Stone carving chisels come in a variety of shapes. Point chisels are used for quick removal or material and to rough out basic shapes. Tooth chisels have deep grooves cut into them, and are used to refine the forms. Rondel and flat chisels help smooth out the textures tooth chisels leave behind and prepare stone for finishing. Chisels for soft stones, such as limestone, may be made of hardened steel. Harder stones, like granite, require a carbide-tipped chisel. A handset is a wide chisel used to knock chunks off a block.
Sculptors often have multiple hammers for stone shaping, as this provides greater versatility. A 1-pound hammer may be used for detail carving, while a 1 1/2-pound hammer works better for general carving. Hammers for carving granite and other very hard stones have hardened steel heads and should be used with chisels that have untempered ends. A soft steel hammer should be used on tempered chisels. To remove large chunks of stone, sculptors often use a large 3-pound hammer, sometimes called a “rock buster.”
Softer stones are often shaped using metal rasps, which provide a more natural finish than power tools. Rasps leave scratch marks, which sculptors may leave on the stone for aesthetic reasons or sand off later. Rasps come in a number of sizes and in with different coarseness, allowing the sculptor to select the appropriate one for the area on which he is working.
Power tools may make working stone faster and enable removal of larger pieces. Pneumatic hammers, chisels and polishers may all be used to shape the stone. They work much more quickly, but also increase the chances of a mistake. Angle grinders, electric drills and electric saws can help sculptors remove material quickly. Rotary tools are good for forming small details, but do not have enough power to work in the large scale. Workers using power tools for stone shaping should wear goggles, gloves and respirators to prevent injury.