Introducing myself: Clive Murray-White - Australian Stone

["George Graham" <georgergraham@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Clive,
I'll pass on a few ideas that you may have already tried, in your efforts to
carve and shape stone , and leave the stone looking like it wasen't carved.
If you can plan  ahead far enough, you can carve down an area, leaving a
raised area that can be broken or split off using old fashioned stone
cutting hand tools. This only works well if the side struck with a splitter
is at least half as tall as the area is wide.

I also use a diamond saw to make parallel cuts. The I knock off the stone
between the cuts.

Removing point marks is tricky. Some stone is easily worked with a propane
torch. This process envolves quickly heating up an area so it will flake and
seperate from the main body. Granite is especially good when using the
method.

Sandblasting damaged stone can also be very effective. Using different air
pressure and different grits of abrasive will give you many different looks.
Generally speaking , the finer the abrasive, the more you will see the true
color and texture of the stone. Corser abrasive will do more frosting and
blunting of the surface. I have used the dust from a dustcollecter at a
monument shop that sandblasts granite, to "blue" an area to remove airhammer
tool marks. This is extreamly dusty work!

Everything I have suggested takes a great deal of practice and
experimentation. ALL of these techniques are extreamly dangerous, and can
cause injury if you don't take correct precautions!!!

I agree and identify with your philosphy, and enjoyed looking at your web
site. Keep up the great work.

George Graham

Subject, removing tool marks and saving natural stone textures