How to Prepare Your Hand Carved Stone for Hanging
I have seen many different methods used for hanging hand carved stone on your wall or garden fence. These range from a piece of wire or metal adhered to the back of the stone to a hole in the stone itself and everything in between. Where as all these things have been effective lets look at the pros and cons of each and see what works best for your application. We will also cover some steps that should be taken to prepare your stone carving for hanging.
The initial thing that must be done to hang your hand carved stone is to make sure you place the hanging implement you choose in the correct place on the stone so that your carved design will hang correctly. I call this step balancing the stone. To do this you must find the place on the carved piece so that when you lift the stone off your surface the bottom of your stone stays parallel with the surface you have lifted it from. I use an old set of tongs to pick the stone up, adjusting the tongs positions up or down and side to side until I get the perfect parallel lift. Before removing the tongs mark the spot on the back side of your stone carving where the tongs are touching the stone. This gives you your balancing point.
You can then use this spot to attach the hanging device of your choice. If you choose to hang your carved stone with a single hook, that hook should be attached to this spot with a strong adhesive, I prefer a two part adhesive. The single hook will leave a bit of space between the wall and your stone carving but it is fairly easy to attach. If you choose to hang your piece with a wire you should attach the wire so that the middle of the wire is over your balancing spot. The wire should then be attached at either end with a strong adhesive, again I prefer a two part epoxy. This method leaves a less space between the wall and your stone carving than the hook all though it is a little more complicated. The method I prefer for my hand carved stone designs is to actually drill a hole into the back of the stone carving.
If you choose to drill a hole on the back of your carved stone for hanging you might want to do this prior to actually hand carving the stone because there is always a chance of breaking your carved piece. I choose to drill a hole on the back of my stone carvings for hanging because this allows the piece to hang flat against whatever surface you are displaying your stone carving on and you can also use the same hole to stand the piece if you choose to do so. I prefer to use a diamond covered drill to make the hole. Please refer to my article Helpful Tools and Tips for Hand Carved Stone for the use and care of these bits. You can also use a hammer drill with a regular bit.
I have covered some of the methods for hanging your carved stone as well as what I feel is the most important step in the process which is balancing your stone carving. As I find with each of the processes in stone carving I am always learning better and easier way to accomplish every step. Check back often as I will continue to share my knowledge and hopefully make this gratifying art form accessible to all.
About the Author
Ron White, stone carver and entrepreneur, has been carving stone since 1993 and is shown in more than 40 galleries across the US. Prior to beginning his work with hand carved stone Ron has worked extensively with leather, wood cabinetry and even jewelry. Learn more about Ron White, his work, or purchase your own selection at http://www.derivedfromnature.com.
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