# bytor



## jshuatree (Feb 21, 2010)

was checking out some of your work. excellent stuff. what would you say are the tools that you couldn't do without? or what do I need to get to complete my set of stone tools? also if you have to split stones do you use a drill to start your holes for your feather and wedge or do you do them a differant way. also what are the characteristics that define gneis work?


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## bytor (Jan 23, 2010)

Hi jshuatree... thanks for the kind words.

As far as tools go, I'm definitely a hammer and chisel guy. I prefer carbide chisels, more specifically, Rebit chisels from Sweden. I get them from Micon products in Vancouver BC
http://www.miconproducts.com/pitching_tools.html
Trow and Holden are also decent, but in my opinion, Rebit chisels provide a more durable carbide and more of it in the chisel.

We have a couple of diamond saws which we use very rarely... there's got to be a pretty good reason to pull them out of the 'tool chest'.

Of course there are numerous other things we've accumulated over the years; trowels and pointing slicks in many shapes and sizes, lines, levels, lasers, plumb bobs, squares, various power tools, scaffolding, mixers, hoists, more scaffolding etc. etc. But the things I use day in day out and would be lost without are my hammer and chisel, banker, shovel, hoe, and wheelbarrow... I've resorted to using an old cedar shingle in place of a trowel but don't think it'd have much effect on a stone if I forgot my chisels...:w00t:

yes we use a hammer drill for our feathers and wedges (add those tools to the list as well) You can 'drill' your holes by hand but you've got to have a lot of time and patience. As far as 'splitting' stone though, along the grain of the stone, we'd simply use a hammer and chisel, or for larger slabs, a splitting maul.

Gneiss is a metamorphic type of rock... on it's way to becoming granite... just needs another few million years under pressure to complete the transformation. So it is very similar to granite in its 'hardness' but maintains some characteristics of a sedimentary stone in that some of it can be quite layered and can (not always) split quite readily

hope this helps, be well.


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## jshuatree (Feb 21, 2010)

like a page from a book....very informative ...thank you


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## Rock Headed (Nov 8, 2007)

Is that splitting maul the same type they use for logs, or some type of stone tool I'm not familiar with?


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## bytor (Jan 23, 2010)

like this;


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## RZB (Sep 30, 2008)

There is a surprising amount of money sitting on that banker, but it looks like they've paid for themselves already. Amazing work!


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## 2low4nh (Dec 12, 2010)

here is a picture of the basic tool I use on every stne job


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