Headstone reinscription, recolouration, relettering, repainting

[@danw3949]

My favourite video out of all the re lettering videos out there. Thank you.

[@martyengland1964]

Thanks very much for this, worked a treat and made us look like professionals! We used 30 second cleaner a few times over a couple of years on my wifes Grandparents headstone and the painted lettering started to flake off so we thought we had ruined it... Looks like new again now.

[@stephanroess5568]

So glad that we could help by publishing this video. Isn't the internet an amazing thing?

[@jenhassloch]

Absolutely brilliant! Just did my grandparents gravestone and the lettering came up really well. Thank you.

[@charkay192]

Awesome video and thankyou for uploading. Was quoted 400 dollars bu a company to touch up my brothers stone... I think il give it a shot myself with the help of this video.

[@michelleheadon1699]

Hi there Aaron, I really appreciate you doing this video. I redone my Nana's, Uncle's headstone. I am so proud to see it restored. So thank you so, so much. Looks great😊

[@stephanroess5568]

Happy that we could help.

[@DaniellaKurland]

Thanks so much for this video. I've tried, it was super easy and a worked like a charm. Can't thank you enough for helping me restore the headstone and really ease my pain.

[@stephanroess5568]

Thank you for your feedback Daniella. I am glad that this video helped.

[@peterkelly-t8k]

want to tidy my grandparents' head stone , great help watching your video , thanks

[@sharonbrennan7887]

Hi, loved this video, you did a fantastic job! Would really like to try your method and was wondering did you use an undercoat or primer before applying the enamel paint? Curious lady from Ireland 🇮🇪

[@lorrainehealey2162]

i followed your instructions today april 2022 on 2 headstones in new zealand it was awesome thank you

[@jeremyk4]

Hi I'm from nz too and we are planning to do this to is it easy to do in one day

[@beautqt9844]

thank you so much for sharing...I had made a huge mess with removing the excess paint by using all sorts of products...after watching this I be buying cuttlefish

[@regaldonneys876]

Hey mate what’s a cuttle fish? Thanks

[@bobd4393]

Its a natural marine dried substance, can be brought from pet shop or supermarket, the birds like to clean their beaks on it and also eat it for the calcium.

[@beckyandboo242]

I did exactly this with my nans headstone. It looks brand new now! Thank-you for doing this video!!!!

[@janefearns2242]

Thank you for the answer to my Q. Removing name on headstone, however what would you surges to cover said letting.

[@denisegore1884]

Brilliant. I had a terrible time trying to neatly paint a gravestone.

[@emmnmatty]

Thank you, so easy to follow and no hassle!

[@jillb5925]

Thanks very much for the information - shall spruce up the stone at last.

[@maorisoulman]

Amazing tutorial, shot bro 👌🏾

[@angelagreen7987]

Hi,what kind of oil base enamel do you use,thanks

[@tearohawatene36]

I have bought oil based paint, gold, white and silver to repaint granite headstones, do I need a base coat? Cheers.

[@danwalters5054]

Great video thank you. How would you prevent excess paint getting into the pores of the stone. Can see this in between the spaces of the letters on some stones. Any tips?

[@PastorDaveTube]

Use molasses over the top of the and it won’t go inside the cut out Then paint and wipe

[@irmajasso-mendez4333]

Hi. Any tips on correcting a wrong number on year of death? They put 2013 but should be 2019. Now want $250 to fix it. It's blk smooth granite w white painted numbers. Can a dremel tool work to convert the 3 to a 9? What type of paint?

[@grassy22]

Could I use gold acrylic paint for this job Jo-Sonja or Matisse

[@lisabradley7770]

Just found this video!! Been trying to find how to repaint the lettering on my dads headstone. Do you need to seal the paint?

[@robertmcdonald4691]

Thanks for your video. My father died 1986 and my mother died 2009. Strangely my father's engraving is intact but my mothers which was done only six years ago is showing signs of wear. I intend repainting once better weather returns.(Scotland is not known for great weather) How long after painting do you wait until using cuttlefish? Thanks

[@stephanroess5568]

+Robert McDonald You are welcome. The longer lasting paint they used in the eighties was lead based and is not available on the market anymore. That is the reason why the paint in the new inscription appears worn already. You can use the cuttlefish once the paint is dry and does not feel sticky anymore when touching.

[@robertmcdonald4691]

+Stephan Roess Thanks Stephen for your reply. Your help is much appreciated.

[@michaelmonti372]

how long do you leave second coat of to paint to dry before scrubbing

[@samuelsherrow3952]

Thank you, this was very helpful!

[@michelleheadon1699]

Hi Aaron can you tell me what's the difference is between enamel paint and lithichrome paint, please.

