How To Protect Soapstone Carvings
To help reduce the.
How to protect soapstone carvings. In my experience short answer you cant protect the finish. You just have to handle it with care its pretty fragile stuff. Stone sculptures made from soapstone will need to be handled with slightly more care than carvings from harder types of stone.
Take care not to drop the soapstone carving because soapstone can break easily. These are both harmful if inhaled. Hold the carving in one hand wet the carving and the sandpaper in a container of water and begin sanding.
Different oils and varnishes will show the stones colour and protect it. Keep in mind that you are still removing stone when you are sanding. Unless you are working with a power tool that throws large pieces of stone hard safety goggles and a respirator should protect your face while carving soapstone.
I have a soapstone carving that I bought in Zimbabwe. File marks by sanding using 220 or 240-wetdry sandpaper. Soapstone also called steatite is composed of the soft mineral talc which is one of the softest minerals known.
Wrap around goggles offer the best protection against dust and flying chips. This sanding is done wet. I put Renaissance wax on mine and lightly buffed it with a rag by hand.
We do not recommend using any soapstone sealer that you find on the market. Wear respiratory protection while carving. The carving has a chip in it and the chip is very noticeable.
