# 1 More Tombstone Done, 24 to go!



## Lagrousome (Apr 12, 2007)

Here is the finished headstone for our cemetery. Our friend's last name is Huston, so the obvious........They love it! I'm working on some more for other friends that want to see their name in lights (well, those spooky blue lights with fog billowing around)
I have 24 stones cut out, now to just find the time to carve them.....
There's approximately 999 hours until Halloween! Better get the dremmel out!


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## dave the dead (Jan 31, 2007)

and yet again....the detailed stuff....ughhh.....I have to learn to be patient and make some stones with cool lettering! 
Nice.

(and BTW...this is for that pile of scrounged foam that you taunt us with....:finger: )


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## Lagrousome (Apr 12, 2007)

Lol!


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## Moon Dog (Oct 3, 2006)

Did you carve those leaves on either side of the H by hand???


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## Lagrousome (Apr 12, 2007)

MD~ used clip art printed out and then traced over with an x-acto knife, then dremmeled out.


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## Moon Dog (Oct 3, 2006)

Very nice work... very steady hand it looks like!


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## Lagrousome (Apr 12, 2007)

Oooohh, don't look too close then MD! LOL


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## Moon Dog (Oct 3, 2006)

Don't worry... I'll never tell!


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## Richie (Jan 4, 2007)

Another member I'd be happy just to purchase the rejects from.


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## Ghostess (Aug 21, 2005)

Love the tombstone... lol... nice pun!


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## buckaneerbabe (Jun 5, 2007)

That looks great! Love the font you used too.


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## spideranne (Jul 17, 2006)

Excellent job!


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## Hawks Hill Haunter (Apr 1, 2007)

Lagrousome - what do you to paint them with? and do you run into problems with the paint eating or melting the foam? How did you get the "fading" down look - did you sandpaper that off?


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## Lagrousome (Apr 12, 2007)

A gray ext. latex I mixed using my ext. latex black and ext. latex white. Letters are the black and then the white ext. latex I just dipped the brush, brushed most of it off on cardboard, then swiped it on the stone. I sealed it with Spar Urethane (kinda testing to see how it will hold up) From what I have learned, as just don't use the spray cans on the foam and you should be ok.


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## abrcrombe (Sep 18, 2007)

Awesome work, can you come to my haunt and do some??


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## Lagrousome (Apr 12, 2007)

Lol!


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## Bauton (Apr 5, 2007)

That stack of pink foam isn't holding up your garage is it?


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## Hawks Hill Haunter (Apr 1, 2007)

Thanks for the info, Lagrousome!

Nicely done!!!!


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Bauton said:


> That stack of pink foam isn't holding up your garage is it?


LOL I was thinking the same thang!


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## tcarter (Aug 18, 2006)

dave the dead said:


> and yet again....the detailed stuff....ughhh.....I have to learn to be patient and make some stones with cool lettering!
> Nice.
> 
> (and BTW...this is for that pile of scrounged foam that you taunt us with....:finger: )


DOn't worry about detail. Go for VERY weathered, something like this,









that way you can get way without carving letters, and have a cool looking stone. by the way, I think that photo is kind of wierd, with the kid, I just like the tombstones.


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## Lagrousome (Apr 12, 2007)

I agree TCarter....the little one looks "real happy" to be there.....


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## Lagrousome (Apr 12, 2007)

Sickie Ickie said:


> LOL I was thinking the same thang!


HaHa...I guess it does look like that....
Gotta do something with all this foam I have!!!! hehehehe


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## JohnnyL (Aug 17, 2006)

VERY cool! Great job so far.


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

Nice stone Grou..
any more done since?


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## Lagrousome (Apr 12, 2007)

No...
spent the last couple days out of town for CE class, and have been trying to finish up sealing my other outside stuff while the weather has been nice. I am so hoping to get in the garage this week and "pump them babies out".


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## Hawks Hill Haunter (Apr 1, 2007)

Lagrousome - what do you seal your tombstones with? and does that weather-proof them well?

one more Q - do you use the dremel to carve out the stone itself or something else for cutting the shape?


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## AzKittie74 (Aug 10, 2007)

Great JOB!! looks real. ;O)


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## turtle2778 (Jul 9, 2006)

Hey Grou ...did you ever figure out how to make ur lettering smooth and if so how? Last i saw was your Lagrousome sign which i loved, but it wasnt smooth and this one looks as though it is. I wanted to have smooth lettering for my MM entry. T HANKS


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## Lagrousome (Apr 12, 2007)

Howdy Turtle~
I ended up getting that attachment for my dremmel and makes all the difference in the world.
I picked mine up at Lowes, but here is what it is.
http://www.tylertool.com/drem565mulcu.html


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## Lagrousome (Apr 12, 2007)

hawkshillhaunter said:


> Lagrousome - what do you seal your tombstones with? and does that weather-proof them well?
> 
> one more Q - do you use the dremel to carve out the stone itself or something else for cutting the shape?