[@90nadz]

Hi Stephan, Thank you for this video. I wanted to do my grandfather's headstone. It'll be the first time I'm going to try restore it. I want to use gold paint for the letterring, is it any particular paint I need to buy? Also fir sanding, what is that called what you had used. I will try source these items online. Thanking you. 🙏

[@prodigal_son8454]

I have a family members marble headstone it's has the 4 tellytubbies on it what paint should i use to paint them any help would be appreciated

[@JCDogpain]

We need this.. thanks Aaron!

[@angeloddrev]

Who else thought they needed Vegemite 😂 I was like, crap I like in the Uk. haha great video though thanks so much!! 👏

[@Larry-208]

Lol.... me too, in the USA. 🤣

[@Dan-pr5lg]

In the UK substitute with Marmite ;)

[@kimgrant7624]

Amazing work. What kind of paint would you recommend on a white marble headstone with black writing?

[@denisegore1884]

I use black nail polish.

[@damo384]

Nicely presented mate

[@chonsier27]

Hi new here to your channel. Love this video. What utensils do i need to do this. Brush, i got. Cuttlefish bone i got, and what are the two jars you have? What paint do i use?

[@ladyanastasiabeaverh]

Great video, thanks for making it look so simple. Have you any suggestions for painting raised lead lettering on a granite stone?

[@barneybluff2184]

ladyanastasiabeaverh To redo raised lead lettering get some dark grey paint a cork and a piece of cloth pour a little paint onto the lid of the paint wrap the cork with the cloth dip into the paint and apply flat surface of the cork to the lettering in a dabbling motion this should help you out.

[@denisegore1884]

I use nail polish.

[@Scottishgirl78]

@@denisegore1884 I thought about doing that.

[@nataliejanemusic06]

Hi just watched the video, i am looking to repaint a granite headstone. It has gold lettering.. Is it gold leaf or just gold enamel paint i need to use for this process please?

[@kevinernst4889]

Just repaint with gold paint, it will be cheaper and have great results.

[@marchollinshead1720]

What can I use instead of cuttlefish?

[@Abc-tu9ry]

Great video! Amazing end results! 👍👍👍! Again what did you use to scrap off the excess white paint? What is the right terminology and where can I buy it?

[@stephanroess5568]

Thanks. The right material to use is bone cuttlefish. You can get it from the pet shop. A quick google search will show you what it is.

[@lorrainehealey2162]

how long on sunny day before i put 2nd coat paint on

[@republicofu.s9642]

@@lorrainehealey2162 he mentioned somewhere in comment, about 30 minutes in sunshine

[@heatherpeterson3853]

Will this work on any gravestone? A 3 letter word was spelled wrong and now they said it's over 400 bucks to fix the letter..

[@martinneps9387]

Where can I purchase one of those stone things please comment back thank you so very much

[@danwalters5054]

Pet shop. Its called cuttlefish

[@chrismac628]

Hey dude - what kind of paint is this? I did my dads stone last year with these pens I got from amazon it said they were for stone - but it went all yellow through the winter - any tips on better paint that wont go yellow - thanks man :)

[@catmarrco7863]

I would use an oil base paint or sign writing paint.

[@vianeyibarra1716]

was there a specific liquid you used to clean your brush? And about how long does each coat take to dry?

[@stephanroess5568]

Hi. It is just normal terpentine we used. Each coat should take around 30min under sunshine.

[@regaldonneys876]

So the access paint outside of the lettering won’t ruin the headstone plaque? Than you

[@NxDoyle]

Excellent. Thank you.

[@reemfarah662]

Thanking you so much, a very helpful video.

[@27shazzer]

My mums lettering has tarnished and its not even 2 years old. Its a gold lettering. what would be the best paint to use on it please

[@stephanroess5568]

Wow. If it is gold leaf they have used it should stay in there for at least 20 years. It is not just a painting process then and a bit more complicated. This link kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4jOgnadfLyjsNE shows how it is done.

[@user2144]

Great job

[@shanesims2864]

Great job !!!

[@susanmariedalbeth3478]

Thanku so much fir that 👏👏👏of to Dad I go with me stuff 💝

[@michaelpharao7746]

Hi Stephan. is it possible to remove paint that way, with all kind of types? like Gold-Silver and Bronze outdoor paint or with shellac fernis? thanks for video, it is helpful. also that cuttlefish bone, here in Denmark its not possible to buy it, what about a mango seed will that be the same result not sratching?

[@loveartwatchalex4191]

Hi Michael. If you are talking about removing paint from a polished stone surface. Yes. I never heard about using mango seed but you can always try pumice as well. Just test it on a similar stone before you do it since some of the pumice contains particles of harder stone that might scratch.

[@michaelpharao7746]

@@loveartwatchalex4191 thank you so much for helping me :-) i will for sure try, i will go to our local stone store and buy some stone that are broken and try it out on them.

