I found your video because my grandpa's bronze stone looks just like Amber's . I'm going to buy the kit and restore it. Thank you for your service I wish more people did what you do . Thank you !
Just found my grandpas headstone since 1973 I appreciate your information I found the kit on Amazon and will be ordering it excited to spend some time with my grandpa and show him my love for him by cleaning up his bronze headstone. God Bless you for your thoughtfulness and giving heart. 🙏💕
You are a first class individual ! Thank you for sharing your insight and knowledge. I can't wait to order that kit, and get moving forward on my Grandmother's gravestone.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I have triplets buried in babyland where I live. It's been 28yrs and I'm going to order this and clean up their stone. You're a wonderful person doing what you do. ❤️
Thank you kindly Matthew. I knew when I saw the BurgerMaster shirt, you were a local guy :-) Through ‘Find A Grave’, I’ve discovered all my family’s markers are in horrible shape. Now I can restore them with confidence! Robert - Issaquah
Thanks for making this video and thank you for caring enough to clean people headstrong markers to me it is one of the best ways to honor our history and ancestors.
Very nicely done Sir, throughout the years I’m going back since I was in my late teens there has been a small grass clippers in my car trunk so I could always make sure that my dearest grandparents grave marker was neat + cleaned up. From there it became a towel + a spray bottle with water to wipe down any stains all kept together in a small box in the trunk of my car. Just wanted to let you know that I am happy to see a video of something that matters and should be honored for those who have fought or have been killed during a time when tyranny was trying to take over the world.I agree no US Veteran should be forgotten in death or should never be homeless in life,and that Sir I’m going to sign off because it becomes to emotional and irritating to continue right now. God bless you and your work that you are doing.
Here I am at my Daddy's grave side. I still haven't ordered his bronze and granite graveyard marker, but I know your time and effort creating this caring video will assist my family and I keep our future investment tidy & beautiful. You have a beautiful heart Sir. G-d bless you and loved ones. Thank you much! --- Dallas, Texas, USA
Thanks Matt my great and great great grandparents are resting in that cemetery. They were buried there in 1904 and 1913. I recently visited and was pleased with the condition of the grounds. Well done.
@@MH-on8ol Wow, yes, I’m VERY familiar with your family-have we met at one of my Kirkland Cemetery tours? If not, I know some of your cousins who have attended. You family is THE oldest Kirkland family, given that Anna was a native Duwamish who grew up on the lake. Her sister, Ellen, was, with her husband Gardner Proctor, Mercer Island’s first settler as well, as you may know.
@@-MattMcCauley- Matt we have not met. I was contacting the cemetery to get permission to have a head stone made for Lucy & Edwin Stamp. It bothered me that they didn't have a proper marker. I came to the cemetery and found that the historical society had purchased one for them. I was very moved by that. Yes I am part native Duwamish from my fathers side of the family. My family has very deep roots in Seattle , Kirkland and Tolt now called Carnation. I need to get back to see If my great grandmother Dora has a headstone or not. Let me know when your out next and we can meet and chat. I have a lot of family photos and history. Thanks
@@MH-on8ol Yes, my annual cemetery tour is free by donation and we (Kirkland Heritage Society) and we use those donations to purchase markers for the unmarked graves of historically significant or otherwise noteworthy internees. Lucy and Ed Stamp were a part of the first batch we bought some years back, given her top-tier historical significance to Kirkland (Not to slight anybody else, but because the Kennum line pre-dates white settlement it is the oldest we know of, particularly because several generations were associated with Juanita/Houghton/Kirkland. I would really like to meet and chat and see your photos, if you'd like to communicate offline you can email me at: javafour@aol.com.
I'm So sorry my son just advised you are on the coast I for some reason thought you were in the tri cities. Thank you so much for this info. My daughters grave is just like this but without the paint. Thank you for all the info as I was searching how to clean it if I ever get back to it. I didn't realize they were so delicate.
Matt, thank you. I really enjoyed this. I have a military headstone seated in 1952 at Greenwood in Renton that I am going to try to clean up. I will use what I learned here. Simple and educational. Thanks again.
Thanks for posting the tip. You are a very kind man indeed. Can you possibly post a link for the "restore" product? We are here on the East Coast and cannot find it.
It is on Amazon now as "Barry's Restore All". I am actually preparing a new video on bronze marker restoration in which I demonstrate a method using a homemade paraffin wax and baby oil mixture, which saves a LOT of money if you are doing several markers. I also show how to restore the brown field beneath the raised bronze letters. That video should be up w/i a week, hopefully!
@@caveman0808 No, I am not. I use emory cloth 220 grit, on a sanding block. That way I can get just the tops of the raised letters. For the irregualr raised areas I use a simple Scotch-Brite pad, like you'd use to clean a restaurant grill surface.
