# tombstone mounting



## krough (Oct 7, 2004)

what is the best way to keep tombstones upright on the lawn? I will be starting my tombstone production tomorrow


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## shaunathan (Sep 18, 2005)

I'm going to try something I read about the on the Halloween-L mailing list. I'm going to lowes and buying the hollow metal tubing that has green plastic coat on it. (dunno the official name but most people use'em to prop rose bushes, tomatos, small tree saplings, ect...) you can get an 8 foot one for 1.75.

Since it's just hollow metal and plastic I'll be taking a hacksaw to them to get nice lengths.

now, on my tombstones, I've attached eye loops (the kind that normally screw in to wood.) I've also bought a package of zip ties.

so you pound the rods into the ground, and zip tie your tombstone to them.

I'll be painting my rods grey with some 95 cent spray paint. that way they won't stick out because at my yard it's possible to walk behind the cemetary.

I've been told this set up will withstand Santa Anna Winds (local fall onshore flow here in southern californa, very gusty).


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## Coonce-Ewing (Sep 30, 2005)

Will the screw eyes stay in the foam of the tombstones? I'm finding that the 2" thick foam is no match for the lovely October winds of New England. I've had 3 stones now snap right through the foam leaving my tombstone on the ground and my pvc covered rebar sticking up out of the lawn.

As such my celtic cross, Vincent Price and Buffy Summers tombstones are all missing from the graveyard now.


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## sgtdrpepper (Aug 26, 2005)

I used PVC this year but only put around 12" of pvc in the tombstones. I am really getting scared beacuse winter is finally hitting the south and has brought some strong winds. I think next year I may try to build a few stones with front and back and sides pices 1" foam and glue in the PVC the full length or at least 3/4 of the length.


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## Zombie-F (Apr 12, 2004)

The method I use is to drill a hole up and into the bottom and use wood glue to hold a wooden dowel in the hole. The dowel should have a point at both ends, one to stick into the tombstone's insides with and one to stick into the ground like a stake. This way, you have internal re-inforcement of the stone and a nice wooden spike sticking out the bottom to drive the tombstone into the ground with.

The key to getting it into the ground without breaking the stone is to make a separate dowel with a point on it to make a sort of "pilot hole" for the tombstone with. Just hammer the stake into the ground, remove, and put the tombstone down on the hole left by the sacraficial stake.


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## pyxl (Oct 17, 2005)

That sounds like a good way to go, Zombie-F. I think I'm going to give that one a try myself..the sacrificial stake is the key. You are the keymaster.


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## coffin_creature (Oct 5, 2005)

The method i use is to use some PL300 and glue an OSB bottom to my tombstones that stick out about an inch at the back. Then i drill 2 holes in the wood and use some of those 1 foot nails/spikes. No damage to the stones and they don't go anywhere.
Happy haunting coffin_creature


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## shaunathan (Sep 18, 2005)

For those who don't live in southern California Santa Ana Winds can reach 60mph. A little construction adhesive and they stay just fine.


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

I ripped a 2x4 down to aprox 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 about ten inches long then drilled a hole side to side and then mounted them mid-way up the back of the stone with liquid nail for foamboard. Put what ever your going to use for a stake (wood, plastic, metal ) in the ground first then tie the stone to the stake with a plastic tie. And if it is really windy where your at the next plan calls for a bag of ready mix and a form in the shape of the tombstone of your choice.


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## Eyes_in_the_dark (Jun 15, 2006)

*Securing tombstones?*

How do you guys/gals secure your tombstones? I only have a couple of the cheep foam ones I've bought last year and I have always just placed a brick in the back onto the plastic stakes that comes with the stones. Of course the slightest wind will blow my stones down and I have to set them back up almost every day. I've seen some of the stones y'all make and I've see that a lot of you have the same kinda stones I have&#8230;so how do you secure your tombstones?


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## gypsichic (Jun 6, 2006)

last few years its been pvc glued on back - 2 pieces - then slipped over rebar i pounded into the ground

this year i'm making thicker stones so the stakes will be poked into the stones themselves and put into the ground


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## ScareFX (Aug 18, 2004)

Here's what I do. I glue my stones to a piece of wood slightly wider than the stone itself. I paint the wood flat black and drill a hole on each side. Then I drive 10" spikes (which are used to secure landscape timbers) through the holes into the ground. I then cover the exposed wood with some leaves or dirt.

One benefit of this method is the stones will easily stand on their own on a hard surface. So you can set up a graveyard display in an interior space if you wanted or needed to.


