# Stencil + Acetone on Foam Tombstones??



## S L A M (Apr 14, 2014)

I was curious if this would work and if anyone has ever tried it? Now, I'm not talking about lettering but for a lack of better words "melting" designs or patterns onto tombstones and giving it a different texture. I would think the stencil would have to be somewhat thick like poster board or something so it could be sprayed then taken off before it bled through. 

Anyone ever try this?


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Sounds like it should work. Keep us posted. It would be a great way to add designs to a stone all at once and be able to repeat it again.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

You have a couple of variables to consider.
What your stencil will be made of, how you are applying the acetone, and how heavily you will be applying it.
Your stencil should be resistant to the acetone if you want to use it more than once. If it absorbs the acetone then it can really botch up your job.
If you are applying the acetone with a brush or sponge then the applicator it self will need to be able to handle the acetone/solvent. The different kinds of applicators will give you different results. If you have an airbrush, you may find that it will give you the most control on how heavy your application is.
Gravity will also be a factor. If your tombstone is sitting upright then gravity is going to carry the solvent downwards, towards the bottom of the stone. If it is lying on it's back then your effects may go a bit deeper. I'd do light passes to eat away the material 'til you get the desired results. This gives you more control on the outcome, though it may take a little longer. I'd also test and practice on some scrap material first, that way you'll know what to expect and what kinds of effects you can/will get.
I'd keep spray bottles of water handy to help stem any problems.
Also, make sure you are working in a very well ventilated room or work area, with no flames or source of ignition.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

I believe IMU used acetone in this way to give texture, although not with a stencil - the intent was to give an overall textured look. You definitely want to keep water handy, as fontgeek noted, to rinse away the solvent before it gets too carried away Acetone reacts relatively quickly, so you won't have time for a coffee break while you're doing this.

Controlling where the solvent goes will likely be an issue, even with a stencil, so testing the technique is a wise suggestion as well. Definitely work in a very-well ventilated area. Outside is highly preferable because, unless you have a mad scientist lab, you won't have a proper fume hood in your house.

Also, if you wear fingernail polish, this is the same stuff used to remove it:googly: Just kidding - that's in case you have a female helper on the project.

Here's IMU's how-to thread:

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=22964


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## S L A M (Apr 14, 2014)

Roxy, I only wear finger nail polish when I'm shopping Good Will for dresses. 

The air brush is a good idea. That would give you a lot more control then using a spray bottle.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

I have used stencils with spraypaint to good effect.


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## Evil Elf (Dec 24, 2013)

Terra, a member over on Halloween Forum, used spray paint to achieve a weathered surface texture, which I think is what you're going for.


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## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

I've tried this in the past with both tombstones and signs that I've made. You need to be VERY careful with how much you spray on and keep in mind that it will continue to eat through after you've stopped spraying. I found it very difficult to get an even coverage.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

I found using spray paint an effective and easy way to age a tombstone. I will try to find some pictures tonight.


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## S L A M (Apr 14, 2014)

Johnny and Headless, what did you guys use for stencils?


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## screaminscott (Oct 13, 2006)

I've considered this before and would love to see the results if you try it. 

One issue that was mentioned above, is that the solvent will continue to eat the foam for some time after it is applied. If you apply too much, it will 'pool' and spread out sideways as it moves downward into the foam. This leaves a larger cavity under the surface of the foam and a little overhang around the edges. The solvent can even actually cling to the underside of this overhang and eat upwards, destroying the edges and detail of your design.

Also, the solvent might creep under the edge of the stencil, being drawn there by surface tension. A temporary spray adhesive (EasyTack is one brand name) might help with that

I think the best idea is to try for just a slight etching, maybe a 1/16th of an inch or so.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

I found that gravity rules. If the tombstone is laying flat, the solvent will basically eat down. With spray paint you get a feel for how long it continues to eat relative to how long you sustain the spray to a single area. After all of this I hope I can find my pictures.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Okay, found the pictures. This was part of my entry in the tombstone contest way back when. I used a stencil for the Vacancy letters, then used spray paint to eat the foam away. I also applied it free hand in the other black areas to give it an aged look.


