Thread: Tombstones from a Yard Sale

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Just bought some great stuff from a yard sale yesterday!! I swear they can be the best places to find odd and ends for Halloween at great prices!!

Anywayz I bought some tombstones from a guy and was wondering if there was a way to fill in the text that someone carved. As far as I can tell they are white styrofoam painted grey and their overall shapes are great, but I'm not crazy about the epitaphs (the names on some are Lily Potter, Sirius Black and Billy Bob).

I was thinking of using that insulation foam (I think its called great stuff) to fill in the names and then start over with my own inscriptions. I plan on "coating"
them with Drylok to waterproof and seal them like Terra does with hers. After that I figured I would try those aging techniques that everyone talks about.

I wasn't sure if this would work or if there was a better way to go about it so I figured I would ask the experts. Any help anyone can give would be great!!

Yes I do believe this would work fill it in let it dry then sand it in and make it flush again and then add your own wording.

Just guessing but I think the Great Stuff could work too.

Here's another idea as well: Not sure how big the epitaph is carved but how about layers of Elmer's wood filler? If it's put on with really thin layers I was thinking that it wouldn't shrink too much as it dries.

Originally Posted by Terra

Just guessing but I think the Great Stuff could work too.

Here's another idea as well: Not sure how big the epitaph is carved but how about layers of Elmer's wood filler? If it's put on with really thin layers I was thinking that it wouldn't shrink too much as it dries.

Elmer's wood filler, huh? How would I go about applying that in thin layers with out damaging the white styrofoam, I've heard people say it can be fragile.

It might be easier to just apply a thin sheet of the pink or blue foam over the front and then just carve your own epitaphs.

Originally Posted by Deadna

It might be easier to just apply a thin sheet of the pink or blue foam over the front and then just carve your own epitaphs.

My thoughts as well...

Originally Posted by alucard

My thoughts as well...

I'm a third vote for cutting another sheet of foam and gluing to the existing piece.

You can definitely fill the old epitaph in a variety of ways, but you will lose detail when attempting to carve through it, or chip pieces off, etc.

A new piece of foam would reap much better results over all, in my opinion.

you can always fill and sand the old epitaph and then carve on new one on the back