When your memorial leaves the quarry, it is blank. The lettering and design are engraved into the surface by our skilled craftsmen. In the past, almost all engraving was done using sandblast methods. Today we use a variety of state-of-the-art techniques to enhance the overall look of your memorial.
While sandblast remains the basic method of lettering memorials, new techniques such as techni-carves, hand engravings by skilled artists, and even computer-controlled laser etchings are used to enhance the overall memorial design.
Sandblast
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Using synthetic rubber stencil that is 1/16 of an inch thick, a computer cuts out the areas that will be sandblasted deep into the surface of the granite. Once these lines are s
andblasted, the areas between the cut lines are removed and the exposed polished surface is lightly sandblasted to remove the polish. This creates a contrast against the remaining polished areas to make it easier to see the letters and carvings. To create shaped carves, the engraver uses a very small sandblast nozzle and fine abrasive to sculpt the flat surface, giving it a more lifelike appearance. Sandblast carvings are usually very simple because the deep cut lines can be no narrower than the thickness of the stencil. While we also employ the following carving techniques, we still us the sandblast method for almost all of the names and dates on your memorial.
Techni-Carves
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This engraving technique also employs stencil and abrasive to sandblast the design into the surface of the granite. However, because the stencil is only 5 millimeters thick, a very high degree of detail can be achieved. First, an artist creates a black and white drawing of the design. This drawing is then printed on a sheet of acetate that is used to develop the stencil. The stencil is glued to the granite surface and sandblasted with a very fine abrasive. Finally, a sealer that has been tinted white is applied to seal the open cuts in the polished surface.
Hand Engravings
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Hand engravings or etchings are done by a highly skilled and trained artist. First a full size pencil drawing is made of the design. A copy is sent to you for final approval. Once approved, the artist affixes the pencil drawing to the granite and uses it to mark key points on the drawing. He then removes the drawing and using a diamond tipped engraver, etches the design into the polished surface of the granite. Once the design is complete he seals the etching with a special sealing agent. This sealer can be either tinted white or tinted in various colors to provide a full colored engraving.
Laser Etchings
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To create a laser etching, a photograph or picture is scanned into a computer. The picture is then cropped or otherwise enhanced and converted to a dot matrix patte
rn. This pattern is sent to the laser machine directly from the computer. Using a blinking light of intense heat, the laser moves across the surface of the granite. The light beam superheats a very small spot on the surface, instantly turning the moisture contained in the granite at that point into steam. The steam explodes the surface of the granite leaving a tiny hole. The laser beam then moves over to the next spot and repeats the process. Overall it is very similar to a dot matrix printer. But, because the dots are so small the human eye cannot see them and the overall appearance of the design is very detailed. Finally, a white tinted sealer is rubbed into the opened holes to seal the surface and to make the design visible.
