Page 36 - BSAM 2016 Q4

34 | BCI | October/November/December 2016
Top row and middle right; This is one of Sakurai’s work areas where he begins the process of making suiseki. He places a stone in a water lled sink to determine where to cut it. The stone on the middle right has been marked for a basal cut. Removing a thick layer of stone at the bottom will result in an attractive mountain stone.
Middle row; Sitting in his workshop Sakurai uses small hand held cold chisels and a hammer to shape small hut and other types of small stones. Typically, a hut stone can be made in twenty minutes; a small scenic stone takes a little longer.
Bottom row; Power tools used in the manufacture of suiseki include di erent sized circular grinders used to remove smaller pieces of stone and re ne the shape. At right is a pneumatic hand-held chisel used to remove pieces of stone. The entire back or upper part of this stone was shaped using this tool.