How to Make a Simple Rock Carving

[@jubi400]

Watching you carve, with the music, it's so relaxing. Beautiful work you do. Thank you Theo 😊

[@betseygrier1614]

This video has given me the confidence to do a carving myself. You are an amazing person. So imaginative and always seeing things outside the box. I have a picture of myself a 2 yrs old collecting my first rocks. Thanks again for the wonderful times watching your hunting and what you do with your amazing finds. I can’t get to many spots to find amazing rocks I. Arizona but my house is decorated with past finds. And I pass on my love of natures wonders to my family. My13 yr old grandson has a collection started already. Wishing you the best

[@candywarmuth2455]

Yaaaa, this is ideal. I even like the music. Thanks Theo. I'll be following you for sure.

[@charuverma6471]

Love your finished product! Have never tried engraving on pebbles or rocks but would like to. Please guide beginners like me who have little or no idea as to how to go about it.

[@GigiFlies]

Beautiful....and....loved the music!

[@kittyrings]

Your video is VERY well done. Looks like I power up my Dremel and give it a go. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@TheoKellison]

Thank you so much for your feedback! It truly means a lot to hear that you liked it! 😊

[@paulinewallace6895]

Beautiful and I agree with the other comments that the music adds a meditative relaxed flow to the creative work. I've inherited an old dremel 115v that maxes out at 28000 rpm. Is that sufficient for a beginner? What speed do you like to work at?

[@MsSandraCGL]

Wow, I liked it, it was so nice, watching, the rock turn into, a piece of art

[@janetvansky3621]

This was amazing! I'm 75 and have collected stones all my life. I'm sitting here wondering whether my social security check would allow for these materials. Where would I go to find these drills??

[@stefaniaponitz5738]

Absolutely! A lot of people work with Dremel but the burs are available online for about 15-20 sometimes even 5. Make sure the rotary carver has a weight so you can carry it, work with it. I also have a flex shaft to make it easier for me to maintain the grip, this is an extra accessory. You don't have to buy everything at once. Have a lot of fun!

[@samculp6452]

❤️

[@elizabethbarnes8662]

Do you have to have a flex too ? I really am limited on $ but want to do something different

[@Solemn_Kaizoku]

Thanks for the video. Is there a reason why you don't use water while carving with the diamond-coated bits?

[@russsherwood5978]

that didnt look like a dremal tool , may i ask what kind of tool is that you use? i use a dremal 4000 with diamond bits and wet dry sand paper to carve rocks i also use a tub of water to keep the dust down,, and i spray every tool and bit with w d -40 before and after use,, by the way thay was a cool rock you did, i,m always amazed when i see the end product of someones carving,, be safe, be strong, be free, be blessed

[@TheoKellison]

Of course! It is a Chicago electric rotary cutter, I usually use my fordem flex shaft for carving but I wanted to use this one for this video to let people see that you don't need something expensive to get started; the tool I'm using in the video only costs about 20 dollars so it is a great and very affordable option to get started carving! And that is a great tool you have! You can pretty much guarantee that any dremel product is going to be reliable! The stone that I was carving was just some porphyry so it is VERY soft but I usually carve under water as well. I haven't heard of using wd40 before so I am definitely going to be trying that out! And I totally agree! It is always so very interesting to see how much any given stone will change after its been carved! Thank you so much for watching! 😊

[@gerardwolfe]

love the finished product. how can you clean up wet dust from wet carving safely? how much wet splash on surfaces dangerous? thanks

[@lisamills-wv6nc]

Wow! It's beautiful, Theo! 😊

[@PhilippeLhoste]

Very interesting and well explained. And the design is very nice. Thank you. Sometime, you are working a bit too far from the camera, but it got better later. I saw somebody working on stone regularly soaked in water, to reduce heating. You don't do that. Is it OK? Does it have some limitations? Does it depend on the kind of stone?

[@danahyatt5760]

I wish he had named all the bits. This is beautiful!

