OREM -- Alan Bylund never considered himself an artist.
But three years ago, using unique tools produced in Orem, Bylund began a creative journey that led him to become a pioneer in the art of rock carving."A rock doesn't have a personality until you put something on it," Bylund said while explaining his method of carving detailed pictures, sayings or logos into the face of smooth rocks.
His art is possible through the Paragraver and Parablaster, both invented by Dr. Lew Jensen of Orem. Jensen, who practiced dentistry for 15 years in Vernal, now builds and sells his carving tools through his business Paragraphics in Orem. Thousands of people around the world have purchased Paragraphics products, which allow artisans to engrave or carve mediums including wood, rock, glass and crystal with fine detail and accuracy.
"I found out that I was artistic. That was really neat," Bylund said. "Lew (Jensen) provided me with the technology that allowed me to do that and I have him to thank for that."
Looking to get out of the dental trade, Jensen began examining the dental drill, searching for other uses for it. He redesigned it, eliminating the right angle found on dental drills and making the tool straight. The result was the Paragraver, a hand-held drill about the size of a magic marker that spins at around 312,000 revolutions per minute.
"It's 10 times faster than any other tool in the world," Jensen said. He began his business of making and selling the Paragraver in 1983, and has since sold 15,000 paragraving kits.
"I'm the largest buyer of bits in the whole dental trade" except for the federal government, Jensen said.
The Paragraver alone sells for about $435, but the business' packages and training can cost as high as $3,000. Jensen travels often to teach people how to use his invention.
Keith Hone and his son Craig assist Jensen in teaching others how to use the Paragraver. The Hones, who do relief carvings as well as three-dimensional work featuring wildlife, have received national recognition for their work. They work full time carving wood with the Paragraver and doing training for Jensen.
Keith Hone, who lives in Benjamin, retired after teaching woodwork in Spanish Fork schools and had been sculpting wood for 25 years.
"I was using the old traditional tools that carvers and sculptors were using and I just heard someone say that there was this dentist that had invented this high-speed equipment," Keith Hone said. At the time, Jensen was using the Paragraver mainly on glass and metal; Keith Hone helped Jensen develop the product to use on wood.
"It was great, really, unbelievable," Keith Hone said. "It just opened up avenues that were very, very difficult before with the old equipment."
The high speed of the drill makes it cut fast and clean; it allows the user to carve finished products like cabinet doors and gun stocks.
"It's a very, very flexible tool," Keith Hone said. "It's kind of like a magic paintbrush."
Bylund, who has worked for Paragraphics for three years, began learning on the Paragraver, but has since been attracted to the Parablaster. It is essentially a small-scale sandblaster that spews fine grit to carve rock, glass, crystal and even wood.
Jensen said he was looking for an item that would carve on a mass production basis, but could only find large, commercial sandblasting equipment. In inventing the Parablaster, he created the world's first "micro high-pressure system," he said. Like the Paragraver, it is run using compressed air.
After seeing rocks at a mall carved with inspirational words, Bylund asked the salesperson if the store could obtain custom-carved rocks. Upon learning it could not, Bylund went home to figure out exactly how he would do so. He now teaches his method to others.
Words or intricate patterns are carved onto surfaces through a process involving a chemical that hardens under ultraviolet light. The chemical is transferred to the surface to be carved and the Parablaster carves those areas where the chemical is not located.
Working with rocks is more difficult because the rock doesn't have a perfectly smooth finish like glass or crystal, Bylund said.
Purchasing the sandblaster costs about $4,000. "There's no reason to get into it unless you're going to do it for business," Jensen said.
Janet Thwaits, Orem, stumbled upon Paragraphics while searching for another item and ended up buying both the Paragraver and Parablaster. She now does a wide variety of work, from engraving champagne glasses and snow globes to making Christmas ornaments and achievement awards.
"I love doing it. I love the process and I love getting to the finished product. It's like the same passion that people do quilts with. You start with the raw glass and you take it through the steps and you come out with something unique and original," Thwaits said. "I'm not good with a needle, but I'm great with the Parablaster."
Various businesses refer their customers to Thwaits to have items personalized. She has even carved on jewelry after using her own wedding ring for practice. "The inside of my wedding ring looks like a doodle pad," she said.
Both Bylund and Thwaits said they look at items such as rocks and glass with a whole new perspective now.
Paragraphics is now offering a product called the "Forever Letter" -- a handwritten letter that is reproduced on a large, round crystal vase by carving the handwriting onto the surface.
For more information about Paragraphics or its artisans, call 801-225-8300.
The Deseret News regularly features stories on businesses that create or produce products in Utah County for the retail market. Got a story idea? Call 437-7602 or e-mail Sharon Haddock at haddoc@desnews.com