Sculpting stone is the art of creating sculptures, normally with manual tools, from blocks of stone. This practice has been carried out for centuries upon centuries, practically as long as humans have inhabited the earth. If you’re just getting started in this world, would you like to know which are the most commonly used tools for sculpting stone?

Basic tools for working with stone

There are various tools for sculpting stone, but in general, these are the most frequently used by sculptors:

• Pitching Chisel. This is the basic tool for smoothing down rock – in other words, to get rid of the coarser parts of a material that is intended to be polished.
• Point Chisel. These may have different thicknesses and are usually also used in the smoothing-down process.
• Chisel.. The chisel is a basic tool used to cut small surfaces and shape the sculpture.
• Hammer. This is used to break and sculpt the stone by hitting other tools, such as chisels.
• Mallet. A hammer in the form of a club.
• Bell Hammer. A hammer with a bell-shaped end for hitting other tools.
• Tracer. Used to create straight lines on the stone.
• Toothed chisel. This is a tool whose structure is based on a paintbrush, but featuring cuts with separated teeth, key to modelling stone.
• Wedges. Separating wedges are used to split large stones more easily.
• Bush hammer. This tool is used to create rougher-looking surfaces.

Everything you need to know about dry stone at Rock&Tools

Now you know the basic tools for sculpting stone, are you ready to get started? At Rock&Tools we sell various tools for working with stone, providing only the best brands. On our website, you’ll find a wide catalogue of the best tools to cut stone – but if you need more information about our tools, get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to offer our advice. Join our community! Follow us here, on our Art Space and on our social media.

When it comes to choosing our stone-cutting tools, efficiency is everything. Since tungsten carbide become widely available in 1930, it has revolutionised the majority of the technology intended to cut hard materials. Today, we’re going to let you know why you should choose tungsten carbide tools, also known as widia. Let’s get started!

What is tungsten carbide?

Tungsten is a hard metallic element that, in combination with carbon, forms a metal alloy known as tungsten carbide. Although in its most basic form, carbon is a very fine powder, it can be compressed in order to be used in industrial machinery, tools and abrasives.

What’s more, it’s a highly versatile material that can be adapted to offer a range of properties. It’s precisely for this reason that more and more people are opting for this material above steel options.

Widia cutting tools

Tools made from this material are highly resistant to abrasion and can withstand much higher temperatures than steel tools. Tungsten carbide surfaces are used for the machining of materials such as stainless steel or in intensive-use situations in which other alloys would have a very short useful life.

Tungsten carbide is the hardest commonly used metal. Only certain precious stones such as silicon carbide (carborundum) are harder and, unlike tungsten carbide, these materials may only be used as abrasives, and not as cutting blades.

Why choose tungsten carbide tools?

Although they’re more expensive than tools made from other materials, they’ll end up being much more economic in the long term, as they last up to one hundred times longer than steel and allow you to work with a greater variety of hard materials. It should also be noted that they are very easy to maintain.

Everything you need to know about stone-cutting tools Rock&Tools

At Rock&Tools we sell various widia (tungsten carbide) tools for working with stone. On our website, you’ll find a wide catalogue of the best tools to cut stone and, if you need more information about tungsten carbide, we recommend taking a look at this blog entry. Need more information about tools? Contact us for advice. Join our community! Follow us here, on our Art Space and on our social media.

As we’ve mentioned before, dry-stone construction techniques use stone as their only construction material, without any kind of jointing mortar. On this blog, we’ve already told you about the tools required for this technique, the type of constructions that can be created, and even the elements used to store water. Today we’re going to tell you a little more about construction and dry-stone construction techniques in particular.

What steps do you need to follow to create a new dry-stone construction?

The first thing to do is that take a good look at the stones before you and order them by size and shape. This is very useful in order to then be able to quickly and easily use each one of them, as you can tell from a glance which is the most appropriate for the needs of the construction, as you need them.

