Man I’ve been trying to carve this soapstone for months. Saw the tip about painting flames on your garage floor and now I sculpt like Michael Angelo thank you so much
I have always been more of a wood person, I make sculptures larger and smaller in wood. Ebony is my favourite to work with because it is hard and it has a very tight grain and you can polish it very nicely. However this video has inspired me to try soapstone, I ordered some online and I'm very exited to give it a shot!
Thank you! That is wonderful. There are so many different types of soapstone some are hard and some are soft. I hope you find one that you really like.
@@markdmaker3173 I recieved a mixed bag, the lighter colored ones (light brown and whiteish color) are very soft and crumbly, almost unworkable, but the darker green and black ones are harder and more to my liking, is this a general trend with soapstone? I should watch your video again!
Petra S I am found that generally the darker it is the harder it is. I once had a very light pink colored stone and it was very crumbly. I ended up with several small sculptures instead of One10 pound sculpture.
As an aside, anytime doing anything with soapstone that will generate a lot of dust wear a dust mast or respirator, talc is chemically very similar to asbestos, so not the best to breathe in.
My son and I found some chunks of soapstone here in BC and are in the middle of a bird sculpture - it's wonderful material to work with ! We are using a round file and a rasp and getting something resembling a bird in a tree. The stone does in fact tell you what it wants to be.
My dad just gave me several pieces of soapstone and a large piece of serpentine about 4 times the size of the soapstone you're using in this video. Good stuff my friend. Im looking forward to carving.
Sorry for the delayed response. I ordered my stone from either Montoya out of Florida or the Complete Sculptor in New York. You have to consider where it’s coming from, because shipping is so expensive. It is at least half the cost of the stone for me.
Thanks for your comment. After filing i used wet dry sandpaper getting finer and finer finishing off with about 600 grit. Then using a paste wax to give it its final shine.
@@markdmaker3173 I've been trying to get into stone carving but I don't have a space yet to do it. This video was great for somebody who's never done it.
Greg Dice Thanks for your comment. I will often work outside because the high talc content in soapstone Dust is very slippery. Good luck with your carving projects.
WOW!!! THAT'S NICE WORK!! THANKS FOR SHARING!! [IMHO: ...I DON'T LIKE THE "FEEL" OF ALABASTER! IT'S DRY AND CHAULKY....] ...Why work on the floor?... Have you no workbench, chair, or picnic table?... [be sure to put a proper handle on all of your files/rasps) FYI: Horseshoeing rasps work well to for rough shaping. Hacksaw works well, too, as well as sandpapers/drywall mesh.
guloguloguy Thanks for your comments! I really appreciate it. I’m going to start looking for a horse shoeing rasp. For some reason I just prefer doing stonework on my garage floor. I have three workbenches, but cleanup is so much easier on the floor and there’s plenty of space there.
Thanks for your question. It all depends on where you live. Shipping can cost as much if not more than the stones themselves. www. dickblick.com has a line of soapstone in stone carving tools. If you live near New York complete sculpture is a good source. You can also buy soapstone on Amazon. There are places all over the country that sell soap stone, for the best deal buy it a pallet at a time. Find someone near you that curve soapstone and split the cost is the best way.
I would not advise it in a lathe. The stone is sometimes very unpredictable as to internal flaws, cracks. The centrifugal forces would likely explode if it lets go. However, you can turn it at very slow speeds, because it does not take much force to cut. It is like a fine grit sandpaper, so it dulls your tools quicker than wood. Use more of a scraping idea, like rasps, heavy sand paper etc. I hope this helps.
@@markdmaker3173Soapstone turns beautifully. The good stuff is far, far more solid than your average burl. Even minerals much harder than talc can be turned if you use diamond tools and low speed. Enormous columns and vases have been made from things like alabaster, marble, malachite, rhodonite, lapis lazuli, agate, etc.
Man I’ve been trying to carve this soapstone for months. Saw the tip about painting flames on your garage floor and now I sculpt like Michael Angelo thank you so much
dig boink 😂🤣 You definitely made me laugh out loud!
I haven't purchased my soapstone or tools yet, but I've finished the flames on the floor, so I'm feeling confident!
Hahaha! You’re off to a great start.
And did you start? Would love to know if you started
The "paint some flames on your floor" earned you a like XD
🤣 thanks ! I’m glad you liked it.
Thanks for subscribing.
