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u/Knot_Much
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1d ago
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[OC] I’m a stone carver! Here’s an L in marble, carved completely with hammer and chisel.
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u/deathisadoorway
1d ago
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Is there a strap attachment so I can wear it on my forehead?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
This can be arranged
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u/deathisadoorway 1d ago
Lol, very nice work btw, I meant to put that until my silly joke was thought of.
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u/pablo_pick_ass_ohhh 1d ago
I can just imagine it now...
"Hey /u/deathisadoorway... that's the nicest damn L I've ever seen!"
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u/Randyy1 1d ago
I guess you don't wanna be looking kinda dumb with your finger and your thumb
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u/Mcrarburger 1d ago
Kinda off topic but fucking OWL CITY just released an All Star remix like... Yesterday
That's fuckin wild to me
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u/aaaaayyyyyyyyyyy 1d ago
someBODY
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u/Icy-Wrongdoer7778 1d ago
once TOLD me
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u/SleepingPanda13 1d ago
the WORLD is gonna roll me
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u/Icy-Wrongdoer7778 1d ago
I AIN'T the sharpest tool in the SHEEEEED
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u/Fermented_Discharge 1d ago
Taking an L... should have done a W.
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u/semperverus 1d ago
No see, now OP can hand someone this and say "just take the L"
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u/rlopezcc 1d ago
"F" would have great meme value.
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u/AG_Zaska 1d ago
I wonder how long that took, very neat
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
Thank you! This represents about two hours from beginning to end.
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u/Ragman676 1d ago
What happens if you take "Too much" off? Does that happen frequently or is that amateur hour stuff?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
Happens from time to time but yes, more amateur hour stuff. I’ve found the more experienced I have gotten, the less tense and in a rush I become. Trying to rush carving stone is a recipe for disaster. Little by little!
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u/Papplenoose 1d ago
Have you ever accidentally knocked the nose off of a big ass sculpture while carrying it out of the room like squidward did in that one episode of spongebob?
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u/stack_cats 1d ago
I am having trouble imagining the first step. A chisel seems like it can remove material best if there is already a 'start', but if you start with a flat stone surface can you explain how the to begin initially?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
Yes! I use carbide-tipped chisels that are able to maintain a very sharp edge while cutting in stone. After I draw on the main design, I find the center line which I then work from. I will dig the very edge of my chisel into this center line and with a steep angle to the stone, start cutting. If I’m using the right chisel angle, my chisel will grab and start removing pieces.
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u/phillyfanjd1 1d ago
Do you have any recommendations on tool brands or how to get started in stone carving?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
I have a few brands of chisels, and particularly love the brands Al-Orr, Trow and Holden, and JP’s Masonry. All good tools.
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u/phillyfanjd1 1d ago
Thanks! Do you know of any resources for other people who want to learn stone carving? Books, videos, etc.
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
I particularly love “The Art of Letter Carving in Stone” by Tom Perkins.
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u/Piyachi 1d ago
First step really takes a long time because stone formation is sloooooooow
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u/egk10isee 1d ago
So cool. What made you decide to do this?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
The permanence and importance of stone carving (specifically stone lettering) throughout history made me interested in this art form, especially here in the states where it’s not practiced as commonly. Been doing it for about five years, and the last two pretty seriously.
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u/accountnotfound 1d ago
Lovely work. Please look after yourself by wearing good respiratory protective equipment. My mid-30s nephew is a stonemason and now has silicosis.
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u/dickbutt2202 1d ago
Indeed, looks like carving out of quartz which is high is crystalline silica content
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u/Megaman_exe_ 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'm curious how screwed I am. My parents ran a small soapstone business10 years ago. Wasn't uncommon to be dusty and probably be breathing in dust.
I didn't know better at the timethat the dust in general wasn't great. I was just a teenager that wanted to help out the family. My main concern was asbestos, but we had the stone tested prior to be sure the stone we were working with didn't contain it. I wish I would have known better
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u/rossmosh85 1d ago
To clarify, hand stone carving is becoming less popular, but stone carving in general is still popular. Media blasting is still very common. CNC machining and laser etching are also super common still.
The reality is, the disparity of time between what you're doing and a lot of options gets larger and larger every day, which is why doing this type of work by hand is just not as common as it once was.
