How to Chisel a Table Top
- 1). Place a piece of Kraft paper over your table base and mark its dimensions on the paper.
- 2). Calculate how much, if any, you want the tabletop to overlap the base and extend the traced lines that far. For example, if you want the tabletop to extend 2 inches beyond the table base, trace a new line on the Kraft paper that is 2 inches larger at all points.
- 3). Cut the Kraft paper, with scissors or an utility knife, to the larger marking.
- 4). Secure the paper on your stone slab with painter's tape and trace its shape onto the stone with a colored pencil.
- 5). Place the point chisel at a 45-degree angle against the line on the stone and hit it with the hammer, to create a line in the stone. Move the chisel 1 inch to the right and continue marking the line with the point chisel. Repeat striking the line until it is deep enough that the excess stone is broken away from the slab.
- 6). Place the edge of the five-point tooth chisel 1/4 inch in from the cut line, at a 38-degree angle, and strike it with the hammer. Continue around the tabletop edge until all the circumference has been carved and a smooth five-point edge is created.
- 7). Inspect the tabletop for any uneven chisel marks and re-chisel them with the five-point chisel until the desired edge pattern is created.
- 8). Polish the tabletop and chiseled edges by wiping a stone polish onto it, with a clean cloth, in a circular motion. Allow the polish to dry for 30 minutes and then wipe it off with a clean, dry cloth.