Thank you for putting together such a detailed and thoughtful tutorial! I have re-watched it several times while I’ve been making my own this year, for the first time. I’ve also been sharing your video a lot since it’s been so helpful.
@@VanOaksProps x favor, traducir los videos o poner subtitulos ,para los q no hablamos ingles!! Muy bueno tosos tus trabajos👏👏👏👏saludos desde Argentina👍🏻❤
Love everything about this video! I did want to add, for those of us who do not have a vinyl cutter, I found it quite manageable to make a paper copy of my design, place it over the tombstone, and then trace over the design with a dull pencil. This leaves an imprint in the foam that I then traced with sharpie to make it easier to see before dremeling. Happy haunting!
FOLKS please read the info box under the video here to see how to get what you need to do the prodjects shown in the video. It helps the channel out as well.
Another awesome tombstone to add in one of the best Halloween cemetery displays out there. Thanks for showing us some great tips on achieving a Sa-Weet tombstone prop!
Amazing tutorial! I tried making my own tombstones, but have been disappointed in the final product. Thank you so much for making this video! I can't wait to try out the new techniques!!
I've put up a graveyard every October for the last 13 years or so. I've always used Styrofoam store bought tombstones, but have always wanted to make my own. I can't wait to start using your tutorial!! Next year will be killer! Thank you!!
Very nice Derek! I find that I am far too lazy so I just use the vinyl and let the spraypaint do the carving for me! :) I like the crisp edges with the dremel but I have found that after weathering and painting the edges lose some crispness anyway. Great video and I really like the hand!
Thanks, Brian! Yeah, using spray paint to do the carving is a great method. We've deployed that one a few times when we knew we wanted a really old look.
Mad Photographer, read my other comment. I explain another technique for the lettering. VanOaks is pretty awesome. His stones look amazing. However, there is a quicker and much less tedious way to get the same effect, and you can skip the Dremel.
I don't own a vinyl cutter, but it just occurred to me that you must have had to go back and individually replace the inside portions of A's and D's and 9's and so forth in order for the stencil to work. I continue to be amazed at the work you put into these pieces.
Thanks Stephen! You're right about the stenciling, although you could probably freehand it if you were feeling like skipping a step (which I'm totally guilty of).
I really enjoy this video. I watch it often from time to time. If going with the paint and sand mixture, how much sand would you mix into a 1 gal.? 1, 2, 3 cups? In the past I would do a thick coat of paint and then hand sprinkle the sand onto it, let dry then do another coat of paint to lock in the sand, then dry brush over it. But at the time had never thought to mix sand directly into the can. NOW i will. I've never used or touched drylock before, so just trying to get an idea of a ratio for the consistency. I actually work at an HD and am always keeping an eye out for discounted paint or hoping a damaged drylock shows up. I plan to get some foam tomorrow and make a few during my days off. Or at least get a start on them....Thanks for your vids....✌✌🎃🎃
In the Los Angeles area there's L&W Supply that carries it. Not sure where you're located, but the Owens Corning website lists vendors that carry their products, so that might be a good place to start. As for branding, they all have branding on one side and I just use the opposite side.
Such an awesome process to watch. I think your tombstones are some of the most realistic I’ve seen! The dry lock adds such a realism and really creates the look of stone. Well done! Where do you typically buy foam like this?
"I like to start in the middle and work my way to the edges to get sharper edges"...proceeds to outline the letters. LOL. Great tutorial, that takes a lot of the mystery out of it. Thanks.
I can see how that statement is confusing. What I should have said was that I drop the bit in the middle of the letter before moving out to the edge, rather than trying to start on the edge. Glad you found it useful!
Great video. This is pretty close to how I do my tombstones. I have been waiting for this video for a while. Thank you for making this Tombstone video. I like watching how other people do their Halloween props. Just to see if they do something just a little bit different than I do.Or maybe something a little easier that maybe I'm doing the hard way. Thumbs up in five stars my friend.
Amazing results. Thank you for such a comprehensive tutorial. On the aging process- do you mix the three colors together in one spay bottle, or layer them separately using multiple bottles? Thanks again.
Just made 8 new headstones to replace thin little ones I made years ago. These turned out beautifully! The use of water and torch to make the stone texture was an amazing addition to give them a lifelike feel.
