In the Workshop
In the Workshop focuses on the designs and projects currently in progress at Welsh Slate Water Features. This will include some behind the scenes content around the tooling used and what’s being cut or core drilled and transformed into stunning water feature designs. Quarry trips and exciting adventures to source and procure stone will also be included. This will give clients early visibility of what’s in the workshop and will becoming available on the website soon.
April 12th 2025. We made a start drilling the Purbeck Stone collected on our last quarry trip. Dusting off the 600mm diameter core drill bit and spinning this on a large 1metre rough slab. This took a lot longer than expected which means we may need to upgrade our largest drill to cope with this extra large size. The result though looks great and needs a good wash down before photographing for the website listing. A smaller 32mm diameter core drill made light work of this rounded mountain shaped boulder, completing drilling in a fraction of the time. This will give a nice even flow when the water starts running and cascading down and out over the various ledges. Both stones will be available on the website shortly in Window Stones category and the Boulders category. As always, please contact us with any questions regarding these stones or any designs you may have in mind.
March 29th 2025. Having spent a lot of time completing quotes for Garden Designers and Landscapers it was time to escape the desk and get out in the fresh air and take a trip to the quarry. Armed with a list of sizes ranging from small boulders to 500kg seats we managed to source a number of pieces to keep us busy drilling for a while longer. These will all be worked and transformed over the next few weeks. Please contact us if you’re looking for a bespoke slate or stone feature.
March 08th 2025. The weather has been on our side and with a decent sunny window, we’ve been able to photograph a number of recently completed designs. Having carefully chosen the planting to enhance the images, we are very pleased with the end result. Approximately 20 just added to the website. These include a rage of styles, Extra Large Slate Monoliths, core drilled water feature boulders, small undrilled boulders and a number of slate feature stones ideally suited for Japanese Gardens. A load more designs are complete and awaiting photography. Please do contact us with any questions or queries.
February 16th 2025. A quick quarry trip back to Wales to collect some more stand out glacial and quartz boulders. Ranging in size from the smallest at 300mm x 600mm x 300mm upto the largest piece at 1.1 metre x 900mm x 500mm. Weights vary from 65kg to 565kg. These have been selected as they really are stand out stones with unbelievable natural markings including amazing quartz veins, moss and lychen that all adds to the character. Some of these can also be drilled upon request and converted into waorking water features. These will be photographed shortly and added to the Boulders category and the Feature Stones category very soon.
February 09th 2025. With deliveries up to date and pallets all packed and wrapped for the courier, it was time to get the rig warmed up for a long drilling session. Priority was for a smooth, flat top boulder to be converted into a working water feature. This measured 600mm x 500mm x 300mm high and weighed in around 160kg. Flat top, smooth texture and beautiful light grey tones ticked all the boxes. This was for a garden designer and was being collected early the following week for a local garden transformation. The next boulder was a completely different egg / pyramid shape which when drilled at the top, the water flow would give complete coverage to the glacial boulder. Measuring 600mm x 600mm x 400mm high and weighing in around 150kg. The colours of this boulder really come alive when wet. All of these were drilled with a standard 32mm wet core bit and will be added to the boulders category on the website shortly. Moving to our larger rig, dusting off the 450mm diameter core drill and setting up a very rare triangular shaped large glacial granite boulder. This took a lot longer than estimated to drill due to a number of factors and contours on the stone. After removing the large inner core that was wedged in place and a quick wash down this was stood up and placed onto a pallet for a quick photo. This measures 1metre high x 950mm wide and 450mm thick. Weighs in at 410kg with the core removed. This is easy to move as the window can be used to sling through and lift comfortably. This will be photographed shortly and added to the window stone category on the website. A trio of welsh slate boulders and monolith were prepped and washed down. I couldn’t decide whether to drill these or not as they work so well together. These may well be listed on the website as is and we can drill them on request. More room was made in the workshop to accommodate another delivery of eight stunning boulders which are due down to the yard this week. These will need to be prepped, measured and readied for photos when the sun finally appears. If you have any questions or queries about any of these stones, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
February 02nd 2025. A client from central London wanted to purchase our trio of mossy boulders but had no means of moving them into the rear garden. After they contacted their landscaper who declined, we stepped up and offered our personal two man delivery service. We worked with the client to ensure this was feasible providing dimensions ofthe stones and trolley ahead of delivery. The client kindly sent a video through and measurement of each pinch point to confirm this was possible. Loading the van carefully and strategically on a saturday afternoon to ensure these could all fit perfectly, we hit the road early on a Sunday morning to beat the traffic. Our small mobile sack truck came in handy, loading the stones on smaller manageable pallets meant we could offload directly onto the trolley and then navigate the narrow path at the end of the street to move them around to the rear garden. After navigating the narrow pinch point and steps down onto the patio and another set up onto the lawn area, we were in. Placing these with the client meant they could be moved directly into place avoiding a double movement. These weighed in around 150kg each so once placed you don’t really want to move again. Under the direction of the client we agreed on a two plus one arrangement, with the largest stone taking centre stage following your eye line from the open plan kitchen, patio and clay paver path. Giving an instant impact, these mossy glacial boulders looked like they had always been there. We can’t wait to see the plants spring into action and create a dramatic backdrop for these stunning mossy boulders.
