New guy needs help..

[Scott & Karen Cantrell]

I have an interest in sculpting in stone and am looking for tools.

I have less than a small budget and would like to find some used tools to
start. Can anyone suggest a location someone could acquire such a find?

Sincerely,
Scott

[Dan McNaul]

Scott,

I went out to www.sculpturehouse.com to check for you and you're right, the
Basic sculpture set (Part# BAZ) is outrageous ($70 minus 10% online order
discount).

You can go cheaper. This is all you need to be productive and to get a feel
for the art.

You need a hammer, looks like part# H28 1lb hammer would do the trick
($17.00)

You need a point chisel (carbon, not carbide), looks like part# SC6 would do
the trick. ($8.25)

You need a flat chisel (carbon, not carbide), looks like part# SC12 would do
the trick. ($8.25)

You need a rake or fork chisel (carbon, not carbide), looks like part# SC2
would do the trick ($8.25)

You also need a sharpening stone, but you can get that at the local hardware
store, or you may already have one.

Total $41.75 - $4.17 (10% online order) = $37.58 plus shipping.

The chisels you will use the most are the point and the rake.

"Scott & Karen Cantrell" <wear...@alltel.net> wrote in message
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[Gary Waller]

Heres a learning tree for you (and JVR too)
http://www.learningstone.net/stonehoo/

A successful stone sculptor told me get into small scale pneumatic carving
tools as soon as possible, and learn how to carve bas relief panels (from
paper templates). This is if you want to make a living - and your neighbors
used to the idea of living next door to a rock basher (ask them if they
would prefer a rock band?). If it will always be a hobby, the sky's the
limit.

I love a program from SGdesigns.com called rapid resizer. At $39 it is
overpriced, but it works great to get a photo jpeg into any size printout.
You tape the printout together (assuming you have a 8.5" x11" printer) from
this you make your cartoons or templates. The templates guide your rough
cuts, and help work out your final details (where does that finger go
anyways?). For the beginner, bas relief is nothing more than transferring a
2d picture or drawing into a 3d picture or drawing. Some will advise a
maquette, where you could work out the relief in inexpensive potters clay,
before committing to stone. Some sculptors worked directly in stone, and in
Michelangelo's last unfinished pieces you can see where he changed his mind
where the arm was to go. But he also did detailed maquettes in his mid
career too.

Bas relief is the greatest challenge to a sculptor, because you must master
forced perspective. A true master, who also teaches, is Eugene Daub. Do a
google search and see if or when he is coming to your area (if you are in
US/Canada).

"Scott & Karen Cantrell" <wear...@alltel.net> wrote in message
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[Dan McNaul]

Scott,

I respectfully disagree with the idea of jumping directly into pneumatics.
Take a couple of years and "learn" the true nature and feel of the stones
(soapstone, alabaster, limestone, and marble) with a hammer, chisel, rasp,
and sandpaper. With a hammer and chisel you can actually hear the stone
communicating back to you of whether your angle of attack is efficient or
not. This isn't some kind of "Zen" or "Become one with the stone" crap I'm
talking here, you can actually hear what's going on inside the stone.

Then, once you've learned each stones limits and you're ready for some
speed, try pneumatics.

"Gary Waller" <ga...@mozaya.com> wrote in message
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