stone inlays

Quoted text begins.There are also loads of companies now doing it with
computer controlled
water jet cutters, but it ain't the same.
End of quote.

Hi Walter and everybody,

I agree totally that water jet inlays aren't the same
being a fan of hammer chisel and sweat myself.

However, it is fascinating. I had the fortune of
visiting a workshop in Italy that specialized in inlay
work. Basically, what they were doing was laying the
base material and the inlay material one on top of the
other on the cutter and then cut out the shape. The
jet stream I believe was less than 0.5 mm and went
straight and smooth through both stones. You then
ended up with two 'backgrounds' and two identical
inlays inopposing materials which fit into each other
with no gap to speak of. What really got me was the
detail they could work to. At the time of my visit the
workshop was working on some Asian calligraphy, the
letters being white marble and the backgroung green
serpentine. Any other technique would have seen the
marble in dozens of pieces rather than the delicate
writing I have seen.

Don't get me wrong, nothing beats hand carved textures
and forms. It did impress me, though.

keep creating
Richard