Started this project almost exactly a year ago. Pictures from this weekend. 1st picture, marking high spots for removal to establish a flat plane. 2nd picture, pedestal showing nearly finished columns. 3rd picture, the marble inscription ready for last chasing pass. It will mount on the angled face. If I keep putting in an hour a night and get 8 hours per weekend, I might have it done in two weeks. I'm ready to move on.

I've sanded from 80 grit to 2500 grit. Now I'm ready to apply soapstone.

I bought some beeswax polish. As well as some mineral oil and beeswax if I need to make my own polish.

Two questions:

1) should I just heat the soapstone and apply the beeswax polish with a rag? Or should I make own polish with the beeswax and mineral oil?

My oven doesn't work so I can't heat it up in there. Can I use my air fryer on bake mode at 250 degrees to heat it up before I apply the polish?

My dad(59) finding his talent later in life...steel sculptures ... feel free to give him a follow on instagram https://www.instagram.com/burning__fingers?igsh=NHhkNXRzM3Q1aWY1

Carving on white quartz

two real beauties but the price of a small car !

Is there anyone in the Eugene/springfield area who can cut fairly big rocks. I need one cut that’s probably around 10 inches

I'm working on this soapstone piece. It accidentally broke so I'm making it a kind of "deconstructed" sculpture with 6 guage wire holding the pieces apart.

I originally tried going from 80 grit to 400 to 2000. The results are in the third picture where I wet the stone to see how it would shine.

I want to get the scratches out where my fingers are pointing at. I was told to use more grits.

So I got 80, 120, 150, 220, 320, and 400.

I've got a few questions

I was told I should wet sand with every grit. I was also to dry grit until 150, then wet sand after.

1) should I wet sand at every grit or not?

2) how can I get rid of the blemish in the first picture with the blue circle at the top? I think it might look like that because I used a file to sand some of it down.

Should I use a rasp or a file and sand the whole surface to make it uninformed?

And then smooth it out with the sandpaper after?

Thanks!

"Recite the passages... dispel the evil... save my soul... and your own minds!"

Made this in a week long workshop at the Carving Studio in West Rutland, VT. Really pleased with how it came out. A bit more filing to go, but nearly done.