HDF Stone & Wood

So the most recent ‘big job’ , I’ve been toying with waiting till it was painted (not by us) before show casing!!! ⚒️ 📸 ⚒️

60 linear metres of half rounds and a large Radius Carved House Name Stone (with some of the biggest letters I’ve carved in a while), but that’s not all… In the spirit of ‘while you’re here’ the Lintol above the door {which was sandblasted elsewhere I understand} was painted to give it more ‘pop’ (water based paints don’t worry) as well as sharpening up, in situ and pointing a fireplace surround {again, supplied elsewhere}

With thanks to & Owen for help with the Building works, for organising a template for the 90mm font & for stone supply

Now bring on the next one ⚒️⚒️⚒️

Another job wrapped and scored off the list!!! Contracted in alongside ‘Callum Moor Stove Installations & Flue Systems’ Also one of the quickest fireplace surrounds I’ve ever been commissioned for… Tallest too at 1655mm total height with a 1700mm architrave

St Bees Cumbrian red Sandstone supplied by the lads at (thank you again for the loan of the Platform Truck)

Onto the next which is looking to be my fourth year to Symington House Estate ⚒️⚒️⚒️

Had the privilege of being contracted recently by a member of the Allanton Jolly Beggars Burns Club to clean the Headstone of the Reverend Hamilton Paul (1773-1854) born in Daily, South Ayrshire

In 1819 he edited the works of Robert Burns, contributing a memoir and ode in memory of the poet. The first of the Burns Clubs started at the beginning of the century found in him an enthusiastic supporter; and he wrote a poetical appeal for the preservation of the Auld Brig O’ Doon, famous in Tam o’ Shanter.
His many effusions were scattered among the newspapers and magazines of his day, and were not collected. He wrote the account of his parish in the New Statistical Account of Scotland. Among his friends his reputation as a humourist and story-teller was greater than as a poet. Even in the pulpit he could not be grave, and it is said that his sermons, though learned and able, were preached from texts humorously selected, and were interspersed with jests.

As for works carried out, with no access to power or water the cleaning was carried out with Cleanfilm Lated provided by after boiling water and a hard brush (many coffee flasks were filled with boiling water for this task!!!)

The downside with being so booked up lately I’ve been going out between 5:30-7:30am & 8:30-10:30pm to ensure it was finished on time

Many thanks to the Allanton Jolly Beggars Burns Club for the commission as well as invitation to the Wreath Laying Ceremony as well to Peter Savage for joining me to take a few pictures for the Club as well as joining in with the works

Great day out at the Stonecarving Association today, thanks to Stonewest for the invite to tag along and join, a great experience for some of the apprentices as well as some of the team who haven’t had the opportunity to carve stone before (I had a ball too, I’ve never carved a Yorkshire Rose before, though did dart around trying to help everyone too)

Couldn’t recommend the place more! Great for anyone who wants to learn Carving for the first time with day and weekend courses available

So whilst I’m still catching up on sleep, paperwork, messages, bit of time with the Mrs… I’ve been wanting to post about the absolute experience I had studying at London Stone Carving last weekend! Amazing tutelage by Tom & Josh, who were both friendly, patient, a great laugh and willing to talk me through every step of a Lion Sculpture I’ve been working on (post to follow… once finished ⚒️😉⚒️) surrounded by Plaster Cast Maquette’s of works they’ve been commissioned to do and all round a great time and learning experience!!! They do ‘introductory to stone carving’ courses throughout the year and we’re willing to take me on for something more Bespoke and Advanced!!!

Would be a great experience for any Bankermason or Stonecarver wishing to progress further!

Highly recommend and would be happy to study further with the guys

Finally have the Etsy page up and running!!! Going to be a couple of familiar favourites to start things off as well as a few new pieces exclusively to Etsy only!!! check it out or get in touch about a personalised commission ⚒️

HDFStoneandWood - Etsy UK Shop items by HDFStoneandWood located in Manchester, England.

‘Hold my Beer! There’s F*ckery afoot…’

This is turning into one of my best sellers!!! So here’s a bit of a before and after because I prefer the Chisel Cut finish, as I feel it gives a good contrast against the honed & oiled slate… And yes I know in the second picture there’s a gap (there was a reason, bare with me)

So I come to let the client give it the once over and make sure they’re happy and he asks if I can paint the letters (WHAT?!?!?) and on top of that I’m expecting to add the Building number or the Bar name to the space but nope… ‘could you carve me a tankard?’

