How to Thin Limestone Block With a Chisel

Put on your safety glasses and begin roughing out the limestone with your point chisel and mallet. Position the chisel at a 45 degree angle to the stone as you remove small pieces of limestone. Continue until you've achieved the basic shape you require.

Chisel horizontal lines 1/2 inch into the face of the limestone a few inches apart still using your point chisel. In between these lines is where your sculpture will have indentations.

Remove the lines by thinning the limestone with your claw chisel. Position the chisel a few millimeters under or above the lines at about a 75 degree angle to the limestone. Lightly tap the end of the chisel with the mallet to thin the limestone. Move around the limestone block until you've removed the limestone between the lines you created in Step 2.

Remove the lines created by the claw chisel by thinning the indented areas with the flat chisel. Position the chisel at an angle that is almost parallel to the lines left by the claw chisel. Light tap the end of the flat chisel to thin each indented section.

Position your file flat against any sections of the limestone block that require smoothing or very refined thinning. Move the file up and down or side to side while working.