While I am sure Brock Way has some knowledge of chemistry, I do not. My husband was a Chemist and if he were still alive, he could have answered his argument factually and intelligently regarding his pH claims in this shaving cream discussion. I do not have my husband's chemical knowledge and will not get into the pH discussion. Early into the shaving cream discussion, I said the use of shaving cream on our cement walkway in the Fall of 1979 left a stain ... yes, Brock Way, a stain and not a clean spot as you scoffed. Brock Way suggested there had been no “experiments” regarding the claim that the use of shaving cream harms tombstones. While the following was not an experiment, this is what happened when my son’ s then-girlfriend wrote in shaving cream on our cement walkway in the Fall of 1979: 1. The message in shaving cream on the cement walkway was written between 5-6 a.m. 2. It was washed off the walkway (hosed down) by 10 a.m. 3. The stain (or, even perhaps etching) was still visible on the sidewalk when dry for the next 5-7 years. We were hoping the sun would bleach it out. 4. We moved from that house in the Fall of 1992 and the message was still visible when wet. Some five years ago, the current owners made mention that it was still visible. Since my last posting to this List, I called the present owners (who are high school friends of my son and the then-girlfriend) to ask if the message was still visible today. I was told it is and that it has become a joke amongst them because, she wrote, "I love you Doug" -- it is good they have remained friends all these years. Do the math. That was almost 28 years ago and her message still remains visible when wet today. If the use of shaving cream on a cement walkway was left in tact about five hours, was hosed down with water and still leaves a stain … yes stain … what would happen to a tombstone when shaving cream is used and is not washed off? I am sure many cemeteries do not have a water source readily available to wash off shaving cream (or anything else) after its use on a tombstone of any type. As I stated before, I have never used shaving cream on a tombstone ... never really thought about doing so ... and have only used water to bring out whatever might become visible ... and after this discussion, never will use shaving cream on a tombstone. Linda R.F. Arnold Menifee, California ...Brock Way [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) wrote: (mailto:[email protected]) As has already been pointed out on this list, shaving cream has a pH that is *less* acidic than ordinary, regular rainfall. Clearly if one is concerned about pH affecting the durability of the stone, then people would recommend it as a preservative to PROTECT the stone against what would otherwise have been the even more damaging influence of rain, since the normal old rain is even more acidic. Belief in this myth that shaving cream harms tombstones relies on people having no knowledge of chemistry and the pH scale, and unfortunately, there are a lot of genealogists, both amateur and professional, who fall into this category. <snip>..please do me a favor and take a chemistry class first. --- Jan Miller <[email protected]> wrote {Quoting Sharon}: > Many genealogists, myself included, > used to use shaving cream > to clean the stone and bring out the image, however, > gravestone > preservationists caution that shaving cream has a > low pH, which means it is > acidic, and over time will harm the stone. <BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.

Nobody is arguing that shaving cream will not discolor anything. That is not the standard. The standard is whether it will discolor TOMBSTONES that are already so weathered that they cannot even be read by the naked eye. It has long been known that shaving cream will discolor various things. A good example is car paint. Another good example is sidewalks that are made of concrete/cement that contains aluminum, as noted. The argument that shaving cream harms tombstones on the basis that it discolors something else is as silly as the argument that shaving cream could NOT discolor tombstones on the basis that it does not permanently discolor one's face. These arguments have no bearing on the discussion, because nobody's tombstone is made from human skin or car paint, or aluminized concrete. I am aware of no marker anywhere made from aluminized concrete that is also old enough to have weathered to the point where it could not be read by the naked eye in the first place (hence no need for shaving cream anyway). Again, this idea that shaving cream harms tombstones is a KNOWN HOAX. People are free to continue to believe in this known hoax if they are really inclined to do so. Here is what snopes.com says about DHMO: "...fallacious reasoning that's thrust at us every day under the guise of "important information": how with a little effort, even the most innocuous of substances can be made to sound like a dangerous threat...." The wording is the same because the hoax is the same. Brock Way --- [email protected] wrote: > > While I am sure Brock Way has some knowledge of > chemistry, I do not. My > husband was a Chemist and if he were still alive, he > could have answered his > argument factually and intelligently regarding his > pH claims in this shaving > cream discussion. I do not have my husband's > chemical knowledge and will not > get into the pH discussion. > Early into the shaving cream discussion, I said the > use of shaving cream on > our cement walkway in the Fall of 1979 left a stain > ... yes, Brock Way, a > stain and not a clean spot as you scoffed. Brock > Way suggested there had been > no “experiments” regarding the claim that the > use of shaving cream harms > tombstones. > While the following was not an experiment, this is > what happened when my son’ > s then-girlfriend wrote in shaving cream on our > cement walkway in the Fall > of 1979: > 1. The message in shaving cream on the cement > walkway was written > between 5-6 a.m. > 2. It was washed off the walkway (hosed down) > by 10 a.m. > 3. The stain (or, even perhaps etching) was > still visible on the > sidewalk when dry for the next 5-7 years. We were > hoping the sun would bleach it > out. > 4. We moved from that house in the Fall of > 1992 and the message was > still visible when wet. Some five years ago, the > current owners made mention > that it was still visible. > Since my last posting to this List, I called the > present owners (who are > high school friends of my son and the > then-girlfriend) to ask if the message was > still visible today. I was told it is and that it > has become a joke amongst > them because, she wrote, "I love you Doug" -- it is > good they have remained > friends all these years. Do the math. That was > almost 28 years ago and her > message still remains visible when wet today. > If the use of shaving cream on a cement walkway was > left in tact about five > hours, was hosed down with water and still leaves a > stain … yes stain … what > would happen to a tombstone when shaving cream is > used and is not washed > off? > I am sure many cemeteries do not have a water > source readily available to > wash off shaving cream (or anything else) after its > use on a tombstone of any > type. As I stated before, I have never used > shaving cream on a tombstone ... > never really thought about doing so ... and have > only used water to bring out > whatever might become visible ... and after this > discussion, never will use > shaving cream on a tombstone. > Linda R.F. Arnold > Menifee, California > ...Brock Way [email protected]_ > (mailto:[email protected]) > wrote: > (mailto:[email protected]) As has already been > pointed out on this list, > shaving > cream has a pH that is *less* acidic than ordinary, > regular rainfall. Clearly if one is concerned about > pH > affecting the durability of the stone, then people > would recommend it as a preservative to PROTECT the > stone against what would otherwise have been the > even > more damaging influence of rain, since the normal > old > rain is even more acidic. > > Belief in this myth that shaving cream harms > tombstones relies on people having no knowledge of > chemistry and the pH scale, and unfortunately, > there > are a lot of genealogists, both amateur and > professional, who fall into this category. > <snip>..please do me a > favor and take a chemistry class first. > > > --- Jan Miller <[email protected]> wrote > {Quoting > Sharon}: > > > Many genealogists, myself included, > > used to use shaving cream > > to clean the stone and bring out the image, > however, > > gravestone > > preservationists caution that shaving cream has a > > low pH, which means it is > > acidic, and over time will harm the stone. > > > <BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> > AOL now offers free > email to everyone. Find out more about what's free > from AOL at > http://www.aol.com. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email > to [email protected] with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message ____________________________________________________________________________________ Finding fabulous fares is fun. Let Yahoo! FareChase search your favorite travel sites to find flight and hotel bargains. http://farechase.yahoo.com/promo-generic-14795097