January 25th 2025. With a load of large monoliths to drill I made an early start in the workshop and was lucky enough to catch the sun rising over the yard. This creates a beautiful glow and the colour bounces off the stone in the yard. This is when I start to imagine them when they move to their forever home in someones garden and they can begin to appreciate the different levels of light as the sun moves around their garden and brings the stones to life. Some further mods on one of the rigs will ensure I can cope with the heavier stones that are to be drilled. It’s much better to organise fabrication and work in the off season so this doesn’t impact the busy drilling schedule during Spring. With large 1.2 metre and 1.4 metre monoliths to drill, these take some time to drill through end to end. The stones sit horzontally on the rig which allows more precision drilling and the core can enter the stone at the preferred point to ensure the maximum effect and flow at the top of the stone once they’re in position and installed in a garden. The consequence of not catching the highest point with the core means you will get dry spots and an uneven flow. I managed to get through 5 of these during this drilling session and only have one more remaining. These all need a wash down and will then be ready for measuring and photography before being listed in the Monoliths section on the website. If you’re looking for a Large Drilled Monolith and cannot find something suitable then please do get in touch and we can share photos of each one ahead of being added to the website.
January 13th 2025. The water pipes haven’t frozen yet which means I could carry on coreing and keep the drills spinning. Working my way through approximately 10 ton of welsh glacial boulders with the most amazing colours I’ve ever seen in stone. The glacial boulders are so hard it actually broke the diamond tips and I have never seen this in over 20 years of drilling stone and slate. After discussing with my supplier a replacement was sent (at cost) and I could continue the process. After some minor adaptions to one of the drill rigs to create extra spacing, this enabled easier and quicker drilling of larger sized glacial boulders. The diamonds have been wearing faster than ever on this hard stone but the result is that the cores have been coming out clean and as a single complete piece. I’ve added some photos below to give you an idea of some of the colours coming out and a closer look into the drilling process. The veins and detail on some of these boulders are mesmerising and get exagerated when water starts flowing and running over these natural features. These will all be weighed, measured, photographed and added to the website very soon.
January 06th 2025. Happy New Year ! We’ve been busy behind the scenes preparing for a busy Spring time. We are all stocked up on pumps and reservoirs and all the accessories needed for running and operating a water feature. We are also stocked up on pallets and wrapping tools so we can ensure orders are dispatched without any delay. We’ve managed to drill out our first batch of boulders for 2025, ranging from smaller 250mm wide upto 500mm wide. Colours vary massively between ligther grey tones to beautiful mixed quartz colours. These have been core drilled and washed and have dried out in the sun during golden hour. Please see some images of them below and all of these will be added to the website very soon.
November 27th 2024. The weather’s been a bit crazy lately and we’ve not been able to do much drilling in the workshop so our attention has turned to road trips and sourcing new stone and establishing new contacts. This is all in readiness for Spring 2025 and the crazy rush when the weather finally improves. We’ve sourced some really colourful and appealing glacial boulders ranging in size and shape aswell as colour and texture. Sizes vary from simple one person lifts to much larger heavier colourful quartz boulders that will require mechanical handling or a very strong team to move. We’ve secured a very very small number of mossy boulders that have an aged and weathered feel to them. In addition we’re planning to expand our product range further and are excited to launch some new products early next year.
November 02nd 2024. We recently took delivery of a new 200mm diameter core drill to add to our offering. With a number of boulders too big for our 150mm and too small for our 250mm so a 200mm was the perfect fit. With a barrel length of 450mm this gives us a great range. This was tested out on two different size Purbeck Stone boulders. A smaller one measuring 400mm x 320mm x 230mm and a one person lift. And a larger boulder measuring 400mm x 400mm x 500mm high. Two very different boulders but with the same deep bowl offers another variation of our popular water bowls and bird baths. These will be set up and professionally photographed shortly and available on the website soon. One of these has now been added to the website as Tsukubai Water Basin TWB03.
