WWA Info Exchange

I have been wanting to try my hand at some rock carving.
I have cut a lot of granite with an angle grinder and a 4" diamond blade, I figured
I could do the same thing with some thicker stone.

I used a large piece of 3" limestone for a base and a piece of some kind of sandstone for the Texas.
I picked the limestone up from a creek bed outside Kerrville, Texas. I don't remember where I got the sandstone.

The 4" blade only has a 1" depth of cut. I was cutting a piece of stone that was a little over 2" thick, so my cuts had to be done on the front and back of the stone. Then a slight tap with a hammer would break it off.
A lot of cutting and grinding later, I ended up with this.

I drilled two holes in the back of the Texas stone and epoxied in some 3/8" stainless steel studs.
I drilled matching holes in a piece of 3/4" round bar for a mount.

I used the large piece of 3" thick limestone and drilled a 3/4" hole in it. The bar slides right in to the hole for a tight fit.

It is a very dirty job! I have to wear a respirator and have a large fan blowing the rock dust away from me. You still wear a lot of dust.

I think it turned out pretty neat. Now I want to try something bigger!

Zulu

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Zulu's website
http://www.jmelledge.com

Great looking, Yours talent knows no bounds.

Thanks for sharing.

We gots lots of limestone if you want more.

Duan

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Duan Packard
Kerrville, Texas

dum vivimus, vivamus

Great-- it looks like a weather map of Texas-different all over.

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Uncle Fixit

VERY COOL!!
If you don't have plans for it, you won't have trouble finding someone else who really will want it!

Say Zulu,
If you continue to this "heavier work" might I suggest that you ask Santa Claus for a new forklift for Christmas.

Rog

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Dont badmouth no strangers, they just friends you aint met yet.

An ounce of responsibility is worth a pound of State and Federal laws.

I spent most of my money on woodworking
tools and beer, the rest I just wasted.

Thanks for the comments.

Duan,
I'm actually thinking about a trip to the hill country to see if I can find some big flat pieces of limestone.


Rog,
It will end up on my website like everything else I make.
The heavy work does get tiring. I'm 61 years old but still in pretty good shape.
I work out and lift weights three times a week. My goal is not to get stronger but just to keep what I have. So far it's working.
Zulu

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Zulu's website
http://www.jmelledge.com

In the garden

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Zulu's website
http://www.jmelledge.com

Zulu,
You create the most amazing art regardless of the material you work with. Why Texas? Colorado or Wyoming would have been a whole lot easier!
What is with Texas? Stayed at a motel there and they had a waffle maker that made waffles the shape of Texas. Didn't taste any better than the round ones. Keep up the good work.
Norm

I just finished another one. This one is a little smaller than the last one and it
goes together differently.
The Texas is a gray sandstone and the base is a white concrete paver that I
cut and dressed up a little.

The beer is for size reference only.
Zulu

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Zulu's website
http://www.jmelledge.com

Zulu,
The latest one is better yet. All domestic material, no steel imported from Pennsylvania or China.
For some of your prior art, you asked about pricing and selling your work. I would think that these "bits" of Texas would interest a broad market. The front of your State Capital building etc..
Norm

As some of you might know, I have been carving granite Texas' for some time now.
I have sold about 50 of them. They have four 3/4" tall feet and are used for
serving platters.

I have been thinking about how they could be displayed when not being used and
came up
with this idea.

Any of these will fit on the stand which I made out of a cool piece of firewood and
a horseshoe.
The granite Texas' can be seen on my website here.

http://jmelledge.com/GraniteCuttingBoards.html

Zulu

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Zulu's website
http://www.jmelledge.com

Fine work Zulu, finer than frog hair that is.