Roughing out a block by hand

Roughing out takes a block from an irregular lump to a rough shape with flat faces, before any finishing begins. The work runs in a fixed order: mark, take the high points, pitch the edges, then level. Going out of order wastes stone and makes every later pass harder.

The steps

1. Mark the faces wanted on the block with pencil or chalk, and draw a line on each edge at the finished size.
2. Work the high points with the point, striking at a slight angle and moving across the face in short passes.
3. Set the pitching tool on the marked line and strike it to remove the waste beyond the line.
4. Take larger waste with the bolster, working inside the marked line so the edge stays sound.
5. Level the face with the claw chisel, working in one direction and then across it.
6. Check the face with a straightedge, then refine remaining high spots with the tooth chisel.

What can go wrong

Fault	Likely cause	What it looks like
Edge breaks off early	Striking too close to the edge	A chip runs past the marked line
Face is hollow in the middle	Working only at the edges	A straightedge rocks on its ends
Stone cracks across the block	Heavy blows on a thin section	A hairline runs through the stone
Surface is bumpy	Passes not overlapped	Ridges pattern the whole face
Chisel skids	Dull edge or glancing blow	Shallow scratches with no bite

How to tell it went right

A roughed-out block has faces where the straightedge lies flat in both directions. Its edges run true to the marked lines, and the texture is even with no fresh chips near the lines. The waste should be gone, and the block should look like a rough version of its finished shape rather than a lump with a flat spot. Move on only when the face reads even from several angles.

The tools themselves are described in the toolkit. A point that is chipped or spread will make this stage harder, so check it first, as covered in choosing a point chisel. Once the faces are level, reading the dressed surface explains how to judge the result.