Believe what you want. Yes, I've read the sites on both sides. I'm saying that to introduce any chemical by anyone not professionally trained to clean and restore stones can be and is damaging to the stone. We're discussing valuable information, at least to historians and genealogists. Yes, I do have someone that I consult who has experience and education in the use of chemicals. Not only are we quite possibly damaging stones with the best intentions at heart, but what are we leaving at cemeteries for nature? I deal mainly with very rural cemeteries. I find animals of all kinds at them. Do they eat what we leave behind? Isn't this a major concern for our national park system? And in our oceans and waterways? So you're saying it's alright to use chemicals. Think about all the implications. Are any of us carrying enough water to these sites to completely dilute and clean away what we are using? Be it shaving cream or anything else? Bottom line, be responsible. Read it all for yourself and make your own decisions. There are comments on both sides of the fence. Do remember that this is a resource that should be left for future generations. Most of us have been taught to err on the side of safety. Many don't believe that rubbings can be harmful to some stones. It is. Rub your hand across some of the stones and feel the particles you are sweeping away. Research thoroughly and use safe methods. -----Original Message----- From: Brock Way [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 5:26 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [MO-CEM] shaving cream on tombstones {was:I HAVE OVER 110 CEMETERY PHOTOS} I hate to be the one to break the news, but the idea that shaving cream harms tombstones is a legend, with no basis in reality at all. The "information" posted in the savinggraves link given below is based on a KNOWN HOAX. It is simply a copycat of the well known "Ban DHMO" hoax. Anyone who is willing to accept the suggestion that shaving cream can harm tombstones really should first familarize themselves with the original hoax. You can find a great "Ban DHMO" site here: http://www.dhmo.org/ Just like the 'Ban DHMO' hoax, the 'ban shaving cream' hoax works on the same basis...a reliance on the fact that people are wholly unfamiliar with chemistry in general, and will spend no time at all investigating the claims made by the hoax, and instead just blindly accept them as fact, and then pass it on to other unsuspecting folks - - just like all hoaxes. But even a cursory investigation into the matter will reveal that the claims made against the constituents in shaving cream are not just wrong, but are ridiculous. For example, from the savinggraves link just cited: "These have many ingredients harmful to tombstones (like butane) and in some cases can be abrasive." Please...butane? Butane is *a gas*. It has a boiling point (-0.5 C) that is below the freezing point of water (the major constituent of shaving cream), and is used as a propellant. Butane is under pressure in the can, but when released from the can, is under normal pressure of one atmosphere, and is thus volatilized long before it could even be applied to the stone. There are lots of sites all over the internet that make all kinds of claims. Some of them cite the evidence that shows their claim is true. The rest make claims without seeing any need for substantiating documentation at all. These latter claims are called legends, and like bigfoot and the abominable snowman, people believe them. Ask yourself this question: If shaving cream harms tombstones, then where is the evidence that it does? Not "where is yet another site that makes the same claim", but where is the evidence itself? Has anyone ever seen any actual evidence (data, measurements, anything)? Of course you haven't, because there isn't any. And there isn't any because it is the product of a KNOWN HOAX. I am going to quote E.D. here "There is a great deal of information out there on caring for old tombstones and a lot of misinformation is available." You said that right...there is a lot of MISINFORMATION available. Brock Way Genealogy without documentation is mythology. From: "E.D. Seevers" <[email protected]> Subject: RE: [MO-CEM] I HAVE OVER 110 CEMETERY PHOTOS Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2006 14:51:29 -0600 I don't know how familiar you are with tombstone rubbings, but you might want to read this article before you do. Many older stones are very fragile and rubbings can deteriorate them further. There is a great deal of information out there on caring for old tombstones and a lot of misinformation is available. The best practice is to just be careful and remember that future generations may want to view these valuable resources also. http://www.savinggraves.com/education/bookshelf/rubbings.htm The information under this heading is particularly useful... A NOTE ABOUT SHAVING CREAM, FLOUR OR CHALK. I've found that 3D moldings of the stone work very well and aluminum foil is great. It can be purchased cheaply at discount stores. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ==== MO-CEMETERIES Mailing List ==== NOTICE: Posting of virus warnings, test messages, chain letters, political announcements, current events, items for sale, personal messages, flames, etc. (in other words - spam) is NOT ALLOWED and will be grounds for removal. 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--- "E.D. Seevers" <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm saying > that to introduce any chemical by anyone not > professionally trained to clean > and restore stones can be and is damaging to the > stone. And that's where we differ. You claim that it "is damaging", but you offer nothing in the way of evidence to substantiate your claim. There is no evidence at all to suggest it takes any special talent to apply shaving cream to a tombstone without damaging it. You say it "is damaging"...I say it "is legendary". Brock Way __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com