David Francis is a hands-on mason who has specialised for many years on the memorial side of the stone industry. He was Technical Advisor to the National Association of Memorial Masons, writing manuals and City & Guilds Qualifications. If you have an issue regarding any aspect of memorial masonry, David is happy to help. Send your questions or comments to David at nss@qmj.co.uk

We are drawing to the end of 2015 and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

But for the memorial mason the year is not over yet! This is traditionally a busy time as our valued customers hope their additional inscriptions, maintenance schedules and new memorials will be completed before the celebrations start.

Last minute changes, forgotten instructions and the need to find time to buy the wife a Christmas present all have to be achieved.

Salesmen and travellers turn up hoping for some last minute orders just as we are having our coffee breaks. This can be OK if they come bearing gifts, especially a new calendar for the mess room wall.

The weather is the greatest problem. It will almost certainly be wet and can also be cold and frosty, even snowy. Poor conditions make everyday tasks that have been relatively easy throughout the summer, harder.

We have to check weather forecasts and plan ahead, especially if travelling a d
istance. Simple tasks can take a lot longer when slipping and sliding on wet or frosty surfaces. Some jobs would be better left until the weather improves.

The shorter daylight hours mean a lot of planning in advance so that a minimum time can be spent on each piece of work. Tea breaks have to wait until the light has faded. Extra equipment, such as safe lighting to run from a generator or a tent to work under, may even be necessary if problems arise and time is running out.

Good waterproof clothing, gloves and footwear is essential because people work better and produce better results if they are warm and comfortable.

When handling cold stonework, especially if it is polished, and steel bars, be sure to have good, firm-grip gloves. Cold hands do not work very well.

It has been known for memorial masons – and I include myself in this – to use blow torches to heat and dry stone surfaces to make the stones easier to handle. This is not good practice as the stone can crack when it is very cold. Even if it doesn’t, the polish can lose its lustre and in some materials the rapid expansion of the quartz can result in little chips coming off polished and smooth surfaces. This is, after all, how flame texturing is achieved. Drying stone should be a gentle process.

I Know a lettercutter who left an electric fire in front of a black granite headstone. When he came back after a cup of tea, he was distraught to see a crack had appeared right across the centre of the stone.

Rain is a nuisance because the ground becomes sodden and messy. Boards can be used to lay on the ground round the grave to keep the work area and the grass clean. We used to use shuttering ply but I am told by my rural friends that a good, 6mm plastic agricultural stockboard is a better, easier-to-handle alternative. It is non-slip and can be washed and reused many times.

Having fixed a marble headstone, we leave hoping Christmas visitors do not lean anything metal or highly coloured against it that will stain it.

So eventually the work has all been done. Is the customer who was so concerned it should be completed before Christmas pleased with our efforts? “Well, actually Mr Francis we didn’t have time to go to the grave, we were SOOOO busy over Christmas.”

I wish you all a restful break.