How to Carve a Stone Birdbath
Stone birdbaths make a great decorative addition to any yard. Making a stone birdbath for your yard is a time-consuming process. Carving stone takes time, energy and the proper tools to complete the job. While artistic ability isn't an absolute necessity, it can be helpful. With patience and a little hard work, you can give the birds in your neighborhood a place to bathe by creating a custom stone-chiseled birdbath from the stone material of your choice.
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Things You'll Need
- Stone block
- Goggles
- Gloves
- Marker
- Hammer
- Point chisel
- Tooth chisel
- Flat chisel
- Handset
- Rasp
- Buffer
Instructions
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Choose the type of stone you want to work with. Granite is a nice stone for a birdbath, but it's extremely hard and difficult to carve, so it isn't recommended for a beginner. Marble is ideal. It's aesthetically pleasing and fairly easy to carve. Marble is popular among stone sculptors. You can find marble sellers online or at some home and garden stores. Depending upon the size of your birdbath, you will probably be starting with a large, heavy piece of marble. You'll want to find a comfortable, open work space before you begin.
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Use a reference photo if you need to, or work from a design you've drawn on paper. Draw the outline of your birdbath directly on the stone. This will help you stay on track during the initial phase of carving. Be sure to put on your protective goggles and gloves before you begin working.
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Use a point chisel and hammer to rough out the basic shape of your birdbath. This allows you to remove large chunks of stone you won't need. Follow your markings to remove the stone necessary to shape your birdbath.
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Switch to a tooth chisel to refine the peaks and valleys left behind in the roughing out phase. Follow the same contour with the tooth chisel as you did with the point, holding the tooth chisel at a forty-five degree angle and hitting it with solid strokes of the hammer.
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Use a flat chisel to smooth out the stone. The tooth chisel helps you refine the shape, but leaves behind tooth markings. You can remove these markings with your flat chisel as you begin refining the final shape of your birdbath. Work more slowly with this chisel, holding it at an angle for each swing of your hammer.
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Use a tracing chisel or handset to finish your birdbath. The tracing chisel is ideal for refining lines and adding ornamental detail. When you've finished shaping your birdbath, use a rasp to file away any rough edges. Polish your birdbath with a power buffer to give it a smooth finish.
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References
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Comments
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Are you kidding? This project would take mass time, in your land have you heard of electricity? Get a diamond blade on a small grinder and do this in about 5% of the time it takes by hand. I have done hundreds of these. the blade to get should have diamonds on the sides of blade, this will allow you to up cut the stone. Always wear protective clothing eye and ear protection as well as a dust mask.