[@tonyjackson-v7q]

What is the cost to have this done please??

[@GlennMcConnell-dj8sw]

How long will it last?

[@regaldonneys876]

Also, the white paint that I used on the lettering of the plaque started to come off after a few days. Is there a specific paint to use. Thanks

[@catbirdler]

What kind of paint did you use? Water-based or acrylic paints won't last year as long as oil-based enamels or lithichome paint.

[@mikeb8948]

Can I use any kind of paint?

[@brendaburke345]

Can those products be used on a military headstone?

[@stephanroess5568]

Yes. These are made of marble and the cuttlefish won't scratch the marble.

[@patrickwatters5094]

what kind of paint did you use?

[@judithdalton3017]

How long do you leave it to dry before cleaning off? Also, is it regular enamel? Will it work the same with a gold enamel? Thanks

[@stephanroess5568]

Once you touch it and the paint is not sticky it is dry. The paint is oil based enamel paint. The same stuff that is used for painting cars.

[@sandramilenacelis2106]

What kind of paint is it?

[@jasehearne6787]

Hi great vid, what type of paint should I use?. Thanks

[@stephanroess5568]

Hi. Enamel paint is the best for this.

[@pauldavidson8308]

Can I use this method on faded lead lettering? Great video by the way.

[@stephanroess5568]

Thank you. No sorry. That won't work. The lead lettering is done with a completely different technique.

[@angelaphillipson1142]

Can you use the cuttlefish bone on gold pain on gravestone

[@hermetism-2805]

How do you recommend i go about removing the excess gold leaf after gilding? Same process? Edit: Not worried about wastage.

[@stephanroess9518]

Yes exactly. It is done in the same way.

[@hermetism-2805]

Thank you.

[@nicolescarlett4618]

How would I remove a word on marble stone and replace it with a new one ?

[@JoyMCharlton]

Thank you such a helpfyl vid

[@ellyhamilton959]

What about stones that have a natural finish my granpas headstone is a green stone that has lichen and moss on it

[@stephanroess5568]

That would be a problem. In this case you really have to use an optivizor and a very fine brush.

[@DominicVCrain]

Is there an alternative scrubber to cuttlefish shell, e.g., non-metal scourer?

[@drkresearch2945]

Pumicestone

[@hibernogirl]

MAGIC ERASER?

[@SuperBiggurl1]

Hi there, Thank you for the help with our headstones. This video come in handy when we had to re paint. The only thing i wanna ask is why do you think the paint fell away or come off again on the lettering and designs? I think we only did 1 coat not 2 could that be it?

[@stephanroess5568]

The best would be to apply a primer and then two coats of the paint.

[@shaneaustin9769]

Hi will any mollases do the trick

[@randomvideos3674]

Isn't it better to take out old flaking paint so new paint can grab on???

[@davidronaldmorris3542]

Hi , Great video. As a RSA member we are looking to take on some of this work. I have seen a razor blade style paint scrapper that Window tinters use to clean glass surface without scratching the surface. Would this work to clean granite?

[@stephanroess5568]

I am not sure. We usually use a steel trowel scraper on granite but with the black stone you need to be careful. All other ones should be ok.

[@rudeboysccmanifesto3331]

Would this method work on slate as well?

[@loveartwatchalex4191]

Yes. But only if the surface is polished.

[@rudeboysccmanifesto3331]

Love Art watch Alex thank you 👍🏼

[@aderynmawr]

And the cuttlefish really doesn’t scratch?

[@catewalker1645]

Cuttlefish is a natural headstone conditioner and works calcium into the pores to protect it.

[@carolbean8547]

my husband,s stone has alaser drawing on it and you can barely see it,it was put up in Oct.2015. what can I use to darken the outline?

[@stephanroess5568]

+Carol Bean Is the material a black stone and was there any color in the lasered areas?

[@carolbean8547]

The stone is desert rose color the picture is on aligt background the outline is dark but you can hardly see it. I do not know the proper names for what it looks like!

[@stephanroess5568]

It would be best if you could send a photo. [e-mail]

[@carolbean8547]

My sister in law is going to try to send a picture to you.thank you for your help I truly appreciate your concern!!!

[@stephanroess5568]

You are welcome. I have seen this style of engraving when I visited the states in 2013 on a cemetery in Kanab in Utah and it is not common here in NZ. You will be unable to touch up the colour for the outlines by using the explained method in this video. Especially because the other background showing the trees and the cabin is rough from the engraving process (sandblasted). I assume that the monumental mason has painted the lines while the masking stencil for the sandblasting process was still on the stone which might make any attempts to restore this in a DIY style difficult. But since this is a quite common way to embellish a stone in the US there should be plenty of monumental masons who know how to care for this.

[@RessamRövşən]

Привет. Я мастер гравер с больщим опытом у вас для меня найдется работа???

