Many people may not know how letters and simple designs are created on cemetery headstones and monuments. They are actually done by a process know as sandblasting. Sandblasting is intended to remove the polish off of the granite to reveal the contrasting surfaces. The various effects that can be seen on the monument are due to the depth differences.
The designs to placed on the monuments are done on CAD software which will produce files that are able to be read on high-tech CNC machines. The machine draws the design onto thick rubber stencils and then the areas to be sandblasted are peeled away from the stencil. The finished stencil is placed upon a vacant headstone where a CNC sandblasting machine proceeds to fire forced air blended with aluminum oxide at the headstone. The number of passes that the machine must take all depends on the dimensional depth of the desired design.
Unfortunately, there are some design aspects that cannot be sandblasted. These include pictures or photos, small (less than 0.75″) or finely spaced lettering, and finely detailed artwork. Other means will have to be used to procure these particular styles of design. While marble is the most common material used in headstones, sandblasting can actually be done on virtually any kind of material.
If you are in need of a beautifully designed headstone or cemetery monument, Contact Shelley Brothers Monuments CT for Sand Blasting in Connecticut. Not only can they design what you wish upon the new headstone or memorial of your choice, they are also experienced with reinvigorating old headstones and monuments. They can restore faded lettering or designs that have been lost to time and the elements. They are experts at matching existing fonts and colors, and can even repaint monuments if the need arises.
Shelley Brothers has been in business for over 170 years and are renowned throughout the area for their pride in their craft of Sand Blasting in Connecticut. They will ensure that the design you have envisioned is the design that will be on the finished product. They take the time to make sure the job is done right because they know how important it is to you.
