# Tombstones templates?



## sgtdrpepper (Aug 26, 2005)

Hello all.
I am continuing work on my tombstones and have a few in the works but was just wondering. I have been free handing so far and they are rather plain. I have seen alot of great tombstones on the web but wonder what is the best way to create these more intracate pieces? I just found a site that has more what I want but could use ideas getting these pictures on the foam in scale. http://www.hedstorm.net/HAUNT/instructions/tombstone_templates/ If anyone else has more templates i would be greatful.

Thanks
Sgt


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## ScareFX (Aug 18, 2004)

Haunted Yards has a how-to on getting 8 tombstones out of one 4x8 sheet of foam. The designs are simple but it might give you some ideas on laying out your designs.

http://www.hauntedyards.com/tombstones1.html


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## Dr Morbius (Sep 21, 2004)

I clicked on the link you provided and am impressed with the outline shapes..
I also saw a link (Monster page of halloween links?) I can't remember,...

any ways, I saw that they used stensiles to create INTRICATE designes using ordinary (or plastic furniature) spray paint..you see, it DISOLVES styrofoam, all BUT the stensil you apply OVER the foam stone...VERY COOL!!! You can get what appears to be etched designes, chisled letters, and any engrzving you can think of..I did this last halloween and I had just rudimentary shapes...they STILL looked great... I hope you will explore this option, or am I just repeating common knowledge?


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## Vlad (Aug 2, 2005)

ScareFx. That was a great link, that led me to try making a pattern of my own. I just drew one up, and I can get up to ten! I'm cutting them out today, and I'll post pics later this evening. Here's the drawing. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
http://photobucket.com/albums/v194/TerrorOnBeechwood1/Linked/?action=view&current=f5c0e40e.jpg

Dr. M, Having used spray paint on foam, I can say that the problem is that you can never tell just how far the foam will melt away. It's unpredictable.


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## ScareFX (Aug 18, 2004)

Vlad said:


> ...that led me to try making a pattern of my own. I just drew one up, and I can get up to ten! I'm cutting them out today, and I'll post pics later this evening. Here's the drawing. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> http://photobucket.com/albums/v194/TerrorOnBeechwood1/Linked/?action=view&current=f5c0e40e.jpg...


Sweet! Great layout Vlad. Looking forward to the pics!


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## Vlad (Aug 2, 2005)

Sorry, the pics are delayed until tomorrow. I spent the day working on the castle walls.


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## Dr Morbius (Sep 21, 2004)

Vlad said:


> ScareFx. That was a great link, that led me to try making a pattern of my own. I just drew one up, and I can get up to ten! I'm cutting them out today, and I'll post pics later this evening. Here's the drawing. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> http://photobucket.com/albums/v194/TerrorOnBeechwood1/Linked/?action=view&current=f5c0e40e.jpg
> 
> Dr. M, Having used spray paint on foam, I can say that the problem is that you can never tell just how far the foam will melt away. It's unpredictable.


Yea. I have used spray paint on foam too. It does melt unpredictably.
It melts everything EXCEPT the stencil you apply on the foam. Thats what gives it the "Chisled" look. The teqnique is valid. It works. Try it. Trust me.


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## Vlad (Aug 2, 2005)

Hi Doc. I will try it after the season. Right now I can't risk messing up the stones we're working on. I just made a soldering iron with dimmer switch for Black Cat this weekend, so she can melt them more efficiently.


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## Black Cat (Aug 20, 2005)

Well, here's some of what I'm working on with the new set up. (Wood burning tool with attachments and a dimmer switch). I only have two tombstones etched so far but I'm getting the hang of it rather quickly. Since it's white foam we are making these tombstones from, I found it easy to print out the wording, tape it on the tombstone and then use the wood burning tool to create the letters. I haven't caught the paper on fire yet and it keeps the tip of the wood burning tool away from the melting styro.

Some Pics>>>>>>>>
http://photobucket.com/albums/v193/troop134/tombstones/


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## Vlad (Aug 2, 2005)

Shouldn't you be working on mine first? heehee LOL They're coming out great. One down, seven to go.


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## Haasmama (Aug 15, 2005)

Nice Job!!


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## Black Cat (Aug 20, 2005)

Thanks Haasmama. Can't wait til we paint them.


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## Black Cat (Aug 20, 2005)

Updated some pics of the weathering on my tombstones. I still have a few spots to fix up since the wind got them the other day and put some new gouge marks in them. 
http://photobucket.com/albums/v193/troop134/tombstones/?start=20


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## sgtdrpepper (Aug 26, 2005)

Clack cat those stones look Really Good. Can I ask what type and size fonts do you use. This has been my biggest problem and am almost to the point of putting nothing on the remaining stones I have left for this year.