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## S L A M (Apr 14, 2014)

Awesome Johnny! So what was the stencil made of?


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

I think it was just cardboard, nothing fancy.


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Nice job. Looks like there is more control with spray paint then straight acetone. A few trail runs on some scrap foam and your ready to go.


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## austenandrews (Aug 22, 2010)

I made brick wall panels with acetone and stencils. I put straight acetone in a spray bottle (use the special ones for chemicals from the hardware store - regular ones fail in spectacular fashion), lay the foam panel flat (so no drips), lay out the brick stencil and spray where it needs to go.

With a light spritz you can more or less control the depth and the edges stay fairly crisp (due to smaller drops & less pooling). There will be random pitting and irregularities, but as with bricks, I presume that's the desired effect for tombstones. After I was done stenciling the mortar lines, I lightly spritzed the whole surface to give it a weathered, pitted look.

I tried it with spray paint, but it made a mess of the stencil in short order. (I used the same stencil over and over in quick succession.) Also the first layer of paint protects the surface from subsequent layers, so if you don't get the right depth you're kind of stuck. That mattered on my project, because I needed some depth for the mortar lines between bricks. Maybe not so much for simple surface texturing. (One advantage of spray paint is texturing and painting in one go. Brush-painting a pitted surface can get fiddly sometimes.)

The stencil I used was made of coated cardboard, basically the same as a cereal box with slick printing. The acetone evaporates fairly quickly; I got some curling but no penetration.

I used blue foam. The pink stuff didn't work for me. It had some kind of coating that resisted the acetone, and it tended to melt into slick goo rather than neatly evaporating.

(I need to fix the images on my web server so I can link to the thread about the brick panels. It's a cool effect.)


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## S L A M (Apr 14, 2014)

Johnny, that turned out really, really good BTW.

Thanks for that info austen. Hope you can get a link back to those pics. I'd love to see them.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Good stuff Austen, it sounds like the acetone approach is better for repeated use of the stencil. BTW the tombstone I showed was the cheapo white styrofoam. The skulls are paper mache.


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:I use paint thinner in a spray bottle (wearing a respirator) and it works super good. I can age, letter, and even drip drops to create "holes" in the bottom of the tombstone, in which to put dowels through for set up.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Whether you use an airbrush or a spray can, keep your movements smooth and constantly moving at the same speed. Neither the can nor the airbrush know whether you are moving or not so when you slow, stop/stutter in your movement you get a buildup of solvent or paint. Using light passes lets you find the right "formula" for the solvent, the stencil, and the work habits. Not all paints are solvent based, and even those that are don't all have the same percentage of solvent. Again, do some testing to see what works best for you.


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## ibjeepin (Dec 6, 2008)

I have done it and it works well. My mask was vinyl cut and I stuck it on the pink foam and then used black spray paint (not latex) and sprayed it. It worked very well the first time. I can see if I find a picture. If you use acetone it is a very aggressive solvent and you will need to make sure is doe not melt the mask material nor run underneath. Toluene is less and will also work bu my thought was that spray paint would be best an it turned out black too!


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## ibjeepin (Dec 6, 2008)

I found the pics of the results I speak of here they are;




























You can see where even the paint made i underneath the mask.


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## Lord Homicide (May 11, 2012)

Look at my album for my foam erosion test using semi-paste paint stripper... Actually click on the link on my sig below. 

If you use what I did, it doesn't take much to get the process started. A little goes A LONG WAY, trust me. Brush a little on and watch it eat away the foam.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

I used it and one thing I learned, do not respray. It just "undermines" the edges under the stencil. Just spray a single light coat the one time and it turns out pretty good.


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