Same
I am a believer in garage floor artistic expression
Subscribed
I have always been more of a wood person, I make sculptures larger and smaller in wood. Ebony is my favourite to work with because it is hard and it has a very tight grain and you can polish it very nicely. However this video has inspired me to try soapstone, I ordered some online and I'm very exited to give it a shot!
Thank you! That is wonderful. There are so many different types of soapstone some are hard and some are soft. I hope you find one that you really like.
@@markdmaker3173 I recieved a mixed bag, the lighter colored ones (light brown and whiteish color) are very soft and crumbly, almost unworkable, but the darker green and black ones are harder and more to my liking, is this a general trend with soapstone? I should watch your video again!
Petra S I am found that generally the darker it is the harder it is. I once had a very light pink colored stone and it was very crumbly. I ended up with several small sculptures instead of One10 pound sculpture.
As an aside, anytime doing anything with soapstone that will generate a lot of dust wear a dust mast or respirator, talc is chemically very similar to asbestos, so not the best to breathe in.
Wow! I did not know that. Thanks for the info, very important.
My son and I found some chunks of soapstone here in BC and are in the middle of a bird sculpture - it's wonderful material to work with ! We are using a round file and a rasp and getting something resembling a bird in a tree. The stone does in fact tell you what it wants to be.
That is wonderful.💓
@@markdmaker3173 ya you have inspired us with your video - thank you.
My dad just gave me several pieces of soapstone and a large piece of serpentine about 4 times the size of the soapstone you're using in this video. Good stuff my friend. Im looking forward to carving.
There it is, the tip I was looking for. Sandbag to hold the stone!
I did dolphins on my garage floor... Always decorate garage floor...
It really does make you feel better.
Wise man this.
Hahaha! I love it!
where do you source your black soapstone? Where is the best place for me to order it from? thanks!
Sorry for the delayed response. I ordered my stone from either Montoya out of Florida or the Complete Sculptor in New York. You have to consider where it’s coming from, because shipping is so expensive. It is at least half the cost of the stone for me.
Files still work on the pull, not as much but they do and it doesn't damage the file.
how did you turn the soapstone look like dusty into like vinyl?
Thanks for your comment. After filing i used wet dry sandpaper getting finer and finer finishing off with about 600 grit. Then using a paste wax to give it its final shine.
@@markdmaker3173 thank you! 😊
Thanks for the video!
Greg Dice Thanks for watching.
@@markdmaker3173 I've been trying to get into stone carving but I don't have a space yet to do it. This video was great for somebody who's never done it.
Greg Dice Thanks for your comment. I will often work outside because the high talc content in soapstone Dust is very slippery. Good luck with your carving projects.
WOW!!! THAT'S NICE WORK!! THANKS FOR SHARING!! [IMHO: ...I DON'T LIKE THE "FEEL" OF ALABASTER! IT'S DRY AND CHAULKY....]
...Why work on the floor?... Have you no workbench, chair, or picnic table?... [be sure to put a proper handle on all of your files/rasps)
FYI: Horseshoeing rasps work well to for rough shaping. Hacksaw works well, too, as well as sandpapers/drywall mesh.
guloguloguy Thanks for your comments! I really appreciate it. I’m going to start looking for a horse shoeing rasp. For some reason I just prefer doing stonework on my garage floor. I have three workbenches, but cleanup is so much easier on the floor and there’s plenty of space there.
Where can I buy a soapstone?
Thanks for your question. It all depends on where you live. Shipping can cost as much if not more than the stones themselves. www. dickblick.com has a line of soapstone in stone carving tools. If you live near New York complete sculpture is a good source. You can also buy soapstone on Amazon. There are places all over the country that sell soap stone, for the best deal buy it a pallet at a time. Find someone near you that curve soapstone and split the cost is the best way.
What if i put it in a lathe
I would not advise it in a lathe. The stone is sometimes very unpredictable as to internal flaws, cracks. The centrifugal forces would likely explode if it lets go. However, you can turn it at very slow speeds, because it does not take much force to cut. It is like a fine grit sandpaper, so it dulls your tools quicker than wood. Use more of a scraping idea, like rasps, heavy sand paper etc. I hope this helps.
Humblehombre give some good advice. It could be quite dangerous to put stone on the lathe.
@@markdmaker3173Soapstone turns beautifully. The good stuff is far, far more solid than your average burl. Even minerals much harder than talc can be turned if you use diamond tools and low speed. Enormous columns and vases have been made from things like alabaster, marble, malachite, rhodonite, lapis lazuli, agate, etc.
Search Chennakeshava temple. See what Indians did with soapstones.