Our carving kits contain a complete guide on how to carve.  We have tried to think of any questions that you might have and we have tried to address them in the guide.

There are still a few other questions that we get asked - here are some of the more common ones:

What should I carve?

Anything you like but bear in mind that your stone will become very fragile if you make it too small or thin.  Take a look at our gallery for some inspiration.

Where do I start?

You can either follow the guide or start freehand - it is up to you.  If you are worried about making a mistake, bear in mind that it is quite cheap to buy a replacement block of stone from our shop.

Is my stone weatherproof?

There are buildings in Bath that have stood for hundreds of years so your stone should last a lifetime.  But it can be damaged by a combination of damp and frost.  It is best to move it indoors or to cover it over with frost protection (as you would a delicate plant) if severe frosts are common where you live.

Is it safe to use power tools to carve my stone?

Professional stone carvers will use angle grinders, sanders, drills and pneumatic chisels to carve their stone.  We suggest that you don't.  Firstly they remove stone very fast and make mistakes very easy to make, secondly they can be dangerous in untrained hands.  The safety equipment provided in our kits is designed to be used with the chisels in our kits.  You will need more personal protective equipment if you use power tools, we don't supply this equipment.

When do my chisels need sharpening?

Bath limestone will not blunt your chisels very quickly - we only supply professional quality chisels.  If you do need to sharpen them you can either use a whetstone or a diamond pad or you can ask an ironmonger to sharpen them for you.  Anyone that will sharpen knives will be able to sharpen chisels.

Would more chisels be useful?

Stone carvers never, ever have enough chisels! They always want more for carving particular shapes and patterns.  The three chisels supplied with our kits will suffice for most projects.  The next chisels to buy would be some that are a little smaller to get more detail.  Larger chisels would then be useful to remove stone more quickly, as you become more experienced.   If you have a particular task in mind then send us an email to ask about it - we can supply you with different chisels and will advise on what you need.

How do I mend any mistakes?

The carving kit guide (part of the kit) gives some basic instructions on how to fix any mistakes.  There are more methods available but it is difficult to be specific about what will work without knowing the specific problems - stone conservators spend their whole careers mending stone.  You can find good stone conservators at www.conservationregister.com or email us and we will put you in touch with some of the best.

What is the link between stonemasons and freemasons?

We have no idea about this - despite working with all sorts of masons and carvers for many years we have no idea if any are freemasons! Maybe freemasons would like to try their hand at stone carving?