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## Zombie-F (Apr 12, 2004)

Since a topic for this already exists, I shall merge the new thread with the old. Please read up the thread for some great (and varying) answers.

Also, feel free to reply with your own two cents.


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## krough (Oct 7, 2004)

So what I ended up doing that was a dismal failure last year was taking 1/2 inch PVC couplings and drilling a 3/8 in hole in the side, I then blobbed some hot glue in there and on the surface of the fitting, and put it vertically on the back of the stone, I did 2 of these top and bottom in line with each other per stone. I then ran a piece of rebar into the lawn and slid the stone over the rebar. I really did not want to drill into the bottom of my stones.

This worked well in 95% of the cases. On the larger stones, I had the problem of the top one always breaking off because it would bang around in the wind. 
Also during high wind the stones would actually spin, this could or could not be a cool effect depending on your needs.

I think im going with ScareFX's Idea this year. Man that guy is like the idea king.

Also I use a lot of those 4 inch wire landscape fabric staples to keep my groundbreakers upright on the ground, bet those would work for stones too using scare's technique. I drill holes in each corner and then run the staple thru the hole and into the ground.


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## widowsbluff (May 24, 2006)

I drill holes in the bottom of the tombstones, then insert pvc pipe, seal with gorrilla glue. We then slip the tombstones over rebar. Every year we get a wicked storm sometime in October and the tombstones survive intact and in place.


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## Dreadnight (Jul 9, 2006)

Krough, since you haven't started your tombstones yet, I highly recommend you take advantage of that and build your rebar "mounting slots" into the stones. Whether you use the pink insulfoam or white extruded stuff like I do (the pink/blue is almost impossible to find in Socal), make your stones in a sandwich. In other words, by spray gluing two sheets together to get the total thickness. Then, before you glue, dig two ruts in one of the layers, to allow a length of PVC to lay flat in it. Make it plenty long, then lay the PVC in there and glue with liquid nails for "foam and projects". Now glue the halves togehther and finish making your stone.
When you slide these PVC slots down over a piece of rebar planted firmly in the ground, your stone AINT GOING ANYWHERE! I live in Socal and my graveyard survived many an autumn Santa Ana. Works good, lasts a long time.


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## krough (Oct 7, 2004)

1 pvc length per stone ? or 2?
As you can tell I abhor making stones and mounting them in the graveyard.

Its my least favorite Halloween task.

But someday


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## spokanejoe (Sep 16, 2006)

I have a couple of pipe clamps screwed and glued to the back of my stones . I pound a piece of rebar into the lawn and slide the stone over it. Works well


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## Dreadnight (Jul 9, 2006)

Sorry, two lengths of PVC, otherwise your stone would "spin" in the wind as one other haunter noted! Put each one about three inches or more in from the side of the stone. This is somewhat more work, but your stones will look real both front and back..... and they'll stay put.


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## Wildomar (Aug 30, 2006)

Just for comparison purposes: On mine, I just put a hole in the bottom of the TS that is slightly smaller than the diamter of a wooden dowl. I then shove the wooden dowl into the lawn and then push the TS down on top. They really havent gone through any severe windstorms but it has worked flawlessly the entire time... No breakage, no blowing around and fairly sturdy. Sometimes simpler is better. Just my $0.02.


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## kevin242 (Sep 30, 2005)

I use 1/4" steel rods about 12" long pushed into the ground and into corresponding holes on the tombstone. They stay put even in strong winds and they are hidden even from the back. My local metal shop cut them up and gave them to us.


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## Crazy2ScareU (Aug 12, 2006)

On all of my tombstones I used 1/2 plywood behind them,traced outline on plywood,glued them to it and painted the plywood same color as tombstone,hard to tell it has a backing,then use foundation stakes,the metal ones with holes in them for screwing through,so solid the fastest winds cannot move them.


Paco


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## Smelly-Skelly (Sep 29, 2006)

Crazy2ScareU said:


> On all of my tombstones I used 1/2 plywood behind them,traced outline on plywood,glued them to it and painted the plywood same color as tombstone,hard to tell it has a backing,then use foundation stakes,the metal ones with holes in them for screwing through,so solid the fastest winds cannot move them.


This is my method as well as I make rather large detailed TS. The last one I built was a 6 feet tall celtic cross. I have a pic but since I am a newbie I don't think I can post it yet. The plywood glued to the bottom and stakes in the ground seems to work best for me for the larger ones.

If they are smalles a simple stake, dowel, rebar etc slipped inside works fine as well.


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