cemetery swap

Some Gravestone Rubbings Do's and Don'ts From "Gravestone Rubbing for Beginners," a leaflet available from the Association for Gravestone Studies

Gravestone rubbing is fun. It is possible to collect some beautiful artwork that can be framed and displayed. A carver's skill can be preserved, or an ancestor's stone recorded and appreciated through this craft. However, gravestone rubbing is also controversial. Especially in cemeteries where a restoration project is in progress, rubbing is often banned. This is to enable the restorers to have an opportunity to preserve all the stones possible before more damage occurs. Even if a restoration project is not in progress, if the those who care for the cemetery have determined there are very fragile stones there which may be damaged if pressure is applied to the surface as happens in rubbing, there may be prohibitions in place. So be sure to check.

Below are some Do's and Don'ts that will make your experience in the cemetery a good one.

Please Do

Check (with cemetery superintendent, cemetery commissioners, town clerk, historical society, whoever is in charge) to see if rubbing is allowed in the cemetery.

Get permission and/or a permit as required.

Rub only solid stones in good condition. Check for any cracks, evidence of previous breaks and adhesive repairs, defoliating stone with air pockets behind the face of the stone that will collapse under pressure of rubbing, etc

Become educated; learn how to rub responsibly.

Use a soft brush and plain water to do any necessary stone cleaning.

Make certain that your paper covers the entire face of the stone; secure with masking tape.

Use the correct combination of paper and waxes or inks; avoid magic marker-type pens or other permanent color materials.

Test paper and color before working on stone to be certain that no color bleeds through.

Rub gently, carefully.

Leave the stone in better condition than you found it.

Take all trash with you; replace any grave site materials that you may have disturbed.

Please Don't

Don't attempt to rub deteriorating marble or sandstone, or any unsound or weakened stone (for example, a stone that sounds hollow when gently tapped or a stone that is flaking, splitting, blistered, cracked, or unstable on its base).

Don't use detergents, soaps, vinegar, bleach, or any other cleaning solutions on the stone, no matter how mild!

Don't use shaving cream, chalk, graphite, dirt, or other concoctions in an attempt to read worn inscriptions. Using a large mirror to direct bright sunlight diagonally across the face of a gravemarker casts shadows in indentations and makes inscriptions more visible.

Don't use stiff-bristled or wire brushes, putty knives, nail files, or any metal object to clean or to remove lichen from the stone; Soft natural bristled brushes, whisk brooms, or wooden sticks are usually OK if used gently and carefully

Don't attempt to remove stubborn lichen. Soft lichen may be thoroughly soaked with plain water and then loosened with a gum eraser or a wooden popsicle stick. Be gentle. Stop if lichen does not come off easily.

Don't use spray adhesives, scotch tape, or duct tape. Use masking tape.

Don't use any rubbing method that you have not actually practiced under supervision.

Don't leave masking tape, wastepaper, colors, etc., at the grave site

"HOW TO" do gravestone rubbings:

Make sure the stone is clean and completely dry. Tape will not adhere to a wet stone, and the dampness will make the paper fragile and liable to tear. Besides ruining any chance of a rubbing, this may cause you to accidentally damage the stone with your rubbing material.

Cut a piece of your paper or other rubbing material to a size slightly larger than the stone. If possible, write any information on or about the stone, inscription, date, location, etc. on the back of the paper before doing the rubbing so you don't smear your rubbing. Or, carry a small notebook, write the information on a page, tear out and roll up with your rubbing.

Tape the paper to the stone. Make sure that it is secure so that it won't slide as you are rubbing and cause a blurred image, and that it covers the face of the stone completely, so that you won't get marks on it.

If only doing lunettes, please be sure that a large enough area is covered to protect the stone.

With your fingers, press the paper lightly against the stone. This will cause the paper to indent into the carvings, resulting in a clearer image, with less rubbing medium accidentally transferring into "blank" areas.

Using rubbing wax, a large crayon, charcoal, gently start to rub along the outside edges - creating a "frame" for your rubbing. Using long, even strokes following the same direction, fill in the "frame". Rub lightly to start with, and then apply more pressure to darken in the design if it suits you. Be very careful and gentle.

Be very careful not to get any on the tombstone. It is best to remove the paper from the stone and lay it flat on the ground in an area away from any stones before spraying.

When the rubbing is done, carefully remove it from the tombstone and trim the edges to suit your liking. Remove the tape from the paper, being careful not to tear the edges of the paper.

above instructions were borrowed from the moleskinerie site

Got it on watch :)

so my dilema is this, i need to egt the rubbing charcoal espically for gravestone rubbings, i have medium and its way to soft.......also i have tryed several papers and none of them are working............how is everyone else doing, maybe we should cancel the swap??? if we cant get good rubbings, whats the point?

I have only gotten around to trying ones, and it did not work out. But I'm going to try with ricepaper and hope for a better result :)

yeah........lets keep in communication about this.its important.i feel...i will post a note in the froup forum now as well....

Hi I did a bunch of rubbings today. The turned out well with lots of details.I used white news print paper(you find it in with kids art supplies or dollar store. I used masking tape to hold the paper up.I used med/soft flat charcole( it works good but messy) I also used med conte flat chalk. Then hair spray to hold it. Hope this helps this is the cheapest way I have. Where you get good results. I think you can transfer the rubbing on better paper later.

half of us are not sent so i will give it another week! please remember to notify your partner if you are going to be late!

peas and love

Wow, you startled the hell out of me, because I looked and thought the swap had disappeared for some reason.... :)

half of us are still not sent i am afraid it is because w ecant get good rubbings SORRY to those who have gotten theirs out on time,

this is the last chance for us all, i have exte3nded it till the end of the month........

please contact me if you need help allthough i cant get crap! :(

peas and love

noel

This was such a great swap, I hope we do it again, hugs :-)