SGT


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## Black Cat (Aug 20, 2005)

sgtdrpepper, I went with either 100 or 125 size font and used a couple different styles of font. Mostly Unicorn, Caslon Anitique in bold, Calligrapher in bold, and Baskerville Old Face.

I put all my wording in Microsoft Works Word and then adjusted the font size to fit my tomstones. I then cut each word out and taped them to the tombstone.


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## sgtdrpepper (Aug 26, 2005)

Thanks, I may also try the burning method. I have been transfering all the letters and then dremeling it out. It just seems to take a lot of work and the results are to perfect. I have to go back and ruff up the letters so that takes even more time which I am running out of. Thanks again.

Sgt


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## Lady Nyxie (Aug 30, 2006)

Here is my very limited experience... I am working on my first ever right now.

I took some layouts from another forum and free handed it onto a piece of 2' high x 1' 4" wide foam. Once I had a shap I liked:

I drew a line down the center of the tombstone
Tape 3 pieces of cardboard tablet backing together (only tape one side so you can fold the template back down to tablet size)
Tape them along the center line of the tombstone
Flip the board over
Trace shape onto the cardboard
Remove cardboard from the tombstone
Cut out the cardboard
Flip template over and draw second half of tombstone
Cut second half of tombstone
Fold up template for future use

Once I decided on wording, I used Word to print them out. I used Franklin Gothic in bold and played with the font size until I was happy (used 55 on wording and 50 on date). Then I taped the pages onto the tombstone and using a fairly worn down yellow number two pencil, I traced the outlines of the words twice to get a light outline. Next, I went over the light markings on the actual tombstone with a black thin tip marker so I could see the outlines. Now all I have to do is use the soldering iron to burn the letters in. Should be interesting... never tried it before, but am pretty good with the soldering iron thanks to a previous job. 

Will take a while to finish all steps... will post pics when done.

Sorry so long winded.


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## otherworldly (Jul 25, 2006)

Awesome work! I use a woodburner over the dremel tool now as well, having used both and find it much, much simpler. Smelly but simple.


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## spokanejoe (Sep 16, 2006)

thanks for the links. now i can diversify my graveyard look.


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## Smelly-Skelly (Sep 29, 2006)

Nice ideas everyone, I'm fairly new to this site, but here is what I have done in the past for my lettering.

Typical print and various size font. I tape the lettering to the tombstone and use an exacto knife to trace out the letters. When done I use a dremel to router out the letters. Now here is the key, keep track of the spin in the bit. On the letter "I" for example on right side I will pull the dremel towards me as the bit spins clockwise. The bit will actually pull the foam away from the knife cut creating a smooth side to the letter. On the other side of the "I", left side I will push the dremel away from me so again the bit will pull the foam away from the cut line.

However seeing some of the results with a wood burner and the speed you get a tombstone done, I may have to rethink this and give the wood burner a try. 

I always like an excuse to go to Michael's. Hey I even have a 40% off coupon!


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## Vlad (Aug 2, 2005)

Jon is quite correct about minding the rotation of the router bit. I believe it's also discussed in the Dremel router attachment manual. The part I like best about using the woodburner, is that it gives the lettering the soft rounded edges that only natural weathering could give to a stone.


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## Smelly-Skelly (Sep 29, 2006)

If anyone that posted in this thread are still reading this, what wood burner tip do you use? I just purchased a wood burner tonight from Michael's and want to give it a try. It came with a few tips to get started and I also picked up a pack of "exacto knife" tips that screw in.

Is a dimmer switch needed or can I just melting away?

Any technique tips are appreciated. Thanks.


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## TearyThunder (Jul 1, 2006)

I use one like a exacto knife on my stones. I think it may be up to personal preference since it all depends on how much melting you are going to do and what look you are going for. 

I would suggest picking up some foam for free somewhere and playing with it too get a feel for using it.


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## Black Cat (Aug 20, 2005)

Smelly, It will depend on the type of foam you are using. I use the white popcorn type styro which I've managed to get all free. I have my wood burner hooked up with a dimmer switch and use the pencil tip to burn into the styro. I've found that the white styro melts quickly and having the dimmer switch allows me to go slower when etching in the lettering. If I need a larger area melted away I'll turn up the dimmer switch to allow more heat and use a wider tip. 

I'd do what Teary suggested and get some practice foam and experiment with the different tips and heat settings. 

Smelly where did you find the exacto knife blades? Do they actually screw into the wood burning tool so the blade heats up? I've only seen the exacto knife blades for the jigsaw which is what I use to cut the shape of the stone with.


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## Smelly-Skelly (Sep 29, 2006)

Black Cat said:


> Smelly where did you find the exacto knife blades? Do they actually screw into the wood burning tool so the blade heats up? I've only seen the exacto knife blades for the jigsaw which is what I use to cut the shape of the stone with.


