Soapstone Carving By Wayne Mills, Member, OMS

Soapstone Carving--Basics Soapstone is a great material for carving:  It is one of the softest stones  It can be carved and finished with the same tools and materials that are used on wood  It comes in a variety of colors and patterns Conception to Reality  Decide what you want to carve  Make a pattern (front, side view)  Transfer pattern to rectangular block of soapstone big enough to accommodate pattern  Remove soapstone to outline of pattern using: rasp, jigsaw, Fordom tool and/or knife.  Smooth piece with sandpaper or 0000 steel wool  When satisfied with piece, bake at 200 ۫ F for 20 minutes and coat with paraffin (candle wax), allow to cool, then buff with a soft cotton cloth. Watco oil or neutral shoe polish can also be used.

Soapstone Carving--Basics Cautions:  When you file or sand soapstone you are making baby power. It can get messy.  Though OSHA studies have shown it does not contain asbestos, and only small amounts of silica, it is a good idea to use a dust mask.  Look the rough material over and make sure you start with a solid piece. Soapstone can have fractures and metallic inclusions that make carving difficult.  You can remove a lot of material in the middle of (say a bowl) by drilling a lot of holes to the desired depth (called pointing).

Soapstone Carving--Basics Soapstone comes in many colors and patterns and is found in many locations with greenschist facies metamorphic rocks (tremolite, actinolite, serpentine and jade Montana Catalina Is. Olancha, Ca. Alaska Volcano, Ca Monterey coast N. Of Coulterville, Ca Camp Paradise

Soapstone Carving—Historic Examples Roman Serpent ring soapstone, about 500 BC Byzantine icon, soapstone, about 1000 ADSlot and Tab tomb, Dahlonaga, Ga Roman scarab ring bezel BC Chennakesava temple, Belur, India 1117 AD Inuit soapstone auks “vintage” carving

Soapstone Carving--Charmstone Conceive idea, make pattern, select material (a sanded rectangle or square is a good place to start). Transfer pattern and cut out. Use a miter or coping saw for thicker material, a power jig saw for smaller pieces.

Soapstone Carving--Charmstone Use a rasp or file to bring to shape. Round files help smooth sharp corners.

Soapstone Carving--Charmstone

Soapstone Carving--Intarsia Create pattern, cut out pattern,

Soapstone Carving--Intarsia Cut out stone to match pattern pieces. I used a Dremel Jig saw. Some (or a lot of) grinding may be necessary to make pieces fit together.

Soapstone Carving--Intarsia Glue pieces to backing board with 330 Epoxy. (Glue goes on the back of “puzzle” pieces). Sand with 150, 220, 400, 600 and 1500 grit wet dry paper. Bake at 200 for 30 minutes. Let cool, cover with clear candle wax, let dry, and polish with soft cotton cloth.

Soapstone Carving--Pipe Decide what to make. Make a template. Choose material big enough to accommodate the material.

Soapstone Carving--Pipe Trim with radial arm saw. Mount on lathe and turn, turn, turn. Make sure you have a solid piece, or…

Soapstone Carving--Pipe Disaster may strike… (Soapstone can have metallic inclusions, and because it forms in metamorphic areas, it can have fractures… However, if you choose good material…