Stone carving tools.

[harlequin]

I would like to try and make my own stone carving chisels but I don't know what kind of steel to use. Can anyone enlighten me on this?

[Frosty]

Pick up a copy of Alexander Weygers book, "The Complete Modern Blacksmith." It has detailed instructions for making stone carving tools including how to ID and heat treat found steels for the purpose.

Frosty

[Fionnbharr (finn:-)]

Grant Sarver would tell you he makes the bits for jack hammers, and demolition hammers from 1085. Which can be had from old sections of railroad track, if you can find it legally, and work it... Agricultural steels tend to run from 1065-1095, and heatreated and tempered prooperly they would work well too. 5160 Coil spring would work to, again if you tempered back enough. Scrap demolition hammer bits if you have a scrapyard that sells them, or if you can buy them from a rental company would also work well... Jack hammer bits have an air supply hole through center, and shouldn't be used in a hot forge after being used as a struck tool, and with mushrooming heads and such there is always a schrapnel risk. Most S series steels would do fine too (the S is for shock resistant I believe>)

Whatever you end up using you should use a differential heat treat on it. By which I mean forge it to shape and then anneal or normalize as best you can, then harden just the working end, and temper. It is also recommended to use a Soft steel hammer. This is the safest combination, and will deliver the most energy to the stone.

So, do you want to buy new steel and are you looking for a shopping list? Or are you going to be scrapings, and just plann on using whatever is handy that will do the job???

[Farmer Phil]

I'm making some too. And following Uncle Frosty's recommendation re Weygers book, The Complete Modern Blacksmith. There's great info and how to stuff in there. I've been rounding up 3/8" to 3/4" coil springs for our chisels. It's the same stuff I use to make hot cut chisels with. Yep, only heat treat the working end. I still haven't solved all the stone carving hammer needs yet. (I need about ten sets of everything for a couple of high school stone carving classes I'm giving next semester.)

I guess it depends on what stone you're going to be carving. There's a world of difference between basalt and granite, at the hard end, and then alabaster, soapstone, limestone and sandstone at the soft end, with marble and jasper kind of in the middle. Also what scale/size rock will you be working? Will you being doing all your work by hand or using pneumatic and/or rotary tools as well?

All the best, Phil

[harlequin]

Well, I really haven't thought past making the chisels, but, I will be using a hammer and not pneumatic. I will be getting my material wherever I can find it and will probably work in marble but alabaster for now. I carved a life size skull for someone once.

[John B]

Make mine from octagonal tool steel, harden and temper just the business end, and forge the other end into a ball for striking (helps prevent splitting/mushrooming end)

[nett]

Ditto on Alexander Weygers book, The Complete Modern Blacksmith.

He was an original Modern Renaissance Man.
Alexlander Weygers Biography

[harlequin]

I found the book; "The Modern Blacksmith" by Alexander Weygers did he write a second book? And the book is great by the way. Very well written and illustrated nicely.
Thanks guys.

[nett]

Alexander Weygers wrote three books dealing with blacksmithing. The Complete Modern Blacksmith is a compilation of the three; The Modern Blacksmith, The Making of Tools, and The Recycling, Use, and Repair of Tools.

[BAbsher]

I make tools for the local Limestone Mills, normally S-7, forge in one heat, or machine the edge[s] and silver solder carbide.