Repainting a faded headstone

I was contacted last fall about this headstone… the family was interested to see if the design could be restored to its original condition. It is my belief that it is in fact now at least as good as it was when it was new or better. Hopefully many many years will pass before this needs to be done again.

[@babetteosel1380]

This restoration is impressive, you sir are a craftsman indeed. Well done. You have inspired me to take care of two monuments belonging to our children. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us as I now am confident of what materials and products will work best. Thank you!

[@Headstoneman]

Thank you! That is the entire purpose of this channel… to put information out there that is easy for people to understand so they have the confidence to properly take care of their loved ones monuments.

[@_Julie_Bee]

Beautiful job,love the use of cuttlefish bone!

[@Headstoneman]

I’m told that cuttle bone is going to stop being sold in the US… not sure if it’s true but that will kind of suck.

[@Metal-Detecting-NC]

Excellent job! That is a very nice looking marker.

[@Headstoneman]

It’s a very common design, because it is so nice and hits the “outdoorsman” type while still showing a softer side… it’s probably one of my favorite templates on these more modern markers

[@mygrammieis]

Awesome thanks for sharing this work you’re doing.. It’s amazing and beautiful also appreciated and much respect ✊ thank you

[@Headstoneman]

Thank you!

[@KierstenNava]

Great job. It's great seeing how this works to restore these markers

[@Headstoneman]

That’s why I’m here! If my videos give someone the confidence to try this for themselves on their ancestors headstones then I’ve accomplished my goal!

[@NorthCentral]

Nice job! Looks great!

[@Headstoneman]

Thanks! It turned out really good!

[@natalieharris5030]

Looks great!

[@Headstoneman]

Thank you!

[@godisgreat8462]

Awesome 🎉

[@Headstoneman]

Thank you!

[@mrschefyoda7825]

You did a wonderful job. Looks beautiful. Is there anything that they could of done to seal it to make the coloring last longer?

[@Headstoneman]

Good question… unfortunately there really isn’t… it all boils down to the quality of the pigment material… (whether it be paint or ink) and the depth of the design. Some monument companies have chosen to use cheaper materials that look good at point of sale but don’t last long. That may have been the case here

[@HappierHeadstones]

Looks great! Can’t wait to get my fish bone in the bird section of the pet store..sure looks better than molasses! ( I really needed to know about this, thanks)

[@Headstoneman]

The molasses trick is for a totally different type of stone… this method only works if the stone is totally smooth… any pits or divots will make it very difficult. Molasses is used to fill those pits so the paint doesn’t get in them.

[@paulkahr5696]

Can those cuddle bones be reused on other stones?

[@Headstoneman]

Yes they are multi use

[@lindawinn2568]

What a difference. Great job. Could you tell me please what kind of scraper you used, was it a sharp metal blade or plastic? Thanks.

[@Headstoneman]

Plastic

[@dudzikb]

Great work. What technique could a person use for a non polished headstone?

[@MrKenstar2]

Nothing

[@ourfamilysvarietyshow]

Can you use a drill that has a soft plastic brissel attachment on it

[@Headstoneman]

NO!

[@vanalishahoots4785]

Will the cuttlefish bone scratch the surface? I've got a typical gray granite stone and a black headstone I'd like to restore. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to do more harm than good before I proceed.

[@Headstoneman]

Cuttle bone is super soft, and it will not scratch the stone

[@paulkahr5696]

What do you charge the family for your services?

[@Headstoneman]

It depends on what it is or what needs to be done. Paid jobs are pretty few and far between anymore.

[@mjkay8660]

wow, tfa!!!

[@Headstoneman]

Thank you!

[@MikeBerryman-ph5df]

Monuments facing east or west the paint will fade faster because of sunrise and sunset, not so much facing north and south.

[@willsessum5748]

Nice video man. Have you ever heard of Monu-Mask ?

[@Headstoneman]

Just this year after I made this video

[@patrickwatters5094]

What type of paint did you use?

[@Headstoneman]

It’s an oil based exterior paint.

[@sharonpodorski4687]

Type of paint

[@Headstoneman]

It’s an outdoor oil based paint

[@dylanforsythe7293]

5 hours ? Lol 😆 holy fuck I could do like 8 in hours that's crazy and of you used the right paint and u sprayed it on it would of dried in less then 10 seconds and would be ready to scape right away you need to use a paint called lithachrome

[@Headstoneman]

Thanks for telling me how I’m not going to do it

[@dylanforsythe7293]

Your an amateur and your work sucks you hill Billy I actually run a monument business a real one that does quality work and uses the right stuff not the cheap stuff lol keep waisting a whole day on a simple 5 minute job 😅