Soapstone Carving

One thing about 8th graders is that they've seen it all. Introducing soapstone this fall is an effort to provide a new challenge to these experienced old-timers and re-ignite their creative energy.

 Soapstone is very soft, ranging from 1.5-2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. It is so soft, it can be scratched with a fingernail! Students use rasps for must of the shaping, but saws appear to be the most popular tool, perhaps because of the novelty of sawing through rock?

Once shaped, smoothed, sanded and waxed, soapstone can obtain a high polish. It's delicate however - don't drop it!

"Wolf" by "Z," grade 8