🤔 “screw it why not?”

Another finished piece and very happy customer

Just preparing the latest blank canvass for a new Letter Carving commission on Welsh Slate, now to start marking it out

Will be looking forward to finally setting up an Etsy Store in the coming months which will mainly focus on Letter Carvings, a few I’ll stock pile, the rest will be commission only basis. Which means we’ll finally be on the way to hosting an official website again for the first time in years which will hopefully be more dedicated towards Fireplace Surrounds and more

Stay tuned ⚒️😎⚒️

Had the pleasure of attending an open day at the The Building Crafts College in London yesterday to see their set up and maybe dive into the deep end on some further education for next year and I end up running into several Stonewest lads (who I’m subcontracting with!) Least I know I’ll be in good company ⚒️⚒️⚒️

Another day at the Biscuit Factory {I’ll explain what that means soon} another couple of stones to make right! ‘Sweetening in’ as its called! Which is a full recarve and redress in situ {once its been built in} Now to onto the next as ever! Thanks for watching ⚒️⚒️⚒️

dhedinburghstonemasonryltd · TikTok Check out dhedinburghstonemasonryltd's video.

Thought I’d try this TikTok thing to keep up with the times…. Can’t promise it won’t be work related but I’ll try throw in some stupidity along the way 🤔😉⚒️

Visit TikTok to discover videos! Watch, follow, and discover more trending content.

Finally able to post these two from the other week for Hand Drawn & Hand Carved in Welsh Slate from haven’t don’t a House Number in a spell, but always fun carving an anecdote with a few extra touches

Some free time (too many Bank Holidays in May 🤦‍♂️) coming so outwith a long over due overhaul to the accounts, I’ve acquired some Stone I’m planning on making decorative candle holders in the form of Gothic Tracery Windows

…Stay tuned or get in touch about new commissions 😉⚒️

Happy Mother’s Day everyone… I think… Sunday today right?

Something random and completely different, I mean I’ve carved Anecdotes, House Names, Door Numbers, Memorials and some Gravestones… Even the odd Valentines piece, first time being asked for a Mother’s Day Carving

Also a first to he handed a hand drawn font by the client… So a free hand drawing gets handed to the free hand carver ✍️⚒️✍️

I’m going to need to order some templates soon, I can’t remember the last time I carved a Times Roman (or whatever the more traditional fonts are called 😅)

Bookings always welcome and there’s still some slate left… Just don’t do a and ask me to do it on the tip the hallmark weekend (drawing received Thursday night, started Saturday morning… What, I work too you know Monday to Fridays on Site ⚒️⚒️⚒️) gags aside (and didn’t kill him) glad he’s happy and so’s his partner… Makes the job worthwhile, even if I had to rush this one 😱

NOW… Onto the next one 😵⚒️😵

Last slab of Berwyn Slate Quarry stone cut up ready to Hone & Polish… Now to get started ⚒️⚒️⚒️

Might have some spare left for Door Numbers, get in touch if interested! Larger pieces already pre reserved

In Memory of Oskar ‘Oz’ Hay, to my friend Oz

You were a great labourer, had the makings of a great skilled worker, and great friends

What will be my final free hand letter carving for quite some time, I love the personal touch it gives but when it’s stone after stone for those you know, it takes its toll ⚒️

Another job to Do

The stones cleaned up
A hone not a polish
The oils soaked in
Turning Blues and Greys to an off Black Slate
The Chalk pens ran over
Another free hand
Sharpening chisels and Scribing lines
Staring at the Date

I first met Gerry in 2005… I was pretty much the first of my social circle to turn 18 so ventured by myself from the Cathouse Rock Club ‘unders’ (under 18’s) to the ‘overs’ (normal nightclub where you could get booze… um… legally 🙄) by myself only to be found and taken under the wing of a few lads from Cumbernauld and I found a new circle and every week was great… From the Solid Rock Cafe, to Rufus T Firefly, to the old RG’s and even Crowbar… Throwing in a few evenings at the The Classic Grand as well and the friends made through him along the way

I got the call to say Gerry had passed away some weeks ago and I knew I wouldn’t make it with my work rotations… Hell they barely got any work out of me the rest of that day when I first heard, so I reached out to the family and asked if I could do something for them to remember him

