My Process for Commissioning a Stone
In order to commission a stone for yourself or a loved one, below you will find many of your questions answered as my process is explained.
Thoughts on commissioning a stone
Types of Stone
Upright or Flat Installation?
Upright or Flat Installation?
Slate is the preferred material for most gravestones, but we also can carve Marble, Soapstone, and Limestone especially for indoor projects.
Upright or Flat Installation?
Upright or Flat Installation?
Upright or Flat Installation?
For Gravestones Uprights last longer but flat stone also may be desired and can be used as well.
Top Shapes
Upright or Flat Installation?
Natural Cleft Face or Smooth?
Stone Tops cut to a shape help keep the water moving along and not freezing on top. Many different shapes can be used for the top. Let us help you pick the perfect one for your project.
Natural Cleft Face or Smooth?
Natural Cleft Face or Smooth?
Natural Cleft Face or Smooth?
18th century slates were mostly smoothed but a texture and interest can be added by a naturally cleft face for us to carve the letter into.
Relief Designs, & Flourishes
Natural Cleft Face or Smooth?
Relief Designs, & Flourishes
Ornaments such as Relief Carving and Flourishes on Letters will add much beauty and individuality to the stone.
Hand Drawn Designs
Natural Cleft Face or Smooth?
Relief Designs, & Flourishes
Every Project starts with our design fee that ensures your place in the queue. After that a series of drawings will be sent until after you are fully satisfied with the design on paper.
My process
1st step
Contact me by email or by phone and give me an idea of what you are interested in. Lets see what possibilities there are! I always try to work within every budget. Some clients have exactly what they want, and others need a creative nudge. Either way I am here as your servant. Find a Stone that you like and we can use that as a starting point.
2) Contact the Cemetery and see if they allow hand carved slate headstones
Many have never heard of these before and if you need me to come along side and help I would be happy to speak with the board or representative.
3) Design Fee
I charge a $100 design fee. That assures your place in the queue and will begin the design stage after we have another chance to talk. The fee includes a copy of my book, "A Brief Treatise on Tomb and Grave Stone.." for design ideas from original slate stones. Click on the link here to email me and request the design contract for you to look over and consider. After you sign the contract and mail me your $100 fee the date of arrival will constitute your place in the queue.
4) Design Approved
When the final design is approved I will mail you a to scale drawing of the stone. That way you can make sure sizing , spelling, and anything you may wish to tweak is just the way you like it. Once it is carved, it is in Stone, but on paper, is much easier to change!
5) Stone Quarried
I will order the stone from the quarry about 2 months prior to beginning the carving. Before the stone is quarried I require the cost of the stone (material) to be paid.
6) Stone arrives in the Shop
At this point when I have the stone in shop I require 50% of the final cost of the project, not including the final shipping to you. Once this step is taken then we will begin carving
My Process
7) Carving
Carving could take several weeks or months depending on intricacy. But I only work on one stone at a time so I remain focused on your work exclusively.
8) Carving Completed
When the Carving is complete I will send you photos of the finished job. At this point I will require final payment for the balance of the stone.
9) Shipping
At this point I will get a quote for you for shipping to the cemetery of your choice or monument installer. If it is within range to our office then we may be available to set the stone. Shipping fees are most reasonable and I can usually ship a 500 pound tombstone to New England for less than $400. Liftgate services are also available at delivery site for extra.
10) Setting
I recommend the time tested setting method of setting without concrete. I will email you a .pdf that has setting instructions that I use and recommend. It is a simple low tech process that at many times can be done by the families.
11) Maintenance
Slate Gravestones require zero maintenance. It is fashionable in the modern age to have folks come around with D2 to "restore" gravestones especially white marble, but slate will take decades and centuries of no touch, no maintenance.
Backlog
Each Stone cutter in the US has developed a backlog from my understanding and it changes, so contact me to find out what kind of lead time there is to get to your particular project. Our craft and art is growing, but there still aren't enough of us around to meet the demand.