I got a question, im sure you can answer and love your work, but when using Microsoft word to do the names and dates for the epitaph, do you know what font size would translate to 2 inches sized lettering on your tombstone, 1 inch, etc. I never seem to get the desired size the first time around when doing a print its hard to tell how big the name is going to print out when you see it on the computer vs actually comparing it the size of the tombstone- im sure its easy im just over-thinking it
Great question. Unfortunately, there's no hard and fast rule since every font is different. You can, however, turn on the ruler option (in the view menu) and it'll get you in the ballpark.
Love all your work and videos! Ive watched them over and over! I am making my own tombstones this year and have a few questions, Do you water down the tombstone before spraying the colored paint Do you put all the colored paint in different spray bottles? Thank you
I have started to wet the tombstones before applying the weathering since making this video. As for the color, I mix it all together and spray. There's actually a more recent tombstone how-to that shows my current approach - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ba1Rcbk69pE.htmlsi=dAY8i9BuVfNRxVlW
Do you feel it helps doing the weathering wash in warmer weather over cooler? I’m working on a sample right now just messing around with some ideas. However, when I get to the weathering, I can’t get your results or anywhere close. Either my mix is to watery and it all drips down and off, or it’s to thick and I end up literally painting the whole project with my spray bottle. I just can’t seem to find that sweet spot.
Warm weather definitely helps. Just remember that it’s a build up and will take time. Layer upon layer to get to the final color. Also, if it’s too heavy grab a second spray bottle with water to help thin the paint on your tombstone after you’ve sprayed - spray the paint mix, then the water to help control how heavy it’s going on.
I just discovered this channel a couple of days ago, and I found myself thinking...that voice sounds like "The History Guy" (whom I check out now and then). Gotta say that I have really enjoyed these videos that I have watched so far. Well done. Oh, and I subscribed.
I'm in loooove. What thickness of foam do you typically use for these? And do you have any recommendations for using these props in places with heavy winds?
I use 2" Foamular XPS 250 foam. You can get it at most Home Depot and Lowes locations in the insulation department. As for heavy winds, I have a video on it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-luyjpX5b5pQ.htmlsi=NUZ8e-WdIpUUB4Mw
What kind of vinyl material did you use to create your tombstone template? I imagine it must have been something fairly thick as whenever I try to use just any old something grabbed off the shelf it's fairly difficult to "weed" and then place. Do you happen to know which brand/type of vinyl you used? Or maybe a better question is what type do you prefer? Thanks!
if you're like me and you can't afford drylok, I found that sanding with 60 grit sandpaper before painting gives a pretty good stone texture. just remember to wear a mask (don't be like me)
This looks great! Will the drylok add any extra durability to the foam? I've only ever painted my tombstones with latex or acrylic paint and they get dinged up pretty easily. I've considered hard coating them but I'm trying to find a decent way around that.
A bit. It's got a gritty texture which adds some ruggedness to the coating, but it's still possible to gouge out a piece if you were really bent on doing it. If you wanted something half way between Drylok and basic latex paint, consider adding fine playground sand to your latex paint. It'll give it a similar grit to Drylok and you can control how much/how little you add.
Love it! Another great video thank you. I’m assuming you have a stencil cutter machine? I’m trying to work out a cheap way to make a stencil other than free hand?
It took a few hours, but I've been making tombstones for over a decade. So I wouldn't hold yourself to that timeframe if it's your first time. As for the pointing hand detail, I made a video on that, too: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SSRl6zNXgzA.html
I will echo other people's comments here and say that this is such a great tutorial! Thank you for sharing. One question though. In the missing footage you say "filled in the epitaph with paint left over from the spray bottle." Does that mean you used the thinned paint in the tombstone text or that you use the full concentration paint in the text? I suspect that you laid the tombstone horizontal and then lightly filled in the text with the thinned paint and let it dry to get that effect of highlighting the text.
Omg. My husband manages a local haunted barn and he wants me to start making tombstones like this. I absolutely love your tutorial! Everything is clear and precise with all the items you need right in the video or in the info. Thank you so much.
Beautiful stone and color. Spraying the letters with spray paint....what a great idea. BTW ...why water before the blowtorch? For safety or to add the bubbly texture?
Good question! The way that the torch aging works is that the water prevents the foam from melting. So anywhere that there isn't water gets melted/textured. The water droplets help give it that aged tombstone look.
