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How to Make Stone Inscriptions

Whether you're working on a project for yourself, or making a gift for someone else, carving your own stone inscription is a fun, but labor-intensive process. Stone is an unforgiving medium, and one small mistake can ruin your project entirely. It may be difficult to get your project to look exactly the way you envisioned, but by practicing you should be able to achieve success. If you're planning to make your own inscription, a few simple steps should help get you started.

Things You'll Need

Stone
Heavy chisel
Point chisel
Mallet
Charcoal
Sandbag
Goggles
Dust mask
Gloves
Hearing protectors
Sandpaper
Wax polish

Instructions

- 1
  Put on your safety gear. Your mask, goggles, gloves and hearing protectors will help protect you from dust and stray pieces of stone.
- 2
  Purchase or find a piece of stone to use. If this is your first time, try a softer stone such as soapstone or alabaster. Harder stone such as granite and marble require specialized tools and much more skill. If you can't find the stones on your own, a local art supply store can help point you in the right direction.
- 3
  Draw your inscription on the rock beforehand. This will give you a plan to follow and make it much easier to get your inscription right the first time.
- 4
  Place your stone on a sandbag. Sandbags absorb the force of your mallet and prevent the stone from cracking while you're working.
- 5
  Use a heavy chisel to remove the smooth layer of stone on top. You only need to remove stone from the layers you are using for your inscription. Hold the chisel against the stone and hammer small cuts into the stone above and below the area you want to work with.
- 6
  Hold a point chisel at a 45 degree angle over the area you want to inscribe. Hammer down on the chisel lightly to carve deep into the stone. Pull out any loose stone that remains. Repeat this process to make a clear, deep inscription.
- 7
  Put a finish on your rock. Sand your rock to remove any rough edges. Polish your rock with wax polish to make it shine.

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