Ayr stone
Revision as of 06:21, 24 July 2013 by (username removed)
Description
A hard, fine-grain, uniform whetstone used as an abrasive for metal and marble. Ayr stone was named for the Ayr river in Scotland where it was first found. Sticks and blocks made from Ayr stone were often used by sculptors to sharpen blades and for finishing polishes.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Scotch stone; water-of-Ayr; snakestone; Scotch hone
Comparisons
Properties of Common Abrasives
Authority
- G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 559
- Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
- R.M.Organ, Design for Scientific Conservation of Antiquities, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, 1968