8/21/2006 - Carved/routed gravestone: a "how to" of sorts (carving and initial painting)

This year I've made 2 insulation foam (blue or pink) tombstones.  That's it.  I have to set a limit, or I'd have 6-8 new stones and nothing else new!  Anyway, I took pics along the way during the 2nd stone's constructions, and here they are with some explanation of what I did.  For larger pics, see my Halloweengallery 2006 album: http://www.halloweengallery.com/thumbnails.php?album=430 OR my photobucket prop-making album: http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s166/gothikim

There are no photos of the gluing or roughing out process, as it's pretty self-explanatory.  That, and I forgot to get the camera out until after that point.  In Texas, we can't get 2" foam, so I glued 3 pieces 3/4" pieces together.  I use 3M Super 77 spray adhesive, and a lot of weight to hold the pieces together until the glue cures.  I use a hacksaw and a styrofoam wire cutter ($10 at most craft stores, uses batteries) to cut the shape out.  A coping saw is also very useful for cutting out intricate shapes or inside corners. 

 I sanded the begeebees out of the corners and edges to make the stone look weathered by wind and rain, and filled the tiny gaps between the 3 foam layers with exterior wood filler or Liquid Nails foamboard adhesive caulk and then sand again after it's dry.  On this stone, I left some of the depth differences between layers to suggest delamination or inconsistent weathering of the stone.  Hard stone weathers slower than soft stone, leading to some areas wearing away faster than others...

 Pretend the stone is still all pink--I'll explain later.  After roughing out, I glued a 3/8" plywood backing to the stone to add strength, heft, and a surface for attaching to stone to rebar.  I used PUG (Gorilla Glue) to attach the plywood to the stone after scoring the foam up with an Xacto.  After that cured, I caulked the edges with Liquid Nails foamboard adhesive caulk (neat stuff) to seal out any moisture.  When I'm ready to put the stone up, all I'll have to do is attach U-shaped brackets to the plywood and then slip them down over rebar.  I will drill holes in the centers of the brackets to accept set-screws to keep thieves from easily taking my hard work home with them!  At this stage it isn't too pretty, but once the back is painted to match the front, the ply isn't that noticeable.  Besides, who really sees the backs of your tombstones?

 The above photo shows the pattern drawn onto the roughed out stone.  The photo lying on the stone is the original that was my inspiration.  I scaled the stone up 3X from the photo (12" to 36" tall and 7 1/3" to 22" wide), using paper, a drafting ruler (with 1/16 and 1/32 increments), and a pencil.  That took a while, but it gave me the dimensions of the stone and the proportions of the parts.  If I can find the page on which I worked the dimensions out, I'll take a pic and post it too.  I then drew all of that onto the foam blank, using a sharpie, a straight edge, a compass, and tracing paper.  The tracing paper allowed me to make identical elements, such as the tops and bottoms of the columns and the curves to the oval-ish shape where the inscription is.  The trick, I found, was to start with the simplest shapes first, to get the proportions and basic format correct, and then to add on the detailed elements. 

 After my pattern was drawn on, I started routing with my Dremel XPR 400, routing attachment and a 1/2" straight bit.  Note that the areas to be routed were marked with diagonal slashes, so I wouldn't screw up and route something that didn't need it!  Clamps and a stable worksurface are a necessity.  A shifting stone is NOT easy to route precisely!  Don't use the clamps directly on your foam, as they may dent it up.  I used scraps of cardboard to cushion the clamps.  I practiced on scrap foam a LOT to determine the Dremel speed setting (3) and the tool motion speed (about 1' per 10-15 seconds), and to get used to the pressure needed to push the router down into the surface (quite a bit).  I didn't do my inscription before this stage, because I didn't want the router base to tear up the delicate lettering.  That should be the next step after all routing is done!

 Once I'd done the easier routing in larger areas, I moved to the detail panel at the top of the stone.  I used a 1/4" straight router bit, which is the smallest I could find, but even that wasn't small enough to get into every tiny space.  The rest was carved by hand with an Xacto, which was time consuming, but got the job done!  In retrospect I could've used my woodburning tool also.  The center around the urn was routed 1/2" deep, where the other areas were about 1/4" deep. 

 After all the routing was done, I went back and filled any low spots or router bit marks with Liquid Nails foamboard adhesive caulk.  I found it easier to use than wood filler in tiny areas.  I don't have a photo of that step, but it's easy enough.  Put glove on hand, get filler material on finger, smear into low areas.  Use another finger to wipe off excess.  Allow to dry, then sand.  Repeat as necessary.

 Pretend that the stone isn't white.  I decided to experiment with cutting an inscription into a surface that had already been painted, to see if it would be neater-looking.  It wasn't.  Inscribe before painting!  Here is the inscription, printed out in PowerPoint (which centers lines for you--very nice) and taped together.  Fiddle with it until you're happy that the lines are straight and then until the lines are level on your stone.  Tack the paper to your stone with tape (scotch or painters) or pins, then use it as a stencil by punching the outlines of the letters with a fine nail or pin.  BTW, there are lots of ways of putting inscriptions on.  This is just what works for me!

See how the letters are picked out in tiny nailholes?  That took a while, and seriously cramped my hand, but it's easier than cutting through the paper with an Xacto, and saves Xacto blades too.  Inscription after the stencil is removed.  I used an Xacto to cut out the larger lettering and a woodburning tool to melt out the smaller letters.  The woodburning tool is great if you can get the long, very pointy cone-shaped detail point for super-fine lettering or detail.  A soldering gun can be used also, but can get too hot and burn your foam up.  Burning foam stinks and can be toxic.  Make sure you have good ventilation and a fan, and wear a respirator if you have one.  I've also heard that wasps are drawn to the smell of burning insulation foam, so watch out for those too!  A note on Xacto blades: they dull.  When the blade no longer slices cleanly through the foam's surface, change your blade.  Better to go through an extra blade or two than to have lettering with chunks torn out of the edges.

 The inscription is done, and the exterior latex base coat is on.  The paint must cover every tiny nook and cranny to protect the foam from the Fleckstone and sealant that I will use next.  The accelerants and solvents in spray paints dissolve foam, and would eat holes in the stone if it isn't protected by the latex coat.  I always use 2 coats of exterior latex, often oops paint from HD or Lowes since it's cheap.  Fine lettering and detail may require more coats and a lot of futzing, but it's worth it.

 I used 3 light coats of Fleckstone (Monet's Garden) to get the coverage I wanted.  It really looks like serpentine marble, with texture and tiny flecks of color.  It took a little more than a can to cover this huge stone, but it's worth it to me for the look!  Light coats are more effective than heavy coats, and they dry MUCH quicker.  To get any of the Fleckstone in the lettering and into the carved areas, I had to spray it from several different angles.  If the nozzle clogs, it can be cleaned out (carefully, now!) with a long pin or piece of thin stiff wire.  I learned this one from experience :)  Helpful hint: even once Fleckstone is completely dry, it still feels a little bit tacky, so don't let that put you off.

 Next time I'm on, I'll post photos of the aging process, which is the more artistic part of making a gravestone.  It's also the most fun!