[@candywarmuth2455]

they don't have names for each one. Diamond bits but you use them by the shape for what you need. ✌️😄

[@elizabethbarnes8662]

Candy being a total beginner how do you know what you need?

[@marcwheeler4406]

Can you recomd a good mask? do I need to get a respirator type mask if I get a fume collector vent? I'm a rock painter but I'd like to do a bit more on my rocks.

[@patriciamckean4186]

Beautiful, you are so artistic!

[@judyhobday4760]

i am going to give carving a rock a try, you have inspired me.

[@barbwellman6686]

Thanks so much. Thanks to you, this looks to me like my next hobby 👍

[@soul_adventurist]

That looks really cool and fun.

[@JapanReels]

Hello. I would love to try this from my home in Japan and I'm wondering how loud the sound of the tool is and how much dust is produced? Many thanks!

[@1958Gpa]

Great work!! Couple questions: 1. How many hours did it take to create? 2. Approximate cost for tools?

[@TheoKellison]

This was a fairly simple carving so it was only about 3 or 4 hours. And i used my flex shaft in this video which cost 80 dollars, and the assortment of diamond burrs i used costs 20 but comes with a range of 25 different burrs. But a wonderful alternative for carving is the Harbor freight rotary cutter which is a fantastic model and only costs 25 dollars. So you can easily get the essentials for carving that will last you several years for under 50 dollars!😄

[@bonesjones1658]

@@TheoKellison What Flex shaft tool, and has it still held up pretty well? I know I could use one, and the highbrow mentality is I HAVE to get a Foredom, but I don't know if that's necessary or I want to spend $200+

[@vivid23d53]

Wow very nice. I'm gonna have to try this.

[@lorimangold2890]

I've also shaped smaller stones with a tool grinder, or wheel grinder, gets pretty hotwhat kind of tool is that, it looks easier to work with, than the Dremel 4000, I have

[@ziomatrix3741]

Awesome video! Helps a lot! Thank you.

[@TheoKellison]

Of course! Very glad to hear that I could help! 😊

[@RyanBarnes]

What made should we be wearing when carving these rocks? Just a regular 3M pink respirator, or would a dust mask be fine?

[@TheoKellison]

I am so sorry that I didn't notice this comment sooner! I would definitely recommend a 3m respirator as carving stones produce very fine dust that can actually go through standard dust masks, and depending on what stone you are carving (for example malachite, azurite, Lapis, etc.), the dust from some stones can be toxict to inhale, so a respirator will provide the extra protection to prevent that. If you do a good deal of carving, I would highly recommend a brand called RZ masks, as they are made specifically for fine carving dusts and are a bit less bulky than a respirator, but a standard 3m respirator will also do the job just fine. Hope this helps!

[@RyanBarnes]

@@TheoKellison totally okay! I have some 3m masks around that should work just perfect for this. Do we need one if we carve with the stone underwater? I've seen some channels recommend keeping it under a shallow bowl of water.

[@donobee9392]

Hiya! Great video, has given me some inspiration to carve again! Couple of questions, the carving I have done I have done under running water to prevent any damage to the bit, but is this necessary? It has cost me some accuracy in doing so. Also, would you recommend also wearing protective glasses in addition to a mask? Cheers, and sorry for asking on such an old video.

[@DragonFrog3D]

Water saves your bits, the water keeps the bit cool (extending the life of the bit) it also keeps the dust down.

[@elizabethbarnes8662]

I have a dremmel 3000 what type of bits do I need to carve stone? Home depot didn't really have a decent selection ( notvthat I know what anything is for a true beginner)

[@kimkobs3882]

grI thought you had to use water when carving stone. Can you explain why you didn't and why some say you do, please? I am just getting started in rock carving. Great video and very helpful. Thank you

[@maccone1]

That's awesome... I'm so going to do this... Beautiful results...