To a friend of 17 years, every detail on the piece was Hand Drawn before Carved with no use of Templating, I just found it to be far more personal, with a few touches of his favourite movie The Crow, carved in a very apt, black Welsh slate (ok it’s black when you hone and polish it)

I pride myself on my work and it means the world being there to carve the last part of someone’s story, and meeting the families to reveal the finished pieces, but nothing prepares you for the phone call when you’re asked to carve a memorial for a loved one

Rest in Peace G-Man, you’ll always be that one in a million amigo

Ps… I make no apologies for how and I used to look at 19 years old 👀

Happy New Years to you and yours when the bells toll, give a thought for those around you, as well as for those you wish still were

Anyone remember when I was in Sweden 🇸🇪

Teaching Letter Carving in Granite then asked to be part of a short film being made?

Give it a watch and tell me when you see me

Filmatisering av kulturarv - Kalmar läns museum Som en del i projektet Unika historiska Kalmar län har det spelats in en film om platsen Vånevik och dess unika...

First of three new Memorial pieces I’ve undertaken lately, however in the wrong order of production as ‘the client gets first’

I’ve been working a lot ‘off template’ recently Free Hand drawing out my Lettering then finishing with a Bevel Square & Scribe which has given a great Dynamic Italic Font before Carving the V-Cut… Two memorials I’ve been working on have been for people I knew, so I felt hand drawn gave it a more personal touch, and as luck would have it, the latest client liked the style and requested the same!!!

With a silhouette of Ben Loyal taking the centre point, one of the highest views from the Balcony it seemed too obvious not to go with that

Hand Carved in Berwyn Welsh Slate

Enjoy the holidays everyone 🎄🥳 🔔

And I’m back… after a five day workshop getting to Study Stone Sculpture under Athar Jaber in Antwerp I’m finally back… Could not recommend the Workshop any higher to those interested in progressing further… Got to meet a bunch of great characters on the trip too, can’t wait for the next adventure

🇧🇪

Some behind the scenes 🎥 🇸🇪 Våneviks stenhuggarmuseum

Day 2 of the Vånevik Museum & Quarry Granite Carving Course for the students of Ölands folkhögskola by Föreningen Hård Klang… Each student Free Hand Drew out a Letter of their choice while I talked them through finding their centre points and how to achieve your V Cut through Angle of Approach… All the students did fantastically and finished their pieces, I can’t wait to hear how they progress and what the courses will bring for next year ⚒⚒⚒

A few pictures from the opening days Stone Carving course

Latest Commission completed and delivered to (before leaving, couldn’t post it sooner on socials incase the surprise was given away to ) with an extra scribe on the back… After picking the font I kept the heart reasonably simplistic so the attention could be paid to letter carving itself. Carved in Welsh Slate with a fools gold vein

Any new enquires feel free to reach out but I’ve still a waiting list currently but as always, all orders will get to you as quickly as can be managed… Hopefully won’t involve dog rescue as much as this one has!!!! But she’s a cut pup 🐶 all be it thick!!!!

Now back to my working holiday abroad 🇸🇪⚒🇸🇪

Something a little different from the norm… Whilst carrying out a restoration in a country estate I was asked to rejuvenate a stone plaque in memory of the original estate owner… My initial look was 'blimey, how am I going to run a grinder to buff the weathering out and then finish recarving the original plaque to sharpen it back up?' Well thankfully witu a bit more time to think I got in touch with Stonehealth Ltd and thought I’d try out their Clearfilm Latex, which two coats later brought the stone back to life!!!

Which is going to come in handy with a few headstone additions and cleaning enquires that have been coming in of late

‘Hold my beer there’s F*ckery afoot’

Back by popular demand, this time carved in Welsh Slate commissioned by , Slate was my idea in this instance because the conversation was ‘I want that for my kitchen!’ To my counter of “ye can’t, it’s sandstone ya burk, it won’t clean, it’s too porus, ye want slate, it can be wiped down time and time again’ (ye know how kitchen tiles get a little greasy next to the stove??? Same problem, so slate was the better choice)

What I know what I do for a living 🤣 and basic geology of it

If anyone is interested in this particular piece I’m carving it for £250.00 (collection only, delivery negotiable) which is the cost of the 600x200x30mm Slate, time & material used to Hone & Oil and then the cost of 29 letters (bare in mind different size of font can effect pricing)

Happy Sunday everyone, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 I’ll see you tonight 😉