sharry t Posted July 17, 2011 Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 Hello Everybody After lurking for a few weeks, I've finally joined your wonderful forum to try and get some advice and direction over the coming months. My 'day job' is as a model maker and celebration topper sculptor (weddings, birthdays etc) and I'm really interested in trying my hand at stone carving. I've got a few basic tools, some I already owned, some I've just bought along with some soapstone. I'm hoping to start carving in the next few days while I have a bit of free time. Eventually, I want to try and put some pics of my WIP's on here and get your advice. I have no experience at carving and I'm self taught as an additive sculptor so I'm sure I'll need plenty of advice. I'll post some pics as soon as I have something worth looking at. Please be gentle with me. Thanks Sharry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janel Posted July 17, 2011 Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 Hi Sharry, Welcome to The Carving Path forum! I am not a carver of stone, but will caution you about not breathing the dusts that any of your carving activity makes. Stone carvers will have input on what to use and how to use it. Good luck with your adventures! Janel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie K Posted July 17, 2011 Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 Sharry: Don't worry, you'll do fine. I, like you, worked additively with clay, as I'll wager, do did Janel (looking at all of her beautiful ceramics). You'll adapt. I would caution you about the soapstone; work outside if you can, especially for the roughing out part. This stuff raises an amazing amount of dust. I carved a piece about 6 months ago, and after cleaning my work area 3 times, I'm still finding dust. I wore a mask but the stuff made my lungs hurt for months. All that said, if you are using hand tools and working small, it shouldn't be that much of a problem. What kind of tools do you have? Have you thought about working in wood to begin with? I'm interested in what kind of sculpting you were doing; were you working in marzipan or making porcelain figures? Just curious. Debbie K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharry t Posted July 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 Sharry: Don't worry, you'll do fine. I, like you, worked additively with clay, as I'll wager, do did Janel (looking at all of her beautiful ceramics). You'll adapt. I would caution you about the soapstone; work outside if you can, especially for the roughing out part. This stuff raises an amazing amount of dust. I carved a piece about 6 months ago, and after cleaning my work area 3 times, I'm still finding dust. I wore a mask but the stuff made my lungs hurt for months. All that said, if you are using hand tools and working small, it shouldn't be that much of a problem. What kind of tools do you have? Have you thought about working in wood to begin with? I'm interested in what kind of sculpting you were doing; were you working in marzipan or making porcelain figures? Just curious. Debbie K Thanks for the welcome and info Janel & Debbie. I'll certainly take your advice Debbie, I've set up an area in my garage to work in and have mainly hand tools, although I have a Dremel and also a pendant drill I use in my other work. I've got a good mask as well as I use chemicals when model making. I've got a mobile extractor in there which hopefully should help. I also want to try my hand at wood... I want to have ago at everything, so much so I don't know where to start! As for the toppers I work in wax so I suppose I use a bit of both techniques, I then mould them in silicon, cast them in resin and then paint etc. I've attached a pic of my latest topper which involved a bit of model making as well. It's all hand sculpted/built apart from the wheels. If you can be bothered there's more on my website at www.sculptedbliss.co.uk (hope it's okay to put site info on here). There's also a bit of info on the model making side as well here http://www.sculptedbliss.co.uk/modelmakingservices/modelmaking_services/Sculpted_Bliss_Modelmaking_Services_Image_Gallery/Sculpted_Bliss_Modelmaking_Services_Image_Gallery.html Thanks again for the welcome, hope to pick your brains! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharry t Posted July 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 Janel I love your work, I've just had a look at your site. Can I ask where you get mammoth tusk from (I'm in the UK by the way)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janel Posted July 18, 2011 Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 Hi Sharry, Yes, it is okay to put links to your web site in your posts, and links to outside information is good too. Thanks for the compliment. I acquired mammoth tusk from a dealer here in the US. He has not been able to acquire similar quality solid pieces for some years though, at least when I have inquired about it. Natasha Popova acquires tusk via Russian contacts, I believe. I really am not able to make suggestions other than using the internet, with cautions about checking out the vendors somehow. Maybe other members will have better suggestions for you. Janel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharry t Posted July 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 Thanks Janel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Hi,try http://www.boonetrading.com/NewNarwhalSectionsLG.html I got some fossil Walrus scrap from them. Maybe they know ? Also Miles Of Alaska, milesofalaska.net He probably has some mammoth. He's great to trade & purchase from, and you'll like the work he does. Jesse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharry t Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Thanks Jesse, I'm in the UK though so shipping costs and taxes would probably be prohibitive. I might check though. I was thinking of contacting some taxidermists as they may know where to get things like this from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas M. Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Hi Sharry, You can find some small pieces at Mercorne in France, a little bit closer than the US. Cheers, Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharry t Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Thanks Thomas, much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas M. Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 You're welcome. You may ask Gregory Delaunay, he uses quite often much larger pieces for his carvings. Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonecarverpaul Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 Hi Sharry. Im also in the UK . the land of sheep...Wales I have never carved Soapstone but i will look forward to seeing your work. I carve Bone ( Cow Bone ) to make pendants which i am pretty new to but i have work on www.deviantart.com/paulmellor .Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharry t Posted November 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 Hi Sharry. Im also in the UK . the land of sheep...Wales I have never carved Soapstone but i will look forward to seeing your work. I carve Bone ( Cow Bone ) to make pendants which i am pretty new to but i have work on www.deviantart.com/paulmellor .Paul I've been busy with other work these last couple of months so haven't had time to try much yet, as soon as I get something decent made I'll bite the bullet and put some pics up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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