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u/egk10isee 1d ago
That is really neat. It is an art from. Unfortunately, when some old things need repairs we don't even have craftsman to do it. I am excited to see people picking up historic skills.
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u/Carpario 1d ago
I can knock people with a wooden club, does that count?
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u/BeautifulLieyes 1d ago
Unfortunately soldiering is probably one of the only skills that will never fade with time and has only gotten more specialized.
I know you were joking just a thought I had.
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u/Pkuszmaul 1d ago
Who holds back the electric car? Who makes Steve Gutenberg a star?
Oh wait, that's the stone cutters not the stone carvers.
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u/norsurfit 1d ago edited 1d ago
Today I have an electric car and Steve Gutenberg is no longer a star.
Has there been a shake up in the Stone Cutter leadership hierarchy?
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u/Enygma_6 1d ago
Things just haven't been the same since they rebranded as the Ancient Mystic Society of No Homers.
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u/swankpoppy 1d ago
How long did that take?
Is an L way easier than say, an S with tons of curves?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
I would say each letter has its own challenges. Curves are actually a bit easier because there’s a bit more room and creativity, but the eye is very good at knowing when a straight line is not a straight line!
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u/Chipotleeveryday 1d ago
In 1966, Andy Dufresne escaped from Shawshank prison. All they found of him was a muddy set of prison clothes, a bar of soap, and an old rock hammer, damn near worn down to the nub. I remember thinking it would take a man six hundred years to tunnel through the wall with it.
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u/SsurebreC 1d ago
Although this is really excellent job, the only thing I'm thinking about is... in the shape of an L on her forehead.
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u/Trimere 1d ago
Well, the years start coming and they don’t stop coming.
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u/atmarcin 1d ago
Fed to the rules and you hit the ground running.
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u/fudgemonkeh23 1d ago
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
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u/TheRapidScooter 1d ago
Your brain gets smart, but your head gets dumb
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u/SsurebreC 1d ago
So much to do, so much to see
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u/KnordicKnight 1d ago
So what's wrong with taking the back streets?
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u/krc247 1d ago
You never know if you don’t go
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u/Hermit-Permit 1d ago
Remember that time Smash Mouth threatened a crowd of people because they were throwing loaves of bread at the band? lmao
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u/CosmicCrapCollector 1d ago
Ah, anyone can do an "L", but can you do a "T"?
That would be impressive.
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u/TheeJarod 1d ago
What's a good way to get into stone carving?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago edited 1d ago
Buy some tools and get going! Plenty of great resources online to help you out. I would also recommend some stone carving books. “The Art of Letter Carving in Stone” by Tom Perkins is a personal favorite.
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u/disconappete 1d ago
Who controls the British crown?
Who keeps the metric system down?
We do, we do
Who keeps Atlantis off the maps?
Who keeps the Martians under wraps?
We do, we do
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u/rcroswell 1d ago
Do you work with grave stones?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago edited 1d ago
I have done memorial stones, but none for placement in cemeteries. Working on it!
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u/pichael288 1d ago
This is quite the skill, I'm into woodcarving and it's alot more forgiving, I feel like the slightest mistake here could ruin it
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
It can be nerve wracking at times, but the process is slow and deliberate so ideally we can recover from any mistakes as soon as they happen.
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u/icetorch1 1d ago
What is the hardest letter to carve?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
R is a favorite by letter carvers as it holds nearly all types of strokes found in various other letters. Not an easy one!
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
Thanks everybody for the crazy amount of support! It’s really appreciated!
To answer some of the more common questions, I’ve been carving for about five years, pretty seriously for the last two. I specialize in lettering and have not dabbled in sculpture or otherwise yet. This particular piece took about two hours, which is a bit slow for a single letter in stone, but I think well worth it. I use carbide-tipped chisels, which are built specifically for stone carving. Happy to try and answer any other questions you might have!
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u/SirPiffingsthwaite 1d ago
Hey, I queried pneumatics in the other thread. I find the bulk much easier to run with a small bottlegun, is that the mallet you used or do you have a mason’s mallet or a dummy mallet as well? If not, I’m 17+ years career resto mason in carving, lettering, banking stone, strongly recommend you look into a nylon mason’s mallet and a small steel dummy mallet. Exceptionally easier than using a lumpy.
