In this article, I will discuss the carving of feather rock to create a bonsai rock planting. Feather rock is a type of volcanic stone created when lava is cooled before the air can escape it rendering it relatively light and suitable for carving. I chose a large boulder I purchased for the future demonstration and was big enough for future projects. It weighed in at a hefty 130 pounds!
I use a variety of tools to get the stone workable.
The main tools I use are a chain saw, angle grinder, a saws-all with a hacksaw blade, an electric chisel, and a Dremel with a tungsten grinding ball bit. For my first cut on a large stone like this, I usually use a dull chain saw to split the stone for the first cut to make it more manageable. Once I get the size that’s close to what I need, I use the miter saw with a stone cutting blade to make a flat bottom so I can evaluate the stone further
Next, I use the saws-all and the angle grinder to remove larger pieces to get the basic form. Next, the planting holes are hollowed out using the angle grinder, in this case, to make larger holes suitable for the root on a rock rather than over a rock.
Next, I drill a few holes in the rock to secure the wires to hold the tree in place. the wires are twisted and held in place with epoxy to firmly set them in place.
After that, I do some detailed work, mainly with the chisel and Dremel. Once finished, I like to set the rock in a shallow pot using wire, and I like to use the epoxy as well
