Hello List, Does anyone on this list have any knowledge of how to restore Headstones and what materials one would need. Thank You Charles F Seals

You might take a look at the Indiana Pioneer Cemetery Restoration Project page..... It has some how to's and basic information. Becky http://www.rootsweb.com/~inpcrp/ --- [email protected] wrote: > Hello List, > > Does anyone on this list have any knowledge of how > to restore Headstones and > what materials one would need. > > Thank You > > Charles F Seals > > > ==== KY-CEMETERIES Mailing List ==== > If you wish to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the > Kentucky Cemetery list, use > [email protected] or > [email protected] if > you are on the Digest list. > To learn more about my world visit > http://dwp.bigplanet.com/kburnett > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy > access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/

Many thanks to the list. I got suggestions from lots of people. I have tried to organize them for everyone's benefit. I hope this info is not old hat to everyone. I certainly appreciated it. Jeff Nelson ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------- Cautionary Comments You will find numerous remedies for reading old tombstones, but the main thing to keep in mind is not to put anything on the stones that is not natural - no chalk, no shaving cream, etc. Rubbing Techniques Try holding a piece of paper on it and going over it with the side of a pencil lead or crayon, lightly. Try taking a plain white sheet of paper, place over the engraving, and using a black lead pencil, go back and forth over each name or letter, and you should be able to decipher. This method has worked for me if there is any indentation at all. Get some sheets of blank newsprint paper and pieces of large charcoal or dark colored chalk. Place the newsprint over the face of the stone and tape it securely or have someone hold it securely in place. Rub the charcoal or chalk over the entire newsprint and the illegible engraving will be revealed. Another technique is to tape a large piece of paper to the stone with masking tape and rub the paper with either chalk or the side of a crayon. If you use chalk, spray a little artist's fixative on it when you are done to keep it from smearing. Be sure to use making tape and remove all of it when you are done. I don't know any of the fancy tricks but one thing that works for me is to take tracing paper and a dark crayon and rub it flat gently across the name/date area. This usually gives me a good impression of the name/date. You can also make a rubbing, using paper and a carpenter's pencil and you should be able to read the rubbing. Filling & Dusting Techniques If no one who has control over the cemetery objects, mix a thick solution of water and lime (the fine white type works best) and roll it over the face of the stone with a low knap paint roller. Be sure to get permission before using the latter method though. Shaving creme works real good too....BUT some say it might damage the stone...you would spray it on...then take a flat piece of cardboard (or whatever with an edge..and wipe it off). This leaves the shaving creme in the inscription. I have used common cooking flour and it works very well, but you need a bucket of water or squirt bottle of soapy water to make sure you wash it off. If using flour, wear old gloves and lightly dust it across the front of the stone, making sure in fill in the indentations. Using cornstarch, Bath Powder or flour and an old powderpuff dust the letters and you shuld be able to read them. Fill an old sock with flour and beat it across the face of the stone. The flour will cling in the crevices of the engraving and again no damage is done to anything. Fill the foot of a sock with corn starch. Tie a twistem where the top and foot of the sock meet. Take the sock by the top and swing the foot against the t tombstone. The corn starch will fill in around or in the inscription so you can read it. Just keep the sock in a baggy with a zip lock top. That way you won't get covered up in corn starch. I think you will find this does great. I keep a soft brush (that will fit in the palm of my hand), box of white chalk, and something to trim the chalk if needed in my vehicle. The brush is a bristled type scrub brush but one I feel will not damage the stones. After brushing the stone good, I chalk in the letters/numbers, record the information then take pictures. Take some sidewalk chalk with you....rub that over the tombstone...it will just wash off when it rains.....unless you want to carry some water along with you. Take a piece of chalk (white for darker stones; blue for lighter ones). Sit or kneel in front of the stone and trace the engraving with one hand while following along with the chalk in the other hand. You can then photograph the stone and no damage is done to the stone. Lighting and Photography The safest thing to do is to take a sheet of aluminum foil, use it to catch the sun and then photograph the tombstone. Often you will see things not captured by the naked eye. Take a spray bottle of water with you, spray the face of the stone (assuming it is dry) and the engravings are much easier to read. Cleaning Process Use this process only with experience and consultation with the owners/operators of the graveyard. Before cleaning any stone, carefully check its condition. If the surface readily falls away, or you notice other conditions that indicate the stone is brittle or vulnerable, do not clean it. Cleaning may irreparably damage the surface. THE CLEANING PROCESS 1. Use a non-ionic soap. One of the most ready available soaps is ORVUS, commonly used in association with horse and sheep husbandry. It can be found in feed stores. Mix a solution of one heaping tablespoon of ORVUS to one gallon of clean water (it comes in either liquid or paste form). 2. Pre-wet the stone thoroughly with clean water and keep the stone wet during the entire washing process. 3. Thoroughly wash the wet stone using NATURAL BRISTLED, WOODEN HANDLED BRUSHES of various sizes. The use of plastic handles is not recommended, as color from the handles may leave material on the stone that will be very difficult to remove. 4. Be thorough. Wash all surfaces and rinse thoroughly with lots of clean water. 5. When cleaning marble or limestone one tablespoon of household ammonia can be added to the above mixture to help remove some grease and oils. Do not use ammonia on or near any bronze or other metal elements. 6. Lichens and algae can be removed by first thoroughly soaking the stone and then using a WOODEN scraper to gently remove the biological growth. This process may need to be repeated several times. 7. Not all stains can be removed. Do not expect the stones to appear new after cleaning. 8. Do not clean marble, limestone, or sandstone more than once every 18 months. Every cleaning removes some of the face of the stone. However occasionally rinsing with clean water to remove bird droppings and other excretions is acceptable. 9. Keep a simple treatment record of the cleaning, including date of cleaning, materials used and any change in condition since last cleaning (such as missing parts, graffiti, and other damage). These records should be kept at a central location where the condition of the stone can be monitored over time. Developed from data supplied by John R. Dennis, Dallas Museum of Art Conservation Lab. http://www.savinggraves.com/ check this site out for help Sam and Linda Webb ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2001 10:22 AM Subject: [KY-CEM] Headstone Restoration > Hello List, > > Does anyone on this list have any knowledge of how to restore Headstones and > what materials one would need. > > Thank You > > Charles F Seals > > > ==== KY-CEMETERIES Mailing List ==== > If you wish to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Kentucky Cemetery list, use > [email protected] or [email protected] if > you are on the Digest list. > To learn more about my world visit http://dwp.bigplanet.com/kburnett > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB > >