I discovered that rasping/sanding takes a bit less effort, especially in the coarser stages, if a few passes in one direction are followed by another series across the first. The second passes take the tops off the ridges of the first with less contact surface involved.  Subsequent finer grits work the same way.

 

Reduce the clutter in your work area. Not only will you be able to find a tool or your gloves faster (I need strings like a kindergarer has on his mittens in winter), but your shop will be a safer place. Power cords and air hoses can be a hazard. A slight trip may be an inconvenience, or a loss of balance that results in a damaged sculpture or broken sculptor.

 

After coarse sanding scrape the ridges off with the back of a hacksaw blade or other hard edge. A lot of material can be removed quickly, saving wear on the next grade of sandpaper.

 

I cut small squares from an old rubber door mat and used “Goop” adhesive to make pads for one of my larger sculptures.

 

When transporting your finished masterpieces from place to place remember what you are wearing.  The jacket donned when going outdoors has zippers or snaps that seem to jump out and ding the finish. Rings and fingernails are also culprits. I seem to forget that a vertically-oriented piece needs wider spaces if carried horizontally. Make sure your footing and balance are considered when handling heavier works. I chipped the nose off a bird being unloaded from my van when I forgot about the curb behind me.

 

Drilling large holes with standard or carbide-tipped bits works better if a pilot hole is drilled first. Increase the size of subsequent passes.  Even a ¼” pilot can ease the 3/8”, and it the ½” bit. Especially true in marble and granite.  The small tapered bits designed for glass work better for me than carbide-tipped. Use them wet.

 

Daylight is something we all prefer [at least most) to the dark.  For an enlightening experience take your sculpture, probably done indoors, into the sun on a lazy Susan, with it between you and the sun. Spin it slowly, and notice all the imperfections in its surfaces, and the wavers in the edge lines.  And you thought you were done!

 

If you do your own photography, back up the shoot with a second camera. Slides are a must for some venues, darn, but apparently there are processes to make slides from digital images. I hope so! My film stripped in the camera after 18 frames! I did take backups on the digital camera, though. I’ll keep you posted on the outcome.

 

One final word. I like to put holes in my sculptures (the artistic term is ‘voids’). When rasping the inside curves remember that your hand is bracing the stone from the back and rasps have sharp points. Never forget that……