Last week I wrote about how I’ve used metal in some of my work over the past 20 years or so.

Tough stuff

Generally speaking, stone is a lot harder than wood, though it does vary in density quite a bit. Some stone is virtually impossible for me to work given the tools that I have. I sometimes come across a slab of rock that would make a nice addition to my work, though having one finished or smooth edge on it would be the cherry on top. At first, I took my belt sander to some of these edges, hoping to smooth them out. That approach did nothing. The density and durability of the stone was such that a quality abrasive belt didn’t smooth the surface at all. From then on, I just selected stone or rock slabs I could work with unaltered.

I’m guessing there are some simple techniques I could use that would allow me to modify the shape or look of a stone, or its edge, but I haven’t been compelled enough to do so yet. One of these days.

Finishing stone

One simple technique I stumbled upon, in order to make an edge or face of a stone look more attractive, is to apply a finish to it. A few coats of a durable polyurethane hides many of the scratches and imperfections in a slab.

Once I was making a table for a client who wanted two specific stone slabs incorporated into the top of a hall table. The rock was relatively soft, and I knew it would deteriorate pretty rapidly if I left it as-is. Even tossing a set of keys onto the surface would surely leave a mark and the sleek look of the table would quickly diminish. I applied a few coats of finish to all the surfaces to tighten up the surface and hopefully keep things looking new for a lot longer. Eventually, the wear would have to be chalked up to patina. I made that table almost 20 years ago I haven’t received any complaints about it, so I’m hoping my approach worked nicely.

Linear vs. organic shapes

It’s quite easy to incorporate rectilinear-shaped stone and rock into a piece of furniture, especially for a tabletop. Working with more organically shaped stone can be much more difficult, though. Many years ago, I stumbled upon a nicely shaped slab about 24″ long, 14″ deep and 1-1/2″ thick. It was in a vaguely triangular shape. I thought its smooth, grey surface would look great coupled with the rich look of African mahogany, so that’s what I built the table’s base out of. I eventually wrote an article about how I made the base and shaped the wood portion of the top to accept the rock. You can read about it here: Stone age joinery.

Similar to wood

Like wood, a stone’s colour, texture and grain pattern make it a beautiful material. People can’t help but reach out and touch the surface of a piece of stone when it’s included in a piece of furniture. It’s also strong, like wood.

The main difference is that it’s a lot harder and therefore a lot more difficult to machine. My approach is always to use it as I’ve found it and shape the wood to the stone.

Bigger isn’t always better

Although I’ve used many medium- to large-sized slabs in my work, I’ve also used smaller stones in some pieces. On a camping trip I collected a handful of smooth stones from a beach in the Tobermory area. I didn’t know what I was going to do with them at the time, but I eventually incorporated them into the apron of a hall table. While a rock slab provides a functional aspect to a table, these small stones added only aesthetics to this table.

Another time, I was asked by a client to build a small wall cabinet. They asked for the overall design to be quite simple, yet to have some sort of unique feature in it. I let some small rocks into the sides and added some texture around each stone. While working on the cabinet, the stones visually reminded me of meteors hitting the earth, so I titled it “Meteor Cabinet”. I wrote about it here: https://canadianwoodworking.com/techniques_and_tips/meteor-cabinet/

Have you ever incorporated stone or rock into your work? If so, share some photos with me.