grave stone markers

[Harry Stanley]

I just got into Laser Engraving, I have a Epilog Helix arriving this week. I was wondering can I do Gravestone markers, is there a weight limit and are they profitable

Thanks - Harry:)

[Thad Nickoley]

you can engrave on granite but you will not be able to compete with the people that can sandblast.

[Harry Stanley]

I was thinking of Marble markers

[Thad Nickoley]

Any cemetery thats worth anything should not allow marble, its to soft. Marble will engrave better then granite (for the most part) though.

Marble may work for private use though..

[Belinda Barfield]

Marble will not withstand the weather, especially if you have any level of acid rain. The polished finish will be destroyed in no time.

[Frank Corker]

I did this one for a friend, it's granite, currently lying in Guyana and apparently still in same condition.

[Don Necaise]

Frank
did you color fill or paint and if what with


Thanks

[Gary Hair]

Frank
did you color fill or paint and if what with


Thanks

I'm not Frank and I don't play him on TV...

My guess is that he used rub-n-buff on that. That's about the only thing that seems to stick well to granite.

I will be experimenting with Lithichrome and a mask, that's the stuff used on monuments and tombstones. I use it on all of my outdoor, sandcarved, rocks and it sticks like you wouldn't believe.

Gary

[Allen Isakson]

Frank great work

[Frank Corker]

Yes it's rub'n'buff but it wears well.

[Anthony Scira]

Man you never let us down with the amazing work !

Just curious on the weight of that peice of granite ? I have someone bringing me a 24x12 slab of black granite. I just dont know the thickness. Was weight an issue for you ?

I am really doing this on the cheap since the circumstances are so tragic and the family is low on funds.

[Belinda Barfield]

Just curious on the weight of that peice of granite ? I have someone bringing me a 24x12 slab of black granite. I just dont know the thickness. Was weight an issue for you ?



I'm not Frank (that seems to be a recurring theme here), but you can figure approximately 25 pounds per square foot of 3 cm Absolute Black granite. The "3 cm" will vary between 1.125" and 1.25".

[Larry Bratton]

I was thinking of Marble markers
Public or city cemetaries is this area only allow granite. End of conversation. (Not to mention your fighting an uphill battle against the monument makers that sandblast them.) However, from that end, it looks like their is huge margin. I also believe that many of the monument guys are importing the ready made tombstones from China and then doing the sandblasting. I would also suspect they have to buy at least 1/2 containers of them. Large money involved.

[Bill Cunningham]

This one is 12x18x1" ..
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=83653&d=1204996476
I also do photo inserts for monuments.. One of my customers had a fellow working for him (a REAL artist) using a rod dropping technique to chip photographs and designs into the granite, and he did amazing work... Unfortunatly, he passed away suddenly.. They now route a recess in the monument, and have recently asked me to laser a photograph into a piece cut to fit in the recess.. It's one way around the problem of try to find a way to handle a 300lb piece of granite.. I assume they use a silicone sealer to install it. this would keep out the water that would freeze in the winter, and also hold the insert in place..