hand carving memorials/resperators

["George Graham" <georgergraham@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Karen,

Your question sure opened up the floodgates!

My dust mask is an Advantage 200 Respirator. I get it from Granite City Tool
Co. In Barre Vermont. It uses replaceable cartridges, and can be switched to
chemical mist use , easily. GCT's ph. 1.800. 451. 4570. Its surprisingly
comfortable, looks really bad, and can do double duty on Halloween. I use it
a lot because of the dust I make. Even though marble and limestone dust is
basically harmless, when you walk around town with white dust peeking out of
your nose, everyone stares!

I have copied parts of an old monument builders manuel written in 1910,
which gives detailed instructions on hand cutting letters. In general , on
raised letters, you never cut in a direction that is going perpendicular to
a corner or the bar of a letter. You  approach the corners cutting into the
letter. This is almost impossible to explain. Its much easier for you to go
ahead and make your mistakes on a practice stone. There is no better or
faster way to learn. Your hands and head will learn by doing!
I can pass on some general stuff.

I personally find it easier to work granite. Its much tougher and will stand
up to abuse. I am able to relax more when doing granite.
Just because marble is "softer",doesn't mean its easier. It is very brittle
and you can have a fractured letter that comes back to haunt you. Marble
requires your best skills.

Most important rule, as I say over and over again, SHARP chisels are
critical. Staying sharp will let you get away with little mistakes. You
don't have to hit as hard , and edges will be sharp and crisp. The issue of
using a router has come up , so I might as well get into that  while I'm at
it.

I haven't used a router on stone at all. I know the bits are available,and
are extremely expensive. I just don't see the need, when traditional tools
have been perfected for exactly this kind of work. A mallet and chisel or a
small air hammer and chisel  give the user total control  with no loss of
viability. That is what these tools do best.

I suspect that a router would have limited use, like removing background for
raised letters. I bet it would knock edges and corners off, considering that
its going 30,000 rpms.

 From high upon my soapbox I'll preach that if you are going to do high
quality unique hand cut lettering, it should be truly hand cut. If you were
to go the rout (pardon the pun) of routers, your work will not have the
style  and finesse that hands can give. Mass production of memorials has led
to computer stencil cut designs  that are sandblasted in. They are
efficient, moneymakers that almost anyone who can type  a computer can
generate, and they have absolutely no soul. If you have the talent to do
hand cut lettering, focus on mastering it,  promote your talent, and you
will find people who are willing to pay the price for truly special work.

Not many people can do this kind of work, so if you can, then you should
develop and share (and sell) your best work.
Ok, I'm done now. Spell checkers is a wonderful thing!

Keep your chisels sharp!
George Graham