[@lynn123450]

thank you for your instructionals! am going to start trying this. does this method work on flint do you know? thanks

[@ohigill]

How to know which material is enough soft and hard .. for use waterwet .. cuz all stones are hard ..

[@stormyeffects4795]

This video is inspirational. Thank you

[@lesliesisson2908]

Thank you for the video. I like your carving.

[@bluzentertainment457]

Nothing else matters great music dude it's chill to

[@bluzentertainment457]

+1 sub

[@flowergrace9014]

Love it👍 Good job 👏

[@MrDoohdaah]

Hi there Theo, are the bits used diamond or tungsten carbide ? Or even HSS.

[@liajo7138]

I love the music you chose

[@TheoKellison]

Thank you so much!!

[@TheoKellison]

@@letsgo2510 thank you so much! The music is just some free use royalty free music that you can find in the KZbin Audio Library, I cannot remember off the top of my head which tracks I used but I can definitely look at my notes and let you know!

[@sandyblue4235]

Are you using diamond bits?

[@ssmith2608]

I thought you had to keep the rock wet while dremel to keep the diamond bits from getting damaged?

[@TheoKellison]

It really depends a lot on what material you are carving. The stone I was carving in this video was extremely soft, so there was no need, but harder materials like agate or quartz will need to be carved wet

[@DS-oopa]

Great INFORMATIVE video! Thank you!!

[@coach77cfc]

Brilliant video explained everything in detail but didn't make me feel like an idiot good music as well lol

[@rking1813]

I'm really liking your videos 👍 You've got a new subscriber 😄👏👏

[@TheoKellison]

Thank you so much!!! That truly means a lot to hear!!😁

[@Infantryvet156th]

That's awesome! I'd like to know who that is playing the electric guitar in the background music?

[@kathleendanford9420]

Thanks as I was going to paint my flat plain rocks:-))

[@Collings1]

Beautiful!

[@sandyblue4235]

What is the bit set thats gold?

[@CanesFinsNut]

Where did you get the set of bits you used? I noticed that they came in a kit form. Am interested in trying this out

[@TheoKellison]

You can find all of the bits I used in an assortment from Harbor Freight! They have a great selection of diamond burs almost all of which come in packs of about 10 and are almost always under 15 dollars! Home Depot sells some diamond burs as well, but they are sold individually there so you really get a better value and variety from harbor freight!

[@CanesFinsNut]

@@TheoKellison Thank you for the reply and information...much appreciated

[@TheoKellison]

Of course!!

[@dlaina1977]

You should totally make an influence list on Amazon. Maybe list out what was used in each video. I love this and hope to learn myself.

[@TheoKellison]

@@dlaina1977 that's a great idea! I'll make sure to look everything up so that I can add links in the description! 😊 and definitely give it a shot! The more you do it the easier it gets!

[@timmostrey8281]

Nice! What is the electric equipment called to carve? And is it expensive? Totally new to this. Thanks

[@TheoKellison]

The tool I'm using is a flex shaft rotary carver, matched with an assortment of diamond burrs and sanding drums. The diamond burs range a bit in price, but are generally very affordable and range from about 10 to 20 dollars for assortments of 10 to 30 burrs. The flex shaft will be a bit more, but compared most tools it is still a lot cheaper than the majority of power tools. Harbour freight sells a great flex shaft rotary tool that I believe costs about 50 dollars and is absolutely perfect for project carving; the one that I'm using though is a bit more expensive (can't remember entirely but I think it cost about 89), but that is only because I use it literally every day so I needed one with a little more power. Typically though, they will average about 70 dollars and will last decades if maintained properly. Hope this helps! 😊

[@RichieRich1969]

Can you make a list of bits you used and where to get them?

[@TheoKellison]

@@RichieRich1969 sure! ill add links in the description when I get some time to grab all of the URLs! Should be able to do that tonight or tomorrow!

[@RichieRich1969]

Theo Kellison thanks

[@sharadtarde1877]

Very impressive work!

