Identifying Beach Pebbles for Carving?

["George Graham" <georgergraham@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Stephen and all,

If you are fortunate to live in an area that has gravel deposits left from
the ice ages, then you can pick through the remains of the biggest rock
tumbler imaginable. There is such a gravel quarry 10 miles from where I
live. Last year I went and picked through the cleaned pile. It was like
being a kid in a candy store! I carved a series of "boulder bowls" , leaving
the natural shape and surface so there could be no mistaking what it was.
Each piece is unique and special.

The good thing about gravel quarries is that they are very cheap. My cost
was $5.75 a ton.  The varity is overwhelming!

The downside is that a lot of the stones that have surived the ice ages are
extreamly tough and hard. I used diamond saw blades and carbide air hammer
tools . Nothing else would work.

I'm very iterested in saving the exterior texture and patina, which is
something that cannot be carved. I did polish the lip of some and discovered
some very beautiful stone inside.

If you don't live near one of these gravel quarries then look to your
landscaping stone supplier, as Clive said . They are an excellent source of
stone from all over the country.

Good luck
George Graham