Wow,I never would have thought that someone could get upset about restoring a grave for free. As I thought about it though,I could understand. You never know if that person knows what they're doing and they certainly wouldn't pay for a new head stone in the event they damaged it. You'd probably have to go to small claims court. There are a lot graves in town with various dead relatives of mine. There are some stone figures on them that are very dirty and have algae on them but I don't know how to clean them. Could you recommend some websites or give advice on it? These graves are anywhere from the early 1900's to the 2010's so they're all made from different materials. I also live in Florida. I just want to upkeep on their eternal resting place so they're always remembered.
I’m wanting to start with marker/headstone cleaning. Do you have any links to help with good cleaners that can be found in store? I tried find D/2 cleaner, and it’s nowhere to be found. Thanks in advance!
You need to by D2 online. Amazon does not have it, I buy mine at limeworks.us. It is not cheap, but it is the best out there for stone markers and concrete bases. It is NOT useful on bronze markers, unfortunately.
There are soft bristle brushes that will chuck into a drill that will do less damage and reach all the detail better than that scotch brite pad. It’s all about what comes in contact with the workpiece, not whether it’s driven by an electric motor or ‘elbow grease’ ... and a person will be inclined to be more thorough with a power tool. You warned against aggressive chemicals, then you sprayed it with citric acid. Citric acid is an excellent chemical to remove corrosion with, but it IS an acid. Powdered or crystalline citric acid is inexpensive if you get it in the canning supplies section at Wally World, (it’s sold as a ‘lemon juice substitute’) plus you can control the dilution ratio according to your needs, and it dissolves readily in distilled water. I would highly recommend following the acid treatment with a water rinse and then a soft brush scrubbing with ordinary and super cheap clear household ammonia which will further remove any leftover corrosion, but more importantly, it will completely neutralize any remaining acid, being strongly alkaline. It will still need a thorough rinse in purified water, however. I will note here that Brasso is ammoniated, as are many metal polishing creams. Read the label. Mineral spirits is another name for paint thinner and most charcoal lighter fluid, the latter is a highly refined version, especially when labelled as ‘odorless’. Finally, I would be willing to bet that sealer is an acrylic finish. That’s what ‘Future’ floor finish is, as well as many of the much cheaper store brand floor finishes, (NOT MOP N GO!) as it is designed to dissolve itself with each successive application. True acrylic sealer dries to a high gloss, and is extremely tough and resistant to most detergents. It can only be removed by physical scraping, very powerful janitorial strength ammonia applied at undiluted full strength, (it’s horrendous - trust me), or a commercial floor stripper, often just as noxious. That’s why I’m almost certain that the sealer included in that kit is an acrylic. $25 should buy you enough of these chemicals to clean dozens of these markers. Also, any limestone type masonry, especially concrete, can be etched to its original appearance with hydrochloric acid; AKA swimming pool acid; AKA muriatic acid, but you need to really know what your doing because it comes highly concentrated, can react violently with water (always add acid to water... never add water to acid); and the concentrate will burn your skin after dissolving your clothing; and inhaled vapor will sear your nose, throat, esophagus and lungs, and if mixed with ordinary chlorine bleach, it will liberate pure elemental chlorine gas, think WWI mustard gas here, and it can kill you, or cause instantaneous double pneumonia. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Always use chemicals like the ones I have mentioned with the recommended safety precautions; masks or respirators, gloves, goggles or splash shields, and any suggested protective clothing. Above all, you must always use any chemicals in a manner consistent with label directions and precautions.
Will Restore marker care work on a headstone that appears rusty reddish? I don't know if it is bronze or brass or another composite metal. I have a picture of it but can not send it to you through this site.
Sorry for the delayed reply. If you are still in need of assistance, I'm happy to help, you can email the photo to me at: kirklandhistoryinfo@gmail.com.
Hi Matt, Wonderful video. I'm looking for that restoration kit. I'm finding a 'Barry's Restore It All Products - Cemetery Marker Care System' online which kind of looks like what you use. Will this brand do the job or is there another brand you suggest? I have a number of family members to clean. Please advise! thanks much!
Hey man, loved the video and I'll be checking out the product should I come across any bronze/metal markers. I've been educating myself on headstone cleaning as I'm about to join the SUVCW and wish to clean the local civil war veterans graves (including those of my ancestors) as a contribution to my community.
Hi, I'm a new subscriber and I'd like to thank you for sharing your knowledge and videos. My parents grave has a bronze headstone marker and it's under a pine tree. Whats the best way to remove pine tar on a marker? Thank you!
Good to know, thanks! I would have normally not added the white, just gone with a good cleaning and the natural concrete color, but her sister specifically asked to have the white restored since that is what the parents originally.
