Stoney shaping wood on the lathe.

Tools of his Craft
Stoney uses a variety of power tools to create his art. The main tool that shapes his work is called a lathe. The wood lathe clamps a piece of wood tightly at two points and spins the wood at high speeds. Once the wood is spinning, Stoney uses a sharp chisel to shave away layers and reveal the shape he wants.

Stoney with a power chisel.

Stoney's Band Saw

Usually, a wood lathe is used to make round objects like bowls or rolling pins. Stoney has a different idea. When he has finished shaping his sculpture on the lathe, he often cuts away large sections of the wood with a saw. He also likes to carve parts of the sculpture with power chisels. The wood that remains still has graceful arcs and curves that were created on the lathe, but no one would call it round!

Stoney finishes his sculpture by sandblasting or bleaching the wood to change the color or texture.