[@Paint-Pod]

awesome work!

[@santiagoamaya7345]

What grit do you use. I love the video. Thanks for sharing

[@TheoKellison]

I am so sorry that I did not notice this message sooner! I've actually been out collecting some gems and minerals for the past couple of days and just got back to cell reception. And thank you so much; it truly means a lot to hear that you liked the video! 😊 and I use a range of grits with my burrs for different purposes. For large amounts of shaping, you want a fairly low grit to quickly work away the material so I use about 80 grit burrs to rough out my design. For finer detail, I switch to a higher grit(about 200-300) to avoid grinding away the material too quickly. After that I will use flap Sanders or sanding drums to remove scratches made by the burrs, and worn down drums actually work better for this purpose, as opposed to newer ones, and are generally about 600 grit. You can easily do all of the above with one grit if it's what you have available, but having a lower grit assortment for removing a good deal of material really helps extend the lifespan of all of your burrs. I hope that this information helps!😊

[@Daniel_Davis79]

Cool video, another subscriber here, how well do the bits hold up because I almost got the same ones you use in this video

[@TheoKellison]

Thank you so much! And they hold up very well depending on how hard the piece your working on is. If you are carving something soft like most river stones, they keep their edge very well. Where as something much harder like agate or quartz will burn them out a bit quicker, so to get around this, I have a set that I purchased from Amazon that are a much lower grit (they're about 80 grit)and I use them for harder materials. Switching between the two though, I can get about a year or two out of each bit!

[@Daniel_Davis79]

@@TheoKellison cool and that's where I almost got them was on amazon, I'll get them next chance I get

[@ashash3368]

I'm new to this..please give me name of tool. Also, what about bits?

[@lorimangold2890]

The carving was cool, I've done some rock carving with dremel, but it was granite, not very easy to carve, used / wore down LOTS of bits

[@barrerajdb87]

Everything about this video is really cool! I've been collecting rocks for quite some years now and thought about starting to do something with them perhaps as a hobby or a side job, but I'm a little lost on how to start. Do you have any tips?

[@TheoKellison]

I am so sorry that I didn't notice this comment sooner! I usually get notified when I get a comment but I didn't for this one for some reason. My biggest recommendation would be to get your hands on a rotary tool and some diamond burrs. You can get good ones for about 60-80 dollars and diamond burrs for as little as ten to 20. They will open up a whole new world when it comes to rocks; you can start carving, you can drill stones to make pendants, you can even use them to excavate fossils out of their host rocks! Your options are just about limitless! Once you have a handful of products prepped, you can start selling and reaching out for custom jobs. If you want to save some money, I would recommend making an Etsy shop to sell your products as it is far less expensive than most merchant sites(about 20 cents per listing if I recall correctly) and can get you a good amount of free exposure. Hope this helps you in any way, and I'm very glad to hear that you liked the video! 😊

[@josecenteno3273]

Theo Kellison what type of rotary tool do you use ? Name, model etc..Thanks..God bless !!

[@TheoKellison]

@@josecenteno3273 I use a Winsa flex shaft rotary grinder, not sure which model, but I can find that for you if you'd like!

[@josecenteno3273]

@@TheoKellison Thank you buddy. I appreciate it. God bless you and your family.

[@jbarrera_xd]

@@TheoKellison thank you for the reply! Appreciate it 🙌🏼

[@ostogart]

Great job thank you. 👍👏

[@hummbubble9191]

Hi I'm just wondering do you ever need to use water? I thought you did but I didn't see you use any but I'm trying to learn how to carve agate so I don't know if its the same

[@TheoKellison]

