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P5300288.jpg (67041 bytes)    Step One

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 Step 2-a

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  Step 2-b

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 Step 3

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 Step 4-a
Pick and clean your stone. We masked off the part we will cut away.  This is so the stone will stand. Using a wet saw with a fine diamond blade, cut the bottom along the tape line as straight as possible The stone should stand freely. You can also use the cut off as a paper weight, so don't toss it. Cut, weed, and mask your 3 mil vinyl stencil. Leave tiny detail un-weeded. Position your vinyl stencil on the stone.

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 Step 4-b

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 Step 4-c

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 Step 4-d

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 Step 4-e

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 Step 5
Since the stone is curved,  first burnish areas that will be blasted. After burnishing all areas, remove the transfer tape. Don't worry about heavy wrinkles in areas not to be blasted Use a heat gun and rivet brush to further burnish vinyl into the pores of the stone. At this point you should finish weeding the tiny details. Use masking tape to mask off any area around your stencil so that it will not be blasted.

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 Step 6-a

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 Step 6-b

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 Step 6-c

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 Step 6-c

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 Step 6-c
Picture here shows the pressure pot and the convenient foot pedal. Pressure pot contains Silicon Carbide blast 120 grit. This small blast booth is just right for the size stone we will be carving. It comes with Plexiglas door and rubber gloves attached. OK, I will share my secret with you on how to blast porous stones. From about 12 to 16 inches away you blast the vinyl to burnish into the pores  Once that is done you are ready to blast the stone. Use 35 to 40 lb pressure with a 3/16" nozzle, moving from left to right at an even pace, at 90 degrees to the surface. When complete you will see depth and detail. Now remove it from the booth and clean with compressed air lightly.

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 Step 7-a

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 Step 7-b

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 Step7-b

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 Step 7-b

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 Step 8-a
Now for this stone, we are using 2 colors of paint. The text will be black so we tape off the graphics. It is best to give the stone 2 light coats so it will not try to bleed under the vinyl. Here the black paint has dried and tape removed from the graphic. Now tape off the text so that the graphic can be painted. The final color completed. Allow to dry before removing vinyl stencil.  Now you can remove the stencil making  sure that any paint from the vinyl does not smear onto the stone.

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 Step 8-b

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 Step 9

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 Step 10
Using an xacto knife remove any small pieces of vinyl from the stone. At this point you may want to spray a clear acrylic coat to protect the stone mostly from hand oils, that  can discolor your stone.

Have fun getting

 "stoned"

 

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