Post #300422 by Tipua on Thu, Apr 19, 2007 1:30 PM

Aroha Tiki tangata!

I've only just started to carve harder stone in the last few days or so (you may have noticed my soapstone thread?), so I'm not all familiar working it. Actually, I'm not all that familiar with carving ANYTHING - I only started a short while ago.

Anyway, inspired by Paipo, Tamapoutini, et al, I picked up some river pebbles - funnily enough - by my local river, the Murrumbidgee (cool name, don't know what it means...).

Being a volcanic area in the far and distant past I assume they're all igneous, or metamorphic - ok I don't know rocks - but I know for sure they're not sedimentry! There's not much sandstone around here.

So one of my questions is (mainly directed at Paipo) what substance do you put on river-type pebbles after you've sanded them? I put baby oil, but over night the stone just sucked it all up and dryed out (no pics, but you know what I'm talking about, no?).

My other question is about pendant holes. I found drilling the hole probably the hardest part about the whole carving process. I used various shaped diamond burrs to get through the stone, and I managed it, but there was a constant fear of breaking the stone. How is this more easily done? Are there special drill bits designed specifically for this purpose?

After Baby oil :up:

Also, how do you do those pendant holes situated behind the stone? You know, so you can't see the hole from the front? I believe they were first done by the Chinese - I read that on either Tama's or Paipo's thread.
How do you do them?

Oh, and I nearly forgot... What is the difference between grit numbers with diamond burrs? I have to admit my complete ignorance on the subject. :blush:

Thanks :)

[ Edited by: tipua 2007-04-19 20:01 ]