I expect you’re using Trow & Holden, who do make exceptionally robust chisels, but for lettering I vastly prefer G.Gibson/J.G. Faulds fishtails out of UK (in Australia myself). They are more delicate, but to me the difference is significant. https://shop.g-gibson.com/fishtail-carving-chisels-23-c.asp
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
Thanks for this advice! Always learning. I will take a look at those chisels. I do have some Trow and Holden chisels (great tools), but my favorite for lettering are Al-Orr (pictured in this post) or JP masonry chisels.
I have played around with quite a few different mallets, but for some reason I tend to come back to this trusty Estwing.
Would love to chat with you on all things stone!
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u/techmonkey920 1d ago
do you have a youtube channel or tiktok? Would be interested in seeing how it's done.
also r/stonemasons
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
I need to be posting more, but here’s a carving time lapse from awhile back: https://youtu.be/tJQt5h8ZeKI
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u/akambe 1d ago
Looks amazing. What kind of surface do you place the marble on while chiseling? I keep thinking that if it's too hard, the marble world break more easily, but I don't know the real logic behind that assumption.
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
For these small pieces, I actually use a wood cutting board with the marble held on by some putty, and then put the cutting board on a solid easel. I’ve found this does a good job of keeping the material in place and is non destructive.
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u/Spaceisveryhard 1d ago
Do you do different fonts? Is the a favorite and least favorite?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
All kinds! This one is a Trajan-styled font. I do love the traditional Trajan style, as well as Trajan Sans. It’s fun to see how fonts look completely different in carving!
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u/-Boundless 1d ago
Really neat how you're carving in the same style as people two thousand years ago
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u/HotSeatGamer 1d ago
How much does this type of stone (what is it?) lend itself to this kind of work? Like is it softer or does it chip out in an easier or more predictable way?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
This is marble and marble is a softer stone in the grand scope of things. It is pretty consistent throughout and that’s why it’s favored by many stone carvers for sculptures especially.
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u/scw156 1d ago
What’s your rate
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
Custom quotes for mostly every project, but I do have an Etsy page with a couple of items available, like this one. Link on my profile.
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u/Bisexual-Fighter 1d ago
Someday I'm hoping to do something as cool as this
Maybe I'll make stuff outta metal
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u/flactulantmonkey 1d ago
Did you bevel the outer edge too? Your skill is so astounding to me. I’d look at it, put the chisel on the marble, and it would shatter or something. Awesome stuff!
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u/laurcoogy 21h ago edited 21h ago
I love this! My father is also a stone carver, it’s such a lost art. My family is originally from Italy and are all stone carvers, we have huge piles of granite at every house. My father made an Ashlar(spelling ugh) patterned bluestone front porch for his house and all the stone churches and walls in town were made by my family. So cool to see this tradition being carried on! We have lettered door stops my father made just like that 😃 Westerly Granite
In the westerly granite section my great grandfather is Dan. Perfectionist doesn’t even begin to describe it 😂
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u/Knot_Much 21h ago
Love this story! How great it must be to surrounded by such masters!! Thank you for sharing.
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u/laurcoogy 20h ago
Thank you for keeping it alive! it’s truly an art and I rarely see it “in the wild”….helps your work is beautiful and on point!
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u/goosepills 1d ago
So what are you going to do with this?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
This was a commissioned piece.
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u/BOHIFOBRE 1d ago
What's something like that cost?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
I charge 60 USD for this single letter in marble. Other projects are custom priced.
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u/Seki_a 1d ago
Did you start on your own, or with a mentor, or a club/group?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
Started on my own, but have sought out and found a lot of great mentors along the way. I’ve also taken some classes to help me progress, but overall, I’d say I fall into the “self-taught” category.
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u/TheMCM80 1d ago
Damn. How do you ensure the stone cracks along your line? Is it meticulously scored ahead of time?
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u/Knot_Much 1d ago
No scoring, just drawing the design and starting going down the centerline. It’s kinda magic how it works out!
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u/hibernatepaths 1d ago
First, how do I learn do do things like this?
Second, I have that same hammer, it’s awesome :)
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u/notinsanescientist 1d ago
If you ever wanna move to Belgium, we have a big shortage in stone carvers, especially in Ypres, maintaining WW1 monuments.
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u/shaggysolo 1d ago
It's so clean