Thread: &^@$!*&@ Tombstones! HELP!!

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Ok-so I have quite a few styrofoam tombstones with those plastic stands. In my husbands attempt to stick them in the ground so he could get back to watching football, he broke every single one while putting them in the ground. I told him he could not press them in from the top, he had to stake them in from the bottom. That fell on deaf ