About this site
What this site covers about hand dressing of stone, what it leaves out, and how its short guides are presented.
Mason Pier is a reference site about hand tools for dressing stone. It shows what each tool does to a block, the order it is used in, and how to tell that a face is coming right. The aim is to explain each tool before a chisel is picked up.
What the site covers
The site covers the core hand tools and what each one removes from the stone. It follows a rough block from the first blows that take off waste to flat faces. It also covers how to read a dressed surface by sight, touch and straightedge, the common faults of hand work, and how grain and bed change the way a stone responds. The tool set is set out in the stone dressing toolkit.
The kinds of pages on the site
- Overview pages that introduce a subject and point to related work
- Longer pages that take one stage of the work in the order it is done
- Short guides that answer one practical question, such as checking a point chisel before rough shaping
Each page links to the others where one step depends on another. Safe working habits, including eye protection and a steady bench, are covered in setting up a stable work surface.
What is left out on purpose
Power tools and angle grinders are not covered, and neither is any work that depends on them. Building walls, piers or other structures is left out because a reference page cannot judge a particular job, and that work belongs with a qualified person. Monument and headstone lettering is also left out, as is the sourcing and supply of stone.
How the short guides are shown
Each short guide shows the date it was published.
To point out a mistake or ask about a page, write to contact@masonpier.com.