It honestly depends on the hardness of the medium that you're working with and personal preference. The stone that I carved in this video is very soft so I did not need to bother with water because it was not producing much heat as it cut. With agates, however, I would definitely recommend water because agates are very hard and produce a great deal of heat as they are cut with diamond burs which will burn out your bits and make them useless. Two ways to avoid this are a) set up a drip tube to keep the stone wet as you work, or b) submerge the stone in water regularly to keep everything cool. You can alternatively work the stone while it's under water, but I personally don't like this method as your burrs sling muddy water in every direction, and the slurry produced by carving the stone will dirty the water and make it next to impossible to see what you're working on which means you have to constantly replace your water. I personally prefer the drip tube method best, but dipping the stone regularly is a close second if you don't have a drip tube. Hope this very long winded explanation answered your question, and have fun carving your agates!😊

[@hummbubble9191]

@@TheoKellison thank you so much you were very helpful

[@ohhbobba3401]

Hello Theo, Ohh the Carving you made looks like something one would find in the Deep Forest made by a People from a different Culture. Your Work tells a Story and can take `One` on a Journey. I absolutely love it. Question? -- Have you ever Sold any of your Creation's? I would love to have a Carving of a `Peace Dove`. 🕊 it has a beautiful and powerful message behind it. A Carving of The Ten Commandments would be so special and I'm sure you would make it beyond spectacular. Yes I have quite the Imagination. 🤗 Thank you for sharing your amazing talent that Jesus bestowed on you as a gift. `Eileen`

[@rubenducheny2788]

Wow!! Thanks.

[@sandyblue4235]

What is?that bit called that has the flat part on it?

[@sandyblue4235]

2:32 what is that bit?

[@unpopuIaropinion]

How long did it take to carve this ?

[@lorimangold2890]

Hey Man silica from stones can kill ya, please wear a mask, you're young, so you have a long healthy life, doing what you love

[@SpirituallyRefined]

Can you share what kind of bits you use and brands? It’s hard finding what is needed.

[@TheoKellison]

Certainly! I use diamond burrs, also referred to as diamond dust burrs, and they come in a massive variety of shapes and sizes to fit different applications. The best place to find them in assortment packs would be Amazon or harbour freight, which both sell sets that range in number from about 5-30 burrs and generally cost less than 20$, home depot sells them as well but they sell them individually, so it can get expensive pretty quickly. As far as brands, I honestly can't remember off the top of my head but I will make sure to leave another comment for you once I get back to the shop tomorrow and look, I could leave a link for you as well for the exact bits that I use if you'd like! Hope that this helps!😊

[@Artorius86]

Nice video! A question! Is necessary use water?

[@TheoKellison]

I am so sorry that I didn't notice this comment sooner! With water, it really depends on the hardness of the material you are carving. This rock, for example was very soft, so water was not needed. If, however, the medium was something hard like quartz, agate, or jasper, water would definitely be recommended to prevent your burrs from burning out. Hope this helps, and very glad to hear that you liked the video!😊

[@Artorius86]

@@TheoKellison thank you! 😊

[@AndreaStevens2012]

Did you use diamond-coated bits?

[@TheoKellison]

Yes I did! For softer Stones like these, they cut the material quite easily, but you can also find low grit diamond burs (about 60 grit) for harder materials like agate and quartz and they are extremely affordable and work fantastically!

[@candywarmuth2455]

I notice you don't use a lubricant, I tear up my diamond bits without it. What's the secret? Better quality bits?

[@jessicazionjackie]

What RPMs do you use?

[@TheoKellison]

When carving rocks, I tend to go with the highest rpm that I can because it helps avoid chipping. The flex shaft that I use reaches somewhere between 18,000 and 20,000 rpms

[@komalsuhagiya8660]

Ave

[@Yuditbaz]

so lovely Ty. i share.much love

[@erica7268]

Knowing what bits is prob what most want to know

[@TheoKellison]

Standard diamond burrs come in variety packs of about 15-20 burrs of varying shapes. They don't have names for each style because they are not sold individually. That is why i refer to them as diamond burrs as a general term or describe their shape (cylindrical burrs, circle burrs, etc.) and not by specific names. I have a link in the description of the video for the same assortment pack that i am using in this video. If they were classified by name, i would refer to them as such but they unfortunately are not.

