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Tutorial on
carving stone
Tips on tools
Airline and compressor
As you
need a good compressor for your Cuturi hammers, the following
considerations could be interesting before buying your machine. At home,
I don’t have a 16Amps or 20Amps mains circuit so I managed to find a
compressor using only the usual 13Amps household socket. It produces
enough air for my pneumatic hammer. Before finding it, I had to struggle
to find the correct compressor. A sculptor has to consider the following
before buying a compressor:
The
most important criteria is the air consumption of the biggest tool.
Then, as a compressor manufacturer told me that the compressor shouldn’t
work longer that it is not working. That means that you need to double
the air consumption figure to find the correct size of your compressor.
Also, as a Cuturi hammer is always on, the air is always running, unlike
with other tools which have a trigger. All this information added,
because I have a Cuturi Type “U”, I bought a compressor producing 13cfm,
13Amps plug, 100l tank capacity, belt driven. I could have wanted a much
bigger machine but any bigger machine is powered using a 16Amps plug,
which should need a 20Amps circuit, and I didn’t want to do it for the
time being.
The
airline must allow you to work as easily as possible without becoming a
burden because of its weight, the difficulty to change tools rapidly,
its length and its diameter.
I use
a 20mm diameter airline (10metre long), clipped to the compressor
by a male snap body and a female quick release Snap Body, it’s a
“push-fit” adaptor
which can be connected very quickly. I have a tap to help me controlling
the flow, then I have added a thinner airline (12mm
diameter) to allow a maximum of flexibility when I am working.
Also, this end is quite light, which is even better. The end of the
airline is equipped with an end which is pushed and clipped to my Cuturi
hammers. The airline is always placed above me so that the weight of the
line is supported by the structure above my head, not by my arms. In the
end, all these adjustments make the chiselling extremely easy and
versatile. I can concentrate on my work without being tired by an
unnecessary weight. A Cuturi hammer with a chisel are heavy enough
though.
Maintaining tools
Any
hand tools
They
should be away from dirt and humidity, which is difficult especially
when these tools are not worked with often. They are better in boxes
than left at the air, greased or oiled with wrapped in cloths. To work
better and safely, your tools should be in good working order (wooden
handles with no splinters, tools kept sharp, rust free)
Chisels
The
sharp ends don’t like shocks, so prepare your area where your tools rest
before starting work otherwise, your concrete floor will damage the
teeth of your precious toothed chisels if they fall on the ground.
Electric tools
Because
electric tools don’t like abrasive dust from stone, it is better to
clean the machines with a puff of compressed air so that bearings and
the carbons don’t get burned too knuckle. Also, take great care of the
electric leads not to be cut when not careful, they are deadly. Twisted
cables can become a danger. When using an extension lead, remember that
depending on the cable section, you should unwind the whole cable if you
are using an electric apparatus more powerful than 1000watts, to prevent
an electric short-circuit. Water is another enemy, so you can’t use
water to wet cut. It is a silly advice but I am pretty possible that
some people would want to extend the diamond’s life by either wet
cutting their marble blocks or wet polishing. Don’t go there either.
Only special apparatus with built-in protection can be used with water.
Cuturi
I have
had some problems with corrosion with my Cuturi hammers because as I
don’t use them regularly, they catch rust. I have been explained by the
manufacturer to put it in a bath of naphtha, when not used for a very
long time. When needed, the Cuturi hammer should be dried at the air,
then, oiled and set to work. Every day, the Cuturi hammer should have a
small drip of special oil poured in the intake, set to work with no
chisel on for a few seconds, and then it can be used to carve with.
Keeping quality to a high standard
Raw
materials and tools
I’d
rather buy the best quality tools and the best stones than going cheap
and working with low quality raw materials and machinery. After all, all
the time spent carving must be valued by using the best marble,
limestone and alabaster. At first, I couldn’t buy expensive stones
because I couldn’t see the difference in the result. But now, it is
clear that sourcing the best materials gets more important as the
quality level of the artworks goes up with maturity. It doesn’t mean
that I have to re-mortgage the house every time I buy a stone, but
obviously, I spend a lot of time sourcing my materials as they are what
will be left after all the hard work will be carried out. Cheap tools
are a false economy as you will have to replace them very quickly for
the grade of tools you should have bought at the first place.
Note: best tools don’t always mean the most expensive ones.
Of
mind, body and Health & Safety
Carving
is a sort of activity which can result in injuries. So if you feel
tense, upset, frustrated or really angry, don’t carve any details, any
small work which could damage your health or even your delicate
sculpture. In the end, that would be even more painful than the one you
felt in the beginning. In these kinds of mood, it is better to take an
axe and chipping away a lump of stone you don’t want anymore. Obviously,
the first precautions must be to stay on the safe side and wear your
protective gear regardless of your state of mind.
When I
want to sculpt details or a very delicate area of the stone, I tend to
switch off the radio and deepen my concentration so that every blow is
perfectly measured. A mistake can’t happen in these crucial moments so,
I take a great care of my mood as much as my health to get the best of
what I can do without any compromise.
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