[@mosdeftones]

Seriously, is that a real cuttlefish bone? Stateside over here…

[@r_-fy3ll]

Yes this is real cuttlefish bone you can buy these from any petshop for about £3

[@achillezoile8271]

what was that stuff in the vegemite tub and what did you use it for?

[@stephanroess5568]

Turpentine. To clean the brushes.

[@mikewalez]

Listen to the video, pay attention

[@taitorani7469]

Anyone know what brand paint he used??

[@stephanroess5568]

Just use Wattyl Killrust as a primer and then CRC antirust as a top coat. Lasts forever...

[@taitorani7469]

@@stephanroess5568 Thank you! And thanks so much for the video. Couldn't believe how easy it is, and quick. I've been doing it the hard and looooong way all this time. 😂👌👍

[@taitorani7469]

@@stephanroess5568 And the cuttlefish!! Never knew. So easy to remove the excess surface paint. And quick.

[@stephanroess5568]

Super. Glad to help. I know it can be difficult not knowing the method.

[@jonesba2004]

What process do you recommend for painting engraved letters in a steeled, non-polished granite surface?

[@stephanroess5568]

+Jones Family If the surface is really rough you can only try to stay within the letters as much as you can. If it is honed you can use the same technique as explained above.

[@jonesba2004]

+Stephan Roess Thank you. And I appreciate your video!

[@RamblinVan]

finally a use for vegemite

[@kareeboswell8397]

With the enamel paint is it oil based or acrylic based? I have a number of old headstones I want to do this to

[@stephanroess5568]

This is oil based paint. We tried acrylics in the past but they only last a couple of months.

[@kareeboswell8397]

@@stephanroess5568 thankyou. I have a marble headstone that needs cleaning and probably the writing done too, how would one do that. This particular on is a family plot and is 100yrs old now

[@stephanroess5568]

@@kareeboswell8397 You are welcome. The easiest way is to get some chloride based cleaner from the hardware store. Apply it as a wet film on the headstone. Wait 15 minutes. Then either use a water blaster (if you have got power and water available) or scrub it with a brush (do not use a steel brush) and then wash off the dead lichen / moss with water

[@kareeboswell8397]

Thanks. Would the same painting techniques apply for a flower on the headstones that's in colour? But using the colours of it.

[@stephanroess5568]

@@kareeboswell8397 Yes. Oil based enamel paint will be best for it.

[@genegirl]

My Great Uncles headstone is a Marble or granite slab set in stone. The letters are raised but very hard to see now. To restore would I paint behind them or paint the actual letters? He died in 1944 so the stone is quite old but my mother wants to see it and I want it to be looking good before I take her.

[@stephanroess5568]

+suzy Parker If the letters are raised like the picture in this link - www.atos.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Lettering-Elevated2.jpg - then you would have to paint behind them.

[@genegirl]

Ok, thank you for replying. And then I guess I'd just rub the paint off the letters if I get it on there by accident?

[@stephanroess5568]

+suzy Parker Yes. That is right.

[@kristinemarienudalo2599]

Can I use this method on marble tombstones?

[@stephanroess5568]

Yes. Just try to paint in a way that the color does not go over the edges too much . Some marble is pretty porous and can absorb the pigments which leaves a slight shadow when cleaned off with the cuttlefish.

[@ratnamathews4818]

Can we paint over the lettering with another color.?

[@stephanroess5568]

Yes you can. Just make sure that any loose old paint is removed before you do it.

[@l333boa]

Stephan Roess what’s the best method for removing old flakey paint before I repaint the letters, worried about damaging the headstone, thanks

[@barneybluff2184]

I don't understand why you used such a small brush we simply employ the same method as you but use a much larger brush and the job would be done in a quarter of the time.

[@stephanroess5568]

You might as well use a spray can and don't care. The more excessive paint you use the harder it gets to remove. Especially on marble.

[@barneybluff2184]

Stephan Roess You might be right I've been doing it this way for nearly fifty years and my family have been in the business for six generations making us the oldest monumental sculptors in the island of Ireland but maybe we've been doing it wrong all this time sorry if feathers were ruffled.

[@janetluv3707]

I'm confused.. can I just use a larger brush applying areas needed followed by the scrubbing? Thxs

[@taitorani7469]

@@janetluv3707 hi. I repainted a headstone last weekend. I did consider a larger brush but glad I used similar brush to what's used in this video 1. Easier to get into the corners of the lettering if you use a small brush 2. You don't clean off too much excess paint on the surface

[@janefearns2242]

How do I get an added name removed

[@stephanroess5568]

That would not be possible. It is 'written in stone' so to say.

[@lvcourt]

What kind of paint do you use?

[@stephanroess5568]

Oil based enamel paint.

[@raniahgibbore6943]

Did u use water to wash excess