October 28th 2024. Our range of Bird Baths and Water Bowls proved very popular last season so we’re busy sourcing stone suitable for carving. We’re keen to offer a varied range of these, with smaller more manageable pieces which can easily be carried and placed in the garden but also to make it easier for animals and wildlife to take a drink from if located closer to the ground. This Purbeck Stone piece was perfect when we saw it in the quarry. Measuring approx 700mm wide x 500 long x 220 high. It still needs to be weighed but a guesstimate is around 75kg. It could be carried by two people or easily manouvered on a sack truck or trolley. We have some similar available on the website Stone Boulder Bird Bath SBB21 and larger pieces like Stone Boulder Bird Bath SBB17. This will be cleaned up and photographed properly when the sun comes out and will then be listed on the website for purchase.
October 07th 2024. With a number of Window Stones being sold recently, we picked out a number of slate monoliths on a recent trip to the quarry to source some suitable new stock. Selecting the slate for this is very difficult as there are a number of attributes to consider. All of these are drilled with a 250mm diameter core for the Window and the hights vary between 600mm and 800mm. These can all be modifed into working water features at additional cost. These will be photographed, measured and ulpoaded to the website and available for purchase very soon. If you are a garden designer or landscaper or looking to transform your garden then please get in touch.
September 23rd 2024. Work has started on another Tsukubai Wash Basin in the workshop. Very similar style to the previous one from Purbeck Stone but with some added natural features, including ledges and overhangs. All adds to the interest to follow the journey of the water from bamboo spout, to bowl, to ledge to recirculation. Whilst creating a mesmerising, soothing and relaxing experience. The depth of the large 300mm diameter bowl is slightly deeper than last time enabling a greater mass of water to be stored before the overspill begins. The process for carving and removing the stone from the bowl has also been refined and some nice efficiencies gained. Also reducing the grinding time and creating a nicer, cleaner, smoother finish. A short polish with a 50 grit removes any blade marks and exposes the natural fossils and shells formed in this beautiful stone. Slight adjustments were required to ensure the bamboo spout sat in the smaller recessed hole nicely. The hose will disappear through a thinner hole in the stone and out throught he bottom to be plumbed into the pump in the reservoir at the base. As soon as we have a chance this will be photographed, measured and uploaded to the wesbite and available for purchase.
September 07th 2024. Having completed the drilling of some larger 1metre plus monoliths in the workshop, I was able to focus on a number of smaller pieces which have been sat on pallets for too long. A couple of hours drilling these before the rain stopped progress. These are a range of small to medium slate features cored from Welsh Slate. Most are easily a one man lift with some of the heavier bulky pieces being easier with two people to share the load. As soon as we have some more sunshine these will be photographed and listed up on the website.
Boulders are continuing to be popular so we’ve been busy in the workhsop trying to restock on a range of sizes and materials. With care being taken to set up and photographe these nicely for the website, we’re keen to give you early visbility of what’s coming soon. These photos have been taken towards the end of the day when the stones have dried out after drilling. These will darken and glisten when wet.
The first boulder with cream and light blue tones is slightly sloping and the decision was taken to drill at the highest point to keep an even flow of water. Measures 530mm x 450mm x 200mm high.
Boulder two almost looks like it has been cut open, so one edge is naturally rounded and smooth, with the other side sloping off and giving an insight into the middle of the stone. Measures 500mm x 450mm x 250mm high.
Boulder three is larger again and has a mottled finish to it. Rounded smooth edges with multiple drop points will give a nice even flow across the surface. Measures 700mm x 550mm x 250mm high. Keep an eye out for the exact listings to be made available on the product page soon.
A number of Purbeck Stone boulders have sold recently so we’ve been busy working our way through our stock of big boulders. To maintain a range of materials, we’ve also been drilling up some medium size granite boulders which takes considerably more effort due to the hardness of the stone.
The light grey granite boulder is approx 300mm high and the core has come out in one single piece. This is due to the material being so hard and tough to drill through, taking a lot longer than drilling slate. Light tones are mixed with beautiful markings and striking quartz streaks running randomly throughout the stone.
The trinagular shaped purbeck boulder is approx 500mm and stood out from the other boulders in the quarry as it had two levels to it. The lower half is slightly wider which will slow down the flow of water as it cascades down the extra width and will create more interest.
Another triangular shape but slightly lower in height and much wider. Undulating surface on the top will look like the water is bouncing as it flows over the ridges and dips. The core was extracted in one, which highlights the strength of this stone.
A more common standard rounded boulder shape completes these four. Light creamy tones randomly mixed with darker brown colours all exagerated when water starts flowing. These will all be added to the boulders category on the shop soon.
We hope you enjoy this behind the scenes and little insight in the workshop to see the progress on beautiful stones being transformed into stunning garden features. Please contact us with any questions or queries or if there’s any other content you would like us to share.