I just came across your video. Great work!! My mom and dad's maker is bronze and for SOME reason my brother thought he could clean it with a wire brush. 😳 The good thing is he only did dad's side. He's been gone 41 yrs. My mom's side still looks great! She just passed 6 months ago from covid. Everytime I go out there I just cringe looking at dad's side. Do you think there is ANYTHING we can do to restore it, even hiring someone? Thank you!!
Oh no! Yeah, that is why I preach against tools like that. It really depends on how deep and widespread the scratches are. If you want to you can email me a photo at: javafour@aol.com and I'll chat with you about any suggestions I might have.
Matt I am in modesto ca and want to do this so bad. We have a lot of old old cemeteries around me with in 40 miles some from 1700. How do I start to go clean a few. I want to have at least a few done for Veterans Day
Excellent. I use same products and they clean amazing. I would like the antique type material to scrub with I'll have to check hobbi lobby as it's a craft material and safe but effective to use.
I understand what you say about not using any power tools on the bronze marker. I am curios if the "Versa" made by Dremel would be acceptable to clean off the dirt and decaying vegetation, especially in the areas inside the letters such as in the letter "O", "A", "P" etc. and for other letters. Only going to use a mild soap so not to damage the metal, just to clean it.
Given that it is such a small-scale, precise tool you are probably OK with that for the problem you've described. You sound like you know what you are doing. The big problem is people using full sized drill motors with the wire brush attachments designed to strip paint. That kind of thing is why I advise people to avoid power tools.
I can't post any here, or can't figure out how. I am working on a new video on the full restoration of bronze marker right now, though, I have shot the footage and am just doing the editing. Hopefully should be up within a week, unless my normal regular work gets in the way, haha! .
Sorry for the delayed reply, it is on Amazon as "Barry's Restore All" now. I am actually preparing a new video on bronze marker restoration in which I demonstrate a method using a homemade paraffin wax and baby oil mixture, which saves a LOT of money if you are doing several markers. I also show how to restore the brown field beneath the raised bronze letters. That video should be up w/i a week, hopefully!
@@-MattMcCauley- Hi Matthew, I just went to your RU-vid channel to locate the new video you mentioned (5 months ago) about the homemade paraffin wax and baby oil mixture...it was not yet up on your channel. I hope you are doing well and will come back to look for the update again soon. Thank you kindly for sharing your knowledge.
Yes, it works very well on military bronze markers. Please note that since I created this video the products name has been changed to “Barry’s Restore All”.
Hi there, I live in the UK and I'd like to ask, what would you recommend for non-granite, non-marble, just heavy porous stone gravestones? I read a lot of contradicting advice on what to use. Is Ivory soap and a soft bristled brush really effective and safe to use?
I use Orvus paste cleaner--an effective, but mild soap used primarily in cleaning horses and livestock. Available on Amazon--followed by an anti-algae cleaner called D2. I don't know about the UK, but here in the US I buy mine at limeworks.us.
I bought this product on Amazon and it has not worked on my grandmothers market. I’m so disappointed. I was hoping it would so I wouldn’t have to spend over 2k on restoration. I’m thinking of painting it with bronze paint.
It is included in the kit. I am actually preparing a new video on bronze marker restoration in which I demonstrate a method using a homemade paraffin wax and baby oil mixture, which saves a LOT of money if you are doing several markers. I also show how to restore the brown field beneath the raised bronze letters. That video should be up w/i a week, hopefully!
Anthony Aguila: about $25, you can do 2-3 markers per kit. www.amazon.com/Barrys-Restore-All-Products-Cemetery/dp/B07C36CT7S/ref=asc_df_B07C36CT7S/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241948599983&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18010555412567731661&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033259&hvtargid=pla-516367471884&psc=1
You can use D2 biological solution on the concrete. Then, paint if needed. I've not used the kit you have used, but will investigate as I jave 2 bronze markers in CA to clean in Feb.
Absolutely! We have an exciting line of new 2018 products about to launch. You'll see Cemetery Care Marker System on our Shop page, "Image Coming Soon." But you can still order it with our old packaging, same quality product inside. barrysrestoreitall.com/
Never wet a marker and put a sealer on it. The moisture will make the copper, which is 90 of the bronze, turn green. The moisture is trapped deep in the pores and will not dry because a sealer was put over the pores. I am the founder of MISSION RESTORE BRONZE we restore military bronze grave markers at no charge whatsoever to the families, 51,00+ strong and in parts of 49 states. Call me and I will send you a jar of the Bronze Wax and the correct instructions. 310-890-5431
The product's name has changed since I made this video, T Shutt, but I just purchase straight from the manufacturer, here: www.barrysrestoreitall.com/product-page/cemetery-marker-care-system