Next, you’ll need to determine which is the most attractive or presentable face of the stone – in other words, which is smoother or has less irregularities. This side of the stone will need to be placed on the outside of the wall, always ensuring that when fitting pieces together, you do so using their most even side. Of course, you won’t find the perfect stone on your first try – it’s a process of trial and error. However, you can also use a tool to create a more polished finish on the visible face of the stones.

Once you’ve found the stone that fits your construction perfectly, it’s time to lay it. It’s essential that these fit together well and that there are few gaps as possible.

To finish fixing the structure, you can fill in any gaps with smaller stones.

Wall-construction techniques

Next, we’re going to briefly explain a few construction techniques for building a wall:

1. Ordinary laying. When stones of different sizes are not laid in any specific order.
2. Rubble-filled When stones or rubble are inserted into mortar joints in order to wedge larger stones together.
3. Laying in courses. When the long sides of the visible side of the wall are level, so as to create the appearance of regular courses.
4. Ordered and slanted laying. As well as ordering stones in rows, pieces are laid on a slant, as these are boulders that are difficult to fit together.

The two most well-known and used construction techniques are those with one or two rows. The latter is the most common – the construction of walls in two parallel rows, each with a visible side facing outwards and between the two an infill of small stones and mud.

On the other hand, for single-row constructions, as the wall is built higher, a parallel layer of gravel or smell pebbles is filled in at the back, which allows for water drainage and avoids stones expanding and causing the wall to crumble.

Everything you need to know about dry stone at Rock&Tools

At Rock&Tools we sell various tools for working with stone and for dry-stone construction techniques. On our website, you’ll find a comprehensive range of all the best tools for sculpting stone, with a huge amount of interesting information about this technique available on our blog. Need for information about tools? Get in touch with us for more advice. Join our community! You can follow us here, on our Art Space and on our social media.

Fuente fotografía: elperdiodicodelazulejo.es

Granite is a very versatile material, formed by the slow cooling of molten magma at very high temperatures. This is an igneous, white rock, formed under the earth’s crust – in which we find those crystals that are so characteristic of this stone. If you want to know how to cut granite and which tools to use, keep reading!

What tools do I need to cut granite?

Due to its characteristics, there are various ways to cut, drill or polish granite. You’ll need a powerful machine, as well as a grinder that allows you to use different types of cutting discs.

Radial and table saws are the most common tools used to cut granite, as they are the most effective at this task. Diamond discs allow us to make clean, straight and chip-free cuts.

How do you cut granite safely?

Cutting granite requires a great deal of precision and care; however, it’s important not to neglect that essential element: safety while working. Not just for you, but also to avoid damaging the piece you’re working on.

As you know, granite is a very dense material, and as such, it’s important to use the right diameter cutting disc, and to make sure that this is in good condition (do not use with non-rock materials). Here are some tips we recommend for cutting granite with all the necessary safety measures:

• Remove all accessories (watch, bracelets, bangles, etc.), tie up your hair if necessary and roll up your sleeves. This is essential in order to avoid any possible accidents.
• Use safety glasses or a safety mask.
• Check that you have the tool configured with the right setting.
• Work slowly to avoid losing control of the blade’s positioning.
• Always concentrate while carrying out these kinds of tasks.

Everything you need to know about dry stone at Rock&Tools

At Rock&Tools we sell various tools for working with stone, and if you have any questions about which tool you need for a specific job, don’t hesitate to get in touch. On our website, you’ll find a comprehensive range of all the best tools for sculpting stone, with a huge amount of interesting information about sculpture available on our blog. What’s more, you can also join our community! Follow us here, on our Art Space and on our social media.

Photo source: castellon-en-ruta-cultural.es

As many of you will already know, the dry stone building technique involves using stone as a single construction element, without the need for a mortar. We have already discussed this technique in other posts, as well as the tools used for it and the types of constructions that can be made. This time we’re going to talk about the different stone constructions that were used for storing water.

Discover them with us!

In areas with erratic rainfall, it was essential to make sure that there was enough water available for people, as well as for crops and livestock. That is why people started to build ponds and other types of constructions for storing rainwater. This category includes:

Ponds

A pond is a container of water with a flat circular base that is located outside and left uncovered. The walls of these ponds were built using the dry stone technique, while the base was usually made from clay (a material that is practically waterproof). Walls were built around the ponds to prevent animals entering the water, and they would even be covered with a false dome.

