Handbook
The ‘dogma’, a compilation of materials, craftsmen, technique and details, slowly built over each project, for any and everyone who would be intrigued to know more.
Contents
Overview
​
1 - About the Material
2 - About the Craftsmen community
3 - Labour charges
4 - Equipment & Tools
5 - Making of the Components
6 - Material study
7 - Techniques
Overview
Each different material, its properties and limitations, its tactile nature and composition is unique. Understanding them would lead us to get better ideas to devise the program, output for the Built landscape and know the effect that it would have on the user.
Black Stone
Sample
Basalt and granite are both igneous rocks, meaning that they cooled from a magma. But the similarities start to diverge there. Granite forms from the slow crystallization of magma below Earth’s surface whereas basalt forms as lava oozes toward the Earth’s surface at a volcano or mid-oceanic ridge.
​
Basalt underlies more of Earth’s surface than any other rock type. Most ocean basins are underlain by basalt and it is the chief volcanic rock in many mid-oceanic islands including Iceland and the islands of Hawaii.
​
Basalt is usually grey to black, but can weather to brown or rust due to oxidation. Although characterized as “dark”, basaltic rocks can actually exhibit a wide range of shading due to regional geochemical processes. The Basalt of Iceland does not look the same as what appears in the Columbia River Basin in the Northwest.
Basalt isn’t unique to the earth. Basalt is an intergalactic rock with samples found on the Earth’s moon, Mars, Venus and on several asteroids. HDG Building Materials, at least so far, sources it’s basalt from the earth.
About the Craftsmen Community
The Wadars
a community of stone-cutters from the villages of Ahmednagar and Solapur districts, have unique skill when it comes to working on basalt rock.
One of their key skills is certainly visible is the ability to cut rocks in uneven shapes such that they fit together perfectly with little else required to keep them in place.
​
​
Now 66, Lakshman learnt his trade from his father and grandfather more than 50 years ago, as did they from previous generations. “Once a boy turns 10 or 11, he is handed a small hammer and taught to use it,” he says. “He could even break his fingers, but in a few months he will learn the trade and move on to work like the elders.”
​
Cost of the Labourers :
Each craftsmen earns Rs 800 per day with 8 hr shift which sums up to 15000/- month
Equipment and Tools
Each Wadar stone-crafter carries their own tools with them everywhere they go. These include a hammer with a wooden body, a small axe, a spear-like tool for chiselling, and a resting iron rod for balance.
Techniques - Dressing of Stone
The stone dressing is a process of surfacing and shaping of rocks available naturally. The place where the rocks are abundantly available is called as a quarry. The process of taking stones from the natural bed is known as ‘Quarrying’.
​
The operation of stone dressing is generally carried out at the site of quarry so as to reduce the transportation cost.
The dressing of stone is generally done using hand tools like Chisel, Pickaxe etc using heavy machines or blasting using explosives. Once quarried, the stones are cut into the suitable size and surface finishes.
This process is termed as dressing of stones. The effective dressing of stones would help in making your structure attractive and economical.
Stages of Dressing
​
Sizing :
The irregular quarried rock is cut into desired dimensions by removing extra portions. It is generally done using hammers and chisels or cutting machines.
Shaping :
once cut to desired dimensions extra projections are removed to shape the stone.
Plaining :
It is the process of removing irregularities from the stone surface.
Finishing & Polishing in some cases
Types of Dressing
​
1. Hammer Dressing :
Hammer dressed stones do not contain any sharp and irregular corners these stones suit well for masonry construction. These are most adopted type of dressing of stones.
2. Chisel Drafting :
In this method the stone is made of drafts or groups with the help of chisels at different stages of dressing of stones. In this type of dressing excessive stones at the center are also removed. These stones are used commonly in plinths and corner of the building.
​
3. Fine Tooling :
In this type of dressing most of the projections of the stones are removed and a fairly smooth surface is gained. Due to this the appearance of the stone improves.
4. Rough Tooling :
In this type of dressing a rough tooled surface that has a series of bends are made of the stone. The bends are more or less parallel to tool marks make all over the surface.
5. Punched Dressing :
This type of dressing is an extension of rough tool dressing. In this type of dressing a rough tooled surface is further dressed with the series of parallel ridges. The chisel marks are visible on the face.
6. Closed Picked Dressing :
In this type of dressing of stone a punched stone is further dressed to obtain a finer surface.
Color and Finishes
