Thread: Tombstone Clear Coating?

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I have made some new tombstones out of 2" Styrofoam board and I have noticed with my tombstones in the past is that they just dont hold up. Is there anything like polyurethane but not that will cover and protect with out burning through? All my tombstones are painted and ready for the haunting, just wondering what I can do to keep them for years to come. Thanks

clear coat in a can, maybe michaels or hobby lobby

You can get bottles of varnish at a craft store like Michaels, Joann's, or Walmart that you can paint on with a brush. There are typically two versions, interior and exterior, and they come in flat, semi-gloss, and gloss. Check the paint aisle.

Or, you can use Mod Podge. It comes in flat, semi-gloss, and gloss. Again, check the paint aisle.

They "don't hold up" is kind of vague. If they are adversely affected by water, try Thompson's Water Seal. Fantastic stuff. But test it on a small patch of unfinished foam first to make sure it won't eat right through it.

Try driveway sealer.It is waterbased,comes in gloss or "natural stone" flat, seals,strong clear,major uv protective-it's made to driven on in driveways !!

Thanks everyone. They tend to fade and chip, little beads come loose and I have to touch it up and they tend to get sort of crumbly. I will look a home depot and some craft stores to see if I can find something that will not burn through.

If you want something like polyurethane, but with less aggressive solvents, try Polycrylic from Minwax (you can get it at Home Depot / Lowes / OSH / TruValue / etc...)

It's a water-based clear coat that's pretty darn durable. I have my workbench coated with it, and it does a great job (one bonus is: oil based liquids don't react with it, so spilled paint thinner and such doesn't damage the finish on my bench).

I haven't tried it on foam yet, but seeing as it's water based, it probably won't cause any damage (the solvents in it aren't oil-based).

If you want to wait for tomorrow, I'll run an experiment in the morning, to see if this harms foam or not, and let you know then.

That would be great. Thanks

Just tested it on both styrofoam, and extruded foam, and both were untouched by the Polycrylic.

They have it in 2 finishes - gloss and satin - so there will be a little bit of shine to contend with in either case.

Thanks bud.