Cistern

Cisterns are a smaller type of underground pond. They have a rectangular or square base and are covered and surrounded by a cabin with a metal or wooden door, to allow people to enter and collect water with a bucket. This indoor pond is dug into the ground, either by taking advantage of a natural recess in the rock or by using a hole that has been made specifically for this purpose. It has two holes, one for the water to enter and another for the overflow.

Pit

Pits are rectangular in shape and are dug into the rock. They are located in the lower area of a large rocky surface and have grooves furrowed into the stone that channel water into the pit. They are usually covered with a metal or wooden lid to prevent animals from accessing them.

Discover more about dry stone at Rock & Tools

At Rock&Tools we have a lot of experience in the sale of tools for working with stone and for the dry stone technique. On our website you will find a comprehensive range of all the best tools for sculpting stone and those who are interested in the world of sculpture will also find a lot of fascinating information on our blog. If you have any further queries about the most suitable tools for you, get in touch with us so we can advise you. Join our community! You can follow us here, in our Art Space and on social media.

Sculpture is a form of artistic expression that involves modelling, sculpting or carving stone, wood or other materials. Sculpture is considered one of the 7 arts, alongside music, painting and dance, and sculptors can use it to express themselves through the use of volume and space. Today we’re going to talk about the art of sculpture in more detail.

The characteristics of sculpture

The materials used in sculpture can range from clay to stone, and also include wood, marble, wax, plaster and various different types of metal. More and more different types of techniques continue to be incorporated into this art form as new materials are being developed, such as different kinds of resins or plastics that allow sculpture to expand its artistic horizons.

Sculpture has been used to create original and fascinating works of art and also to recreate and portray figures, characters, objects, people and animals. These figures may be a fully realistic representation or they may be entirely abstract, depicting the artist’s vision of a specific aspect.

One of the key aspects of sculpture is how the artist uses and controls space and its forms. It is therefore essential for the artist to consider details like height, depth, volume and shapes when it comes to designing their work of art.

Origin and uses of sculpture

Sculptures were originally intended for religious purposes, as they were used for magic rituals, funeral rites or ceremonial practices. Later on, in addition to their religious use, they also began to serve a political purpose: they would be used to express the power of monarchs and helped to conserve the history of society.

Finally, sculpture also began to be used for purely aesthetic purposes, which is its most common purpose today. As such, artists attempt to portray beauty or certain artistic aspects through the use of volumes and shapes, or to create objects for decorative purposes.

Purchase tools and produce your own sculptures

At Rock&Tools we have a lot of experience in the sale of tools for working with stone. On our website you will find a very comprehensive catalogue with all the best tools for sculpting stone. If you have any further queries about the most suitable tools for you, go to our blog to find all the information you need or get in touch with us so we can advise you. Join our community! You can follow us here, in our Art Space and on social media.

As we discussed in one of our previous posts, the technique for building with dry stone is based on using stone as a single construction element, without the need for mortar. Today we’re going to explain which tools you should use for the dry stone building technique. Let’s get started!

As you already know, the technique for building with dry stone is based on using stone as a single construction element, without the need for mortar. We find this topic particularly interesting and would like to delve into it further, so today we’re going to talk more about the different kinds of constructions that can be built using this technique. Will you join us?

Looking after your tools, whether they be manual or pneumatic, is essential for extending their service life. Investing in good equipment for sculpting stone is important, but aside from the properties of the tools, it is also absolutely essential to look after them properly to make sure they continue working for years to come, just as well as the day you bought them. To help you with this, we will give you two options for cleaning your pneumatic tools, so they are always in perfect condition.

If you’d like to venture into the exciting world of sculpture, Rock&Tools is here to welcome you! If you’re not sure what each tool is used for or which you should buy first, don’t worry, you can find lots of information on this topic in our blog. Today we’d like to talk in detail about pitchers, what they are and what they’re used for.