Re: Headstone carving

Posted by Harvey Brinker on June 06, 2010 at 17:50:37 from (216.25.188.171):

In Reply to: Headstone carving posted by chris Jones on June 06, 2010 at 16:39:55:

Any decent sand blaster will do the job. Small unit, or low air pressure will just take longer. If you really want to get fast results quickly try sandstone, or limestone, they cut quickly and will last longer than you will. Harder stones also work fine, just harder to cut into them deeply. Deliberately look for a darker color stone with a smooth surface. The blasted area will be a lighter color and show up nicely.
3-M Company makes most of the products used in monument work. They make a masket which is about 1/8 inch thick rubber-like, with very sticky backing protected by plastic peel-off sheet. It is rather like a contact paper with a 1/8 inch rubber backing.
Best way is to do your lettering on your computer printer. Thin tall letters are best. Stay away from fat thick letters. To get the spacing right you might have to print up several sheets of paper, cut them out, and paste them up into a finished document. Put finished printed paper up to window and then trace on the back outlineing the letters. That way you have the lettering in reverse. Then use contact cement,,rubber glue, to fasten the paper lettering to the 3-M masket. Then use an Exacto knife and cut all the way through the 3-M masket. Get your stone dry, and 100% dirt and dust free,,,remove the backing on the 3-M masket and carefully place one side of it on the stone,,in the proper position,,,and like puting on a tractor decal,,gently lay it down. Push down all over to be sure you have good adhesion.
Use a pointed knife to now lift up the letters to expose the stone. These letters of course will be right side out so that you see them naturally,,,not in reverse! It is critically important that when you start to sand-blast you hold the unit at a 90 degree angle to the surface of the stone. That way the sand cuts in straight,,,and does not dig in under your masket. When you are done remove the masket from the stone. Sometimes a bit of glue will stick to the stone that needs to be removed with paint thinner. Obviously, you would be wise to practice a little on another stone just to get the knack of this process.
I have had no difficulty buying the 3-M masket from local grave stone cutting locations. It comes in a roll about 24 inches wide and last time I bought some they charged me about $3 a foot.
Once you get into this it is actually quite enjoyable and you can do a lot of creative things.
Good luck with this effort, Harvey

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