I purchaed them last night at Michael's in the wood craft section next to all the wood burners. Yes they are threaded so you can screw them to the tip of your burner. When I was looking at the tips you could buy, I figured this would be the best for what I do and similar to how I have "carved" the lettering in the past. It appears you can not replace the blade as they have bras inserts on the sides as pins

I use the pink foam for my stones and had been using just the exacto knife to "cut" the letter along the edges and then use the dremel to router out the insides. I think a hot knife blade will be like a hot knife through butter!

I am going to attempt to load my first picture, so bare with me if this doesn't work. These are a couple of the ones I made this year. One if 4ft the other is over 6 ft.
View attachment 43


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## EvilGrin (Sep 18, 2006)

Those are beautiful looking stones. Are the exacto knife blades made specifically for the burner or just the standard that you can screw into a blade holder type? I saw the standard screw in the holder ones at Hobby Lobby, but none to go with a wood burner. I really need to get several more sheets of foam now... lol :jol:


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## Smelly-Skelly (Sep 29, 2006)

The ones I bought last night have a threaded end for the burner, but you can not replace the blade as they have brass pins pressed into the blade. Basically it is one single unit you screw into the burner. I am hoping it will speed up the cutting process as I find this the slowest part of a new stone. Using the dremel is quick and easy.


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## marcus132 (Oct 18, 2007)

Black Cat said:


> Since it's white foam we are making these tombstones from, I found it easy to print out the wording, tape it on the tombstone and then use the wood burning tool to create the letters. I haven't caught the paper on fire yet and it keeps the tip of the wood burning tool away from the melting styro.


So did you just burn straight through the paper and into the foam?


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## Black Cat (Aug 20, 2005)

> So did you just burn straight through the paper and into the foam?


Yes I burn right through the paper into the foam. After I burn in all the lettering, the paper can be removed easily.


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## thenameisaimee (Sep 24, 2006)

what kind of foam did you use, and how much did each sheet cost? I think I found some of the same kind at home depot but it's awfully expensive...


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## Vlad (Aug 2, 2005)

Hi Aimee, If you're talking about the foam that Black Cat and I use, it's the white beaded styro. We got some 4'x8' sheets from a local school. They were packing in boxes of desks. We usually just keep our eyes open and shop at Curbys ( the garbage, lol) for all the white styro we use for headstones.


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## frstvamp1r (Nov 5, 2006)

Alright, so here are my few cents worth about tombstone lettering, weathering, and materials used...i HAD started making tombstones using foam, (apparently the most common type of foam here in So. Cali. is the white beaded foam, if you want the pink stuff more commonly found east of Arizona, it needs to be ordered), using aerosol spray paint is great for quick etching or aging, yes, its hard to know how much will eat through but just go in very quick bursts of spray from about15" away and it is more manageable. I wanted tombstones that I could keep outdoors all year (not on display, but there is no more room in my sheds), so I made them out of old wooden doors. Now the problem is how to carve them out. Using iron on paper i would print my epitaphs and designs, then iron them onto the wood and use my router attachment on my Dremel or use my wood burner to burn in details. This takes a heck of alot longer to make, but at least I know my tombstones will last years and years outdoors. Later painting with "Oops Paint" at Home Depot.


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## thenameisaimee (Sep 24, 2006)

I tried using the beaded white styro-foam last year but it was way to hard to manage and way to messy for my own good. So i went out looking for the pink kind..any details on that would be great.


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## Uruk-Hai (Nov 4, 2006)

I like using the pink or blue foam as well. If you are lucky you can sometimes find good size broken pieces around construction sites. Here are some photos of one I'm working on right now. I did up the design in Illustrator and tiled it to print full size (2' x 4'). I made a cardboard template as the design was more elaborate and I'd be cutting several sheets to get the thickness. With the denser pink foam I don't use a dimmer on the wood-burner as it melts slower than the white beaded stuff. Like people have suggested it's best to practice on some scrap first to get the hang of it.


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## Spid3r3lla (Jul 3, 2008)

Uruk-Hai That tombstone is amazing! Awesome work you've done! I love how you have paid so much attention to detail. Gorgeous work.


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## Uruk-Hai (Nov 4, 2006)

Thanks Spid3r3lla. I didn't mean to hijack the thread when I posted - I was still in the process of constructing it. I've since posted a full how-to thread and added a page to my website. To get things back on track to tombstone templates here is the template I did up along with a full-size PDF you can print out. Let me know if you have any questions.

Celtic Cross Tombstone Design (PDF 128 KB)


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## sharpobject (May 7, 2008)

thanks for the template. I'm anxious to give this one a try.


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## Spid3r3lla (Jul 3, 2008)

thanks Uruk I dl'd the template, I hope I can achieve even half of your results LOL.


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