In a message dated 9/10/00 15:51:17 Mountain Daylight Time, jmosman@pa.net writes: [snip] > I have tried shaving cream and a straight edge and it works, but it's a > little messy. > [snip] It is not only messy, but VERY harmful to the stones. Shaving cream contains soaps, oils, organic acids, dyes, and other materials. These penetrate the surface of the stone and result in more rapid weathering. Flour and whipped cream (suggested by others) are nutrients for microorganisms that can also attack the stone. Chalk is abrasive, and should never be used. Please, folks, don't put ANYTHING but light on gravestones. A little water (NOT under pressure) probably won't hurt, but lighting at an angle is even better. As an engineer, I was stunned when I first read about using shaving cream for reading inscriptions. It would never have even occurred to me, because it is so obviously (to me) damaging. I would no more use it than I would use a wire brush or a sandblaster. Even the best genealogists are not necessarily experts in stone preservation. See the Association for Gravestone Studies page at http://www.berkshire.net/ags/ for some useful tips. Gary Vincent

This topic comes up from time to time on just about every list. One method that I use is to take a LARGE sheet of paper (those of you in the IS field, this is a great use for all those wasted greenbar reports - the unbursted paper just goes on for miles!) and some artist's charcoals (very soft). I strongly suggest a calm day for this, too <G>. I hold the paper up over the engraving, and then play that little rubbing game we used to do as kids. If you run the charcoal somewhat lightly over the inscriptions, you can get a remarkably well done "copy" of the stone. I then take canning wax (parafin) and rub it over the finished paper. That keeps the charcoal from being smudged on the ride home - and virtually everafter. There is no contact whatsoever between the charcoal and the stone, and the rubbed image is as crystal clear as any. Plus, if you screw it up, you can do it again on the same trip. Happy Rooting!

These make a nice addition to a family collage of pictures for the wall when they are nicely framed and matted. A cousin of mine has a large wall in her family room with some of her oldest and nicest family pictures and these are with the collection. You can also get creative and use artist pastels too for a bit of color. Kaymarie sadercat wrote: > > This topic comes up from time to time on just about every list. One method > that I use is to take a LARGE sheet of paper (those of you in the IS field, > this is a great use for all those wasted greenbar reports - the unbursted > paper just goes on for miles!) and some artist's charcoals (very soft). I > strongly suggest a calm day for this, too <G>. I hold the paper up over the > engraving, and then play that little rubbing game we used to do as kids. If > you run the charcoal somewhat lightly over the inscriptions, you can get a > remarkably well done "copy" of the stone. I then take canning wax (parafin) > and rub it over the finished paper. That keeps the charcoal from being > smudged on the ride home - and virtually everafter. > There is no contact whatsoever between the charcoal and the stone, and the > rubbed image is as crystal clear as any. Plus, if you screw it up, you can > do it again on the same trip. > > Happy Rooting! > > ==== PADAUPHI Mailing List ==== > List Ownwer Nadine Hensley for list help please e-mail me at > ndwilson@swbell.net