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Soapstone sculpture
robin goodman

Soapstone sculpture

Reconstituted from damaged bowl
Good save, Robin. Dimensions to your postings are sometimes helpful and appreciated.
 
I haven't tried turning any kind of stone yet, but I do have some soapstone and alabaster laying around. What's the best way to turn and finish this material?
Thanks,
Dave
 
I haven't tried turning any kind of stone yet, but I do have some soapstone and alabaster laying around. What's the best way to turn and finish this material?
Thanks,
Dave
I wrote an article about Stone Turning in 2020 that might interest you - see my website in the articles section. Several soapstone and alabaster pieces are also shown in the stone section of my gallery 4 on the website. For finishing you need to remove any visible scratches and this can mean sanding up to 1000 grit in some cases. Most oils and waxes are suitable for soapstone. Some oil will be absorbed, but any surplus must be wiped off before leaving to dry. Soapstone and alabaster can be quite brittle, so don't turn too thin.
 
I wrote an article about Stone Turning in 2020 that might interest you - see my website in the articles section. Several soapstone and alabaster pieces are also shown in the stone section of my gallery 4 on the website. For finishing you need to remove any visible scratches and this can mean sanding up to 1000 grit in some cases. Most oils and waxes are suitable for soapstone. Some oil will be absorbed, but any surplus must be wiped off before leaving to dry. Soapstone and alabaster can be quite brittle, so don't turn too thin.

I went to print out your article but it seemed to skip pages. For example, from page 5 to 7, with the pictures sequence skipping from 6 to 11 as well. Thanks
 

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