[@active_whipp]

What tool did you use?

[@TheoKellison]

The tool I'm using is a flex shaft rotary tool, paired with an assortment of diamond burrs. I'll add some links to good ones in the description

[@WolfKenneth]

@@TheoKellison yes please add that. I'm wondering if normal Dremel with diamond burs would be enough?

[@manthenadinesh9964]

Can I know what company machine are you using

[@TheoKellison]

Of course! My rotary tool is a Winsa flexible shaft rotary grinder

[@kathrynralli4557]

Nice.

[@clhomecare1]

What is the tool you are using ? Where can I find it?

[@TheoKellison]

I am using a flex shaft rotary carver, I have a link to a few good ones in the description!😊

[@ohigill]

Thanks for the videos 😊👍🏻

[@lorimangold2890]

He Man silica from stones can kill ya, please wear a mask, you're young, so you have a long healthy life, doing what you love

[@TheoKellison]

I was wearing a mask, and always do no matter what i am carving😄

[@komalsuhagiya8660]

Can you say price of diamond burrs?

[@TheoKellison]

Diamond burrs come in assortments of 10-20 burrs or more and generally the cost ranges around 5-15 dollars per assortment depending on the size. Hope this helps!

[@TheDalatube]

AWESOME

[@majorkonfuzion1007]

Use water while carving with diamond burrs, they'll last you longer.

[@wildcatslife686]

what the name of machine please to use it-?

[@TheoKellison]

Any dremel type rotary carver will work! Flex shafts are generally the best, but cost a little more! Chicago electric has a great flex shaft rotary carver that is very inexpensive! Hope this helps!

[@wildcatslife686]

Theo Kellison thank you for reply sir, I beginner and here I can see some salt white stone around .

[@МастерскаяКамня]

👍👏

[@Walua]

Are you wearing a dust mask and safety glasses in this video. It doesn’t look like it?

[@TheoKellison]

Of course. I never carve anything, rocks, fossils, shells, or wood, without wearing a respirator and goggles.

[@TheoKellison]

If you pause at 10:30 you can see my respirator under the bill of my hat 👍 safety first every time!

[@Walua]

Theo Kellison excellent. Thank you for the video.

[@TheoKellison]

@@Walua of course! 😊 glad I could help in any way! 😊

[@Art9Channel]

Nice

[@noramagaly]

You need to use water when you working in stone.

[@zalansz8225]

Someone's been watching Duke arts...

[@TheoKellison]

Lol I have actually been doing these kinds of carvings for years, but Bobby duke is definitely a HUGE inspiration to me, and one of the main reasons why I started a KZbin channel! Thank you for your comment though! It reminded me to give him proper credit, which is something that totally slipped my mind when posting this, so I'll leave a link to his channel in the description!

[@whayes8084]

How to make a simple rock carving with new age technology is more like it.

[@777sgiles]

What kind of mask do you use please? I’m claustrophobic so masks are very uncomfortable.

[@TheoKellison]

I would highly recommend RZ masks in that case. They are much less bulky than a respirator, but also have the added benefit of being made specifically for fine dust that is produced by carving rocks, shells, and wood. Hope this helps! 😊

[@martyblake3146]

Hope you are wearing a mask. I couldn't tell in the video.

[@777sgiles]

What brand respirator do you use please? Thank you! New subscriber here. °\(ッ)/° ßÏG HÛGŠ from Grandma Suz

[@TheoKellison]

I use a 3M brand respirator, which I use because I do a lot of wood finish work so I need the protection from the fumes; they also have inserts that protect against dust. However, if you are looking for a respirator for solely carving uses, I would highly recommend RZ masks as they are made specifically to protect against the fine dust that is produced while carving. Hope this helps! 😊

[@СветланаШадрина-р8в]

Айм рашен, но мне понравилось

[@sandyblue4235]

What tool are you using?