - near the refectory. Elsewhere in the country you can see some of the work he did for Madame Tussauds - such as Henry VII's wives, Prince Charles, and many others - at Marylebone Road, Warwick Castle and maybe even Wookey Hole. Not at all in touch with what is on display and where as they are often moved and/or replaced! Oh - and for Andy Hall - he did the huge bronze statue of Seretse Khama that stands in Gaberone.

Yes - the firesharp (not a term I knew) tools are unsharpenable. Seem to be made by some Italian artisans (but maybe even they just import them)

- and they are incredibly hard. But once worn out they are junk.

When carving he preferred a reasonably hard stone - but not granite. On my stairs I have a small torso which is probably a particularly hard limestone. The round mallet (or whatever it is really called) is just about essential in order to get that rhythmic tap-tap-tap when you are looking only at the tip of the carving tool and the stone. (I suppose it is like a slow, relatively gentle SDS...)

Reply to
Rod

Because the hammer is round, it will not go down the side of the chisel and hit her hand, like an engineers hammer would. It is much more likely to bounce of at a tangent and either hit her fore arm or hit air. She could practice first (assuming that she is right handed) hitting the chisel slightly biased to the right, then the hammer will glance off and miss her. By doing this, she will find out when she hits it bob on by the solid thump.

HTH

Dave

Reply to
Dave

It always seems a shame when good stuff actually gets thrown away (by that we mean either burnt or burying in the ground of course .. no such place as 'away' ..) and not all stuff seen in skips suffers that fate. A local machine shop has all it's swarf and offcuts collected and get paid for it. ;-)

I did manage to re-direct some MDF before it hit the skip and give it to our daughters school at the time. However, the 'rules' often prevent such things .. so the kids go without (in this case there was no budget remaining for materials).

But then I'm sensible enough to know when something I 'give away' could have been polluted of carry unknown risks (outside the known for whatever the material is .. like MDF etc).

So I guess with headstones .. I don't suppose the raw cost of the materials + the labour is all we pay?

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

Notable places indeed ..

(been there)

(and there) ;-)

Ah, cheers Rod.

Talking of that, I saw some pretty sad footage of the practice as done now days in China and the likes ..

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the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

Ok ..

Cool. I think it's 'nice' to make use of something like that .. it sort of lives on in it's new role ..? ;-)

Handy, especially with all the acid rain etc ..

It does indeed Don, thanks. When I actually find somewhere that sells a range of 'stone' (I live in the Lea Valley so can get as much gravel as I want!) I won't look such a nib///nub///nob [1] asking for something suitable.

"Can I have a fresh lump of your best Ooltic Limestone please my good man" ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] For the Green Wing fans .. ;-)
Reply to
T i m

Understood. However, by the *sound* of what she was doing (removing 6 half bricks that were well set in some pretty hard mortar) for over an hour or so the hammer strikes were all pretty clean. Interestingly she chose to hold the hammer nearer the head, similar it would seem to how you would hold the real stone carvers 'dummy hammer'! ;-)

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call them "Dummy Mallets" .. ?

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HTH It does, thanks Dave .. ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

Found this link which might interest you.

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Reply to
Donwill

How about lightweight celcon type blocks as a first attempt , cheap enough and in varying sizes , soft enough that they can be cut with a tipped saw but still shapeable , might be okay as a starter ? Steve

Reply to
devonsteve

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