@@matrixmom3300 It does, but not as well. The torch is more direct heat and will melt the foam much more quickly and evenly. With a heat gun the foam starts to retain the heat and then eventually melts the foam, so it can be a bit hard to control.
Well it should be mentioned that the store bought ones are made of styrofoam, and maybe less than half the thickness of the one he made in the video. That combined with the weatherproofing drylock seal should give you a pretty robust product with this DIY method
I carved it. There’s a separate video that shows how to do it. Adding Details to Your Halloween Tombstones ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SSRl6zNXgzA.html
Thank you so much for posting your turtorial. I didn't realize how time consuming it'd be to make 17 at once but here I am...lol I didn't find the pink foam so I used the white rigid insulation and so far so good but I like the look of the pink foam...maybe next year I'll have some. I'm just using a heat gun to texturize cause I'm afraid of fire! I'm almost ready to spray the paint on it but I don't know what the paint to water ratio is? I'll play with I on the backside like you suggested for dry brushing & see what works. Thanks again, I'm really having fun with this. I'm trying to think of ways to do this for Christmas deco too 🙂🎄
Torch. Heat guns take longer which allows the foam to absorb the heat rather than have it immediately melt which can cause unexpected and undesirable outcomes.
Excellent, didn't think using heat (torch or heat gun) would produce results like that. I've been letting the spray paint do the work for a long time and results are far from predictable. What type router are you using? I've also only ever done carving by hand with a stencil knife!
Yeah, the water/torch method is great. Fairly predictable, or at least as predictable as you can expect for a material that's supposed to absorb heat/cold. I have a few different models of Dremel tool that I've purchased over the years. There isn't one that's noticeably better than another model, in my opinion. Although I'm tempted to get a cordless one.
@@VanOaksPropswill have to make a run to home depot and grab one. Moving into a new home in Sept, early oct, seems like a good time to refresh the graveyard a bit!
@vanoaksprops - I have a plastic Billy Butcherson tombsone from Spirit of Halloween. The lettering is very difficult to read so I thought I would fill in the letters with paint. Do you have any recommendations for paints that can be used on plastic tombstones?
I decided I'm finally going to make these! What font did you use? What dimensions do you stick around for a stone this shape? I have watched all of your videos they're fantastic!
Thanks for the compliment! I don't recall which font I used for this tombstone, but there's no wrong font. I'd say find something that you like and go with it!
Have you ever attempted to make these with EPS instead of XPS foam boards? EPS is more easily available in California and I am wondering how much of a difference it might make in prop making
so nice!!! I REALLY appreciate that regular speed footage of carving those letters - it basically made me say "Okay, I know I want to upgrade the lettering on our stones. I guess I should start now instead of thinking about it in October!"
I carved it from the same kind of foam, but used a thinner piece. Here's a video on how I did it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SSRl6zNXgzA.html
@@VanOaksProps merci pour votre reponse. vous avez un lien Amazon? J ai commandé la machine mais je n'ai pas pris de vinyle car j ai vu qu'on peut utiliser du simple papier.
Love your tutorials, but how much water ratio do you mix the paint with? If it’s to watered down doesn’t that affect the bonding agent in the paint? Very new to this diy stuff
For the craft paint, it's more of a runny consistency that you're looking for rather than a ratio. That said, you can start at 1 part paint to 5 parts water and adjust from there until runs freely. If it seems too heavy, keep another spray bottle with just water nearby to help thin it out before it dries. I've never had any issues with bonding.
Amazing video! I just dryloc painted my project but I was so caught up, I forgot to do the water/heatgun!!!! Seriously kicking myself. It is a big project, too. I'm wondering what might happen if I try to do the water/heatgun even though the base coat has been applied? Has anyone tried this? Will it cause crazy fumes?
I’m am going to try to create these rather than our current gravestones for next year. Couple of questions, I like the addition of the finger, did you make that? Don’t think I’d be able to! Also can I ask your method for keeping them up?
You should! This process is pretty forgiving. I did make the finger and have a video on the process that you should check out. It's easier than you'd think. As for keeping them up I use rebar. I have a video on that as well.
just a tip for how i transfered the letters on without a stencil. just print it out on a piece of paper and use a pin to poke holes around the letters to transfer them onto the foam
