bluestone ??

[chris]

Hi all,

Just after some advice on 'bluestone', i just started my first stone carving and found some 'bluestone' in my backyard-it may have other names? Has anyone used this material before, and if so can u give some advice on polishing techniques.I am learning as i go with the actual carving process.

I managed to post this pic-eventually!Any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

chris

[novabelgica]

Chris, when you chip off a piece, does it smell like sulpher? If it does, then it would be the same 'blue hardstone' as we have over here in Belgium. We also call it 'petit granite' (little granite) by the way.

This stone is very easy to polish, yet you have to know what you want. If it is dry polished with a grain 60, it will retain its grey/blue color. Using higher grains will make it darker. Polishing with water and a grain 220 will turn it nearly black and very smooth.

It's very nice stone to make combination work with, as you can make grey and black area's on a sculpture. Easy to cut, hard to chissel.

That is, IF it is the same stone as the one I know.

[anne (bxl)]

hi chris!
in addition of tom's comments, you should find useful informations on this multilingual site. http://www.pierrebleuebelge.be/

[jwebb]

Chris,

The stone you have looks like limestone to me; and from the site info that Anne provides, Belgian "bluestone" is indeed a limestone, with some carbon in it, which gives it its grey-blue coloration. There are a zillion varieties of limestone, and given enough pressure and heat in the earth, they sometimes become a zillion varieties of marble. If you look at it very closely, you may see remains of very tiny critturs in it. sometimes it's just round grains. Limestone is a medium hardness kind of stone for carving, and capable of a very wide variety of treatments. Most buildings in most places are some kind of limestone. Most all of what's left of ancient Egypt is limestone. Enjoy ! (And you can finish it with rasps, files, sandpaper, and or pieces of harder stone or carbide.) To find out if it's limestone, drip a few drops of vinegar on it. If it fizzes, it's limestone.

[chris]

thanks novabelgica, jwebb and anne.

Most useful info. I couldnt do the vinegar test jwebb, didnt have any in cupboard, but there is a definite 'sulphur' smell going on-is that toxic?Im using a cloth mask for the dust so i hope thats adequate protection.The link you gave me on the post is excellent, i thankyou very much anne.

chris

[jwebb]

I don't think the sulphuric smell is harmful in itself. Dust certainly can be. Silicosis, "black lung", and mold infections are all hazards of the trade. I use just a particle mask and/or a fan blowing across the work piece. I don't think I've inhaled too much stone, but did have a problem when dust compacted in one ear over time. Thought I was going deaf and finally went to the dr., who forked out a chunk with his tweezers big enough that it made a loud clang when he tossed it in the sink. Very embarrassing to have rocks in the head medically confirmed.

[anne (bxl)]

I am allergic to this sulphuric smell, allergic reactions are very similar to the hayfever's : sneezing and itching.

[chris]

thanks guys, your info is extremely helpful.

the comments posted by novabelgica: if i may, how do you cut this sort of stone, i assume their is some mechanical help involved?your comments are most helpful and when i finish the piece i would appreciate your opinion.

jwebb you seem to be quite involved with your work-"rocks in head " obviously spent many hours forcing out your vision-i can only hope to have the patience to also be diagnosed with a similar condition.

im finding this medium very satisfying and challenging, i only hope i can produce something that is worthy of a post!


i also want to say thankyou to all that have communicated with me. i love this site and am very grateful to you all.

chris

[novabelgica]

Chris,

Over here this kind of stone is mostly used for floors, window sills, etc... so I only have experience with this stone for these purposes. We use a diamond sawblade to cut it or saw it in shape. You can also roughly cut it by using a hammer and a widia chissel. Not sure if you're familiar with this material. Widia was invented by a German and is short for 'wie diamant' or 'like diamond'. Widia chissels are also very good for sculpting in blue stone.

Hope this helps.

Oh, and I've never had any trouble with the sulphurous smell. It's only a bit embarassing when you're cutting it when it's really warm outside and someone walks in and goes 'Jeez! What died in here!?' :D

[anne (bxl)]

Chris, you HAVE TO use mechanical help, otherwise you would die!!! This stone is very dense. I have a short experience in it, but I remember I used ordinary mechanical tools for the first approach as the pieces were table size. Nothing special, just professionnal quality tools for stones. But you would need industrial waterbased process and use diamant quality cutters as soon as you work monumental size.
I used widias of course (wide choice of patterns and sizes) for the handy part (non polished finishing). That's the way artists usually proceed even if mechanical equipments exist for various industrial finishings also.
I attached a pic of a bluestone sculpture of Eugène Dodeigne (internationally famous) and a page reference that illustrates the multiple finishings alternatives (I guess those illustrations do not appear in the english version) http://www.pierrebleuebelge.be/prof/frameset.htm

[anne (bxl)]

well the link doesn't seem to work so here are some samples :