Sorry for not answering this sooner.
I have used spar urethane on them so far. I only sealed (2) so far and I'm gonna test them tonight against my blue spot lights. I want to make sure they aren't too shiny. But I have been using the spar on my antiques and decorations outside and it seals really good.


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## tcarter (Aug 18, 2006)

I don't really see any need to seal them at all. That pink stuff is just extruded plastic. It's already waterproof. The coat of paint you use to turn it gray is all that's needed.


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## Front Yard Fright (Dec 23, 2005)

That's awesome!
I love the saying!
.


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## Shakes (Sep 6, 2007)

I was just hashing out some simple math. Your first post was on the 19th - 1 done - today you posted you have two done. That is one week per tombstone...carry the 3 ... add two .... 23 more tombstones ..... I have you getting done sometime around mid March  . Plus it looks like that first one is crooked  

I've bought all of mine over the years and I was just looking at them last night and 10 out of the 14 say R.I.P. Not as cool as yours!


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## Lagrousome (Apr 12, 2007)

What Shakes.....can't I have them displayed when the Easter Bunny Arrives????


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## BigDave (Sep 24, 2007)

*How to Mount Them?*

I live in Dallas and anything I put out has to be able to stand up to 20-30 mph winds as this is a regular occurance around here. I have yet to find a good way to keep the foam headstones from blowing over.

How do you mount yours in your yard?

BTW - they look great


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## CerysCrow (Jan 22, 2007)

Very nice!


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## widowsbluff (May 24, 2006)

Looks great, good luck getting them done


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## Lagrousome (Apr 12, 2007)

BigDave said:


> I live in Dallas and anything I put out has to be able to stand up to 20-30 mph winds as this is a regular occurance around here. I have yet to find a good way to keep the foam headstones from blowing over.
> 
> How do you mount yours in your yard?
> 
> BTW - they look great


Whew....20-30mph....yikes!
This year we are going to try something a little different. I think we are going to try to attach a 1/2 round metal "thingy" on the back. (we used one on our deck and then slid the pole from an umbrells through it to keep it upright) Then put the pipes in the ground and just slide them over. I don't have a pic yet & I can't find a link, but I will try to post it very soon.


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## Shakes (Sep 6, 2007)

Lagrousome, do you guys offer any sort of service where you come over and install tombstones so they don't blow away?  I live close.

I've tried many different ways - none have worked.

I think I understand what your doing - but will wait for pics! 
:zombie:


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

yepper. but it's a $1,000 per tombstone!


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## Shakes (Sep 6, 2007)

That's highway robbery! I bet I could get real tombstones installed cheaper!
:zombie:


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## spideranne (Jul 17, 2006)

> I live in Dallas and anything I put out has to be able to stand up to 20-30 mph winds as this is a regular occurrence around here. I have yet to find a good way to keep the foam headstones from blowing over.


Big Dave, I'm in Dallas too and understand about the wind. About the only thing I've found that works most of the time is hot gluing two lengths of pvc to the back and then pounding rebar into the lawn and sliding the tombstones over the rebar. I paint over the pvc to match the tombstone.


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## Nancj (Sep 7, 2007)

BigDave said:


> I live in Dallas and anything I put out has to be able to stand up to 20-30 mph winds as this is a regular occurance around here. I have yet to find a good way to keep the foam headstones from blowing over.
> 
> How do you mount yours in your yard?
> 
> BTW - they look great


I live in the Windy City of Chicago and what I do to attach my tombstones is I use a 1x2 piece of wood pound it into the ground place the tombstones in front screw it in from the back and that should hold in place pretty good. just make sure the screw doesn't go through the tombstone front.


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## frstvamp1r (Nov 5, 2006)

Where I live (So. Cali.) I don't have to worry much about 20-30 MPH winds in Oct., but I still went the "I don't want them falling over" idea...someone I know works with wood, and he made latest tombstones out of scrap wood doors he had in the back...so now I have about 12-14 like 4" thick wooden tombstones that weigh about 10-15lbs each one...PLUS I get a nice workout moving them from my storage shed to the front yard or to my work bench then back again...yay me for getting Popeye Arms now.


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