Profession stonemason

Stonemasons manually carve and assemble stone for construction purposes. While CNC operated carving equipment is the industry standard, artisanal carving for ornamental stone is still done manually.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Types of stone for working

  Different types of stone that stonemasons and other stone workers use to process into building materials. The mechanical properties of stone, such as their weight, tensile strength, durability. Economical properties such as cost, transport and sourcing.

• Building codes

  The set of guidelines that determine the minimum standards for buildings and other constructions in order to protect public health and safety.

Skills

• Use stonemason's chisel

  Use a stonemason's chisel with a mallet to chisel away stone and create a straight edge on the workpiece.

• Create cutting plan

  Draw up plans to show how the material will be cut into functional pieces to minimise loss of material.

• Polish stone by hand

  Polish by hand the stone parts which cannot be polished by a machine, rubbing it with abrasive blocks.

• Follow health and safety procedures in construction

  Apply the relevant health and safety procedures in construction in order to prevent accidents, pollution and other risks.

• Maintain work area cleanliness

  Keep the working area and equipment clean and orderly.

• Use measurement instruments

  Use different measurement instruments depending on the property to be measured. Utilise various instruments to measure length, area, volume, speed, energy, force, and others.

• Prepare stone for smoothing

  Prepare the stone for the smoothing process by wetting it with the hose.

• Use safety equipment in construction

  Use elements of protective clothing such as steel-tipped shoes, and gear such as protective goggles, in order to minimise risk of accidents in construction and to mitigate any injury if an accident does occur.

• Transport construction supplies

  Bring construction materials, tools and equipment to the construction site and store them properly taking various aspects into account such as the workers' safety and protection from deterioration.

• Inspect construction supplies

  Check construction supplies for damage, moisture, loss or other problems before using the material.

• Mark stone workpieces

  Mark planes, lines and points onto a stone workpiece to show where material will be removed.

• Secure working area

  Secure the operation site fixing boundaries, restricting access, placing signs and taking other measures in order to guarantee public and staff safety.

• Operate grinding hand tools

  Operate a variety of hand tools designed for grinding production materials, such as angle grinders, die grinders, grindstones, bench grinders, and others.

• Inspect stone surface

  Inspect the surface of the stone to identify any uneven areas.

• Work ergonomically

  Apply ergonomy principles in the organisation of the workplace while manually handling equipment and materials.

• Interpret 3D plans

  Interpret and understand plans and drawings in manufacturing processes which include representations in three dimensions.

• Interpret 2D plans

  Interpret and understand plans and drawings in manufacturing processes which include representations in two dimensions.

• Regulate cutting speed

  Regulate the speed and depth of stone cutting by pulling the levers and turning the wheels.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB