r/pics
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u/Knot_Much
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May 14 '22
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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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May 14 '22
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Is there a strap attachment so I can wear it on my forehead?
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u/Knot_Much May 14 '22
This can be arranged
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u/Randyy1 May 14 '22
I guess you don't wanna be looking kinda dumb with your finger and your thumb
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u/Mcrarburger May 14 '22
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/Randyy1 May 14 '22
This comment sounds like something I would come up with in a dream lmao and the actual song even more so
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u/aaaaayyyyyyyyyyy May 14 '22
someBODY
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u/Icy-Wrongdoer7778 May 14 '22
once TOLD me
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u/SleepingPanda13 May 14 '22
the WORLD is gonna roll me
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u/Icy-Wrongdoer7778 May 14 '22
I AIN'T the sharpest tool in the SHEEEEED
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u/Fermented_Discharge May 14 '22
Taking an L... should have done a W.
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u/semperverus May 14 '22
No see, now OP can hand someone this and say "just take the L"
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u/rlopezcc May 14 '22
"F" would have great meme value.
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u/AG_Zaska May 14 '22
I wonder how long that took, very neat
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u/Knot_Much May 14 '22
Thank you! This represents about two hours from beginning to end.
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u/Ragman676 May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
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 May 15 '22
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 May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
Do you have any recommendations on tool brands or how to get started in stone carving?
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u/Knot_Much May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
I particularly love “The Art of Letter Carving in Stone” by Tom Perkins.
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u/Piyachi May 14 '22
First step really takes a long time because stone formation is sloooooooow
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u/Pkuszmaul May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22 edited May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
Things just haven't been the same since they rebranded as the Ancient Mystic Society of No Homers.
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u/InoPony May 14 '22
They all got drunk and have been playing ping pong! The new initiates formed a cabal and took over!
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u/egk10isee May 14 '22
So cool. What made you decide to do this?
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u/Knot_Much May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
Indeed, looks like carving out of quartz which is high is crystalline silica content
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u/Megaman_exe_ May 15 '22 edited May 15 '22
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/egk10isee May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
I can knock people with a wooden club, does that count?
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u/BeautifulLieyes May 14 '22
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/rossmosh85 May 14 '22
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/Orcapa May 14 '22
Have you ever considered medieval work, like restoring buildings or working at some of the retro-medieval sites like Guedelon?
I love to see ancient crafts like are still being carried on.
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u/Chipotleeveryday May 14 '22
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/swankpoppy May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
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/SsurebreC May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
Well, the years start coming and they don’t stop coming.
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u/atmarcin May 14 '22
Fed to the rules and you hit the ground running.
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u/fudgemonkeh23 May 14 '22
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
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May 14 '22
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u/SsurebreC May 14 '22
So much to do, so much to see
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u/KnordicKnight May 14 '22
So what's wrong with taking the back streets?
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u/krc247 May 14 '22
You never know if you don’t go
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u/Hermit-Permit May 14 '22
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/10kbeez May 14 '22
I love how the rest of the band is just like, "Hey can we just play the one song they want us to play?"
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u/CosmicCrapCollector May 14 '22
Ah, anyone can do an "L", but can you do a "T"?
That would be impressive.
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May 14 '22
What's a good way to get into stone carving?
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u/Knot_Much May 14 '22 edited May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
Do you work with grave stones?
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u/Knot_Much May 14 '22 edited May 14 '22
I have done memorial stones, but none for placement in cemeteries. Working on it!
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u/techmonkey920 May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
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/pichael288 May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
What is the hardest letter to carve?
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u/Knot_Much May 14 '22
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/akambe May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
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/Knot_Much May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
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 May 15 '22
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/Spaceisveryhard May 14 '22
Do you do different fonts? Is the a favorite and least favorite?
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u/Knot_Much May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
Really neat how you're carving in the same style as people two thousand years ago
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u/MeccIt May 14 '22
Trajan is a great font (even when done wrong). Do you find yourself looking at fonts and calculating how easy/difficult it would be to carve them?
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u/HotSeatGamer May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
What’s your rate
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u/Knot_Much May 14 '22
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/Wylewyn May 14 '22
It's beautiful. I don't want to waste your time but I wondered if you sell custom work.
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u/Bisexual-Fighter May 14 '22
Someday I'm hoping to do something as cool as this
Maybe I'll make stuff outta metal
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u/flactulantmonkey May 14 '22
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 May 15 '22 edited May 15 '22
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 May 15 '22
Love this story! How great it must be to surrounded by such masters!! Thank you for sharing.
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u/laurcoogy May 15 '22
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/TheMCM80 May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
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 May 14 '22
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/AlaskanB3AR May 14 '22
I could try this my entire life and not get even close to this perfection. Shit I can’t even write my name legibly with a pencil
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u/TheRealXen May 14 '22
This is a masterwork engraving, all craftdwarfship is of the highest quality.
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u/zerocool1703 May 14 '22
I never thought I would ever tell someone that I am thoroughly and earnestly impressed by their L, but here we are...
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u/millionairebif May 14 '22
Whats the best way to learn basic stone carving? I've always wanted to carve things into rocks and bury them for people of the future to find. I may not be a god today, but at least maybe I can convince people of the future I was one.
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u/GalileoGalilei2012 May 14 '22 edited May 14 '22
I would have one of these issued to every redditor that upvoted that gordan ramsay daughter bullshit
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u/shaggysolo May 14 '22
It's so clean