Thread: Foam gravestones engraved with a router DIAL UP BEWARE

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I've been lax in moving this "how to" over to the forum from my blogcrypt, but here goes... It's divided up into 2 posts because it's so doggone long!

I made 2 fairly elaborate engraved stones in 06, and I took pics along the way during the 2nd stone's construction. Here they are with some explanation of what I did. FWIW, this is the 4th stone I ever made, so if I can do it, I bet you can too!

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.


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" tall to 36" tall and 7 1/3" wide to 22" wide), using grid 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. 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 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. 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.

Please see next post for aging and weathering process

On to the aging and weathering!


This is the stone after all the initial painting and a light coat of clear matte sealant. Why put sealant on BEFORE aging, you ask? Cuz I said so! Honestly, if you get carried away with your aging paint, you can wipe it off if the stone is sealed. Otherwise, the Fleckstone starts to absorb the watery craft paint and you can't get it off. The watery craft paint I speak of is just super-diluted acrylic craft paint from Walmart or any other crafty-type store. I don't use straight black, as it's too stark. On this stone I used charcoal gray, a little tan, and a tiny bit of maroon mixed about 1 part paint to 25+ parts water. The tiny craft brush in the photo has a point smaller than a pencil lead, and is great for getting the paint into tiny crevices (ie lettering) and for outlining raised or incised elements. That's where I start on a stone, highlighting or shadowing the elements of the design.


Here's the inscription partway through the first pass. Notice how the aging paint doesn't settle into all of the letters evenly or coat the inside surface of each letter. It takes a couple or three passes to get an even dark coat of paint inside each letter. A small dropper can also be useful in this process, if you have a steady hand. Just drop the paint into each letter and let it travel through the incised area. Stir your aging paint up periodically, as the pigment settles over time and you'll notice that there's less and less color to your work!


Here I've started picking out the other details in the stone's design, like the columns and the large oval that contains the inscription. The aging paint fills the enclosed incised designs and settles into the deepest areas, adding to the suggestion of depth. Again, a couple of passes may be required to make each detail "pop" the way you'd like. I outlined each of the raised surfaces (like the oval and the columns) with the paint also, to make them seem to stand out further from the background surface.


Highlighting the top panel took the longest. I outlined each raised area, and filled each incised area. I went over this a few times before I was happy with it. The thing to consider in deciding what areas to emphasize is this: where would rain pool before it ran off? Where would water remain the longest before drying off? Where would wind-blown dirt and dust cling? THOSE are the areas that you want to darken the most. Next is the watermarking or weathering stage, where the runoff from decades or centuries of rain is depicted. I switched to a different brush for that part...


This wider (maybe 3/8") flat-edged brush worked wonders for the vertical streaking that looks like water staining. I just dipped the edge of the brush in the aging paint, and dragged the whole brushhead down vertically from areas where I thought rainwater would collect and then run down. I probably made two or three passes on each area to get it as dark as I wanted. To simulate water running off from the lettering or fine details, I used the brush edge positioned vertically to create a little sliver of shadow instead of a wide swath. This brush actually would've been handy for outlining my columns and the oval shapes, using just the tips of the bristles and "slicing" along the outlines. Lesson learned!


After you've weathered the face of your stone, don't forget the side edges and the top edges. You can use a wide brush or a piece of sponge to dab paint in any depressions or inside corners. Keep a paper towel handy to wipe off any excess. I often paint faux moss and lichen on my stones with a piece of sea sponge dipped in 3-4 colors (white, grey, shades of green). Dab the paint around the bottom edge and along the top edges in random patterns and from different directions so there's no obvious pattern to it. OR you can always get bits of moss (available at many craft stores) and glue them onto the stone for even more realism!



Here's are a couple of pics (non-flash and with flash) of the completed stone. The true color (pale green with flecks of ivory and a terra cotta shade) is somewhere between the two. I may add some mossy/licheny paint to it later, but I haven't decided on that yet. Once you're happy with the watermarking and any moss or lichen that you might decide to put on, put 2-3 light coats of clear matte sealant on the stone. Be sure to coat the front, back, and all edges, as Fleckstone isn't waterproof and could absorb water and probably start to peel off if not adequately sealed. A touch-up coat of clear sealant at the beginning of each Halloween season might not be a bad idea as a precautionary measure.

Anyway, that's my process. I didn't make any stones from scratch last year, but I did repaint a couple of store-bought stones using the same painting and finishing techniques. I just didn't have the time in 07 to devote to carving and whatnot! I probably had 20-25 hours in the above stone, broken up largely into a half-hour here and an hour there. Let's just say it was a labor of love, but one that I don't feel the need to repeat just yet!!!

Incredible realism! The work you must have put into it, but worth it!

omg this is ART! in the pure way

Holy Crap! That is amazing work there!

OUTSTANDING!!!!! I am way to ADD to attempt this but great work.

Very nice work! You should be proud. Hope mine turn out at least half as nice!

Well now ya did it... It's done. I just went out to my garage, and used my knee to snap every one of my freakin tombstones....or what was supposed to resemble tombstones! Now these are absolutely amazing.

If this detail shows in every prop you do....you're definately ready to go pro.

Thank you for sharing the incredible job you have done with these stones.

Originally Posted by frenchy

omg this is ART! in the pure way

I totally agree. This is just amazing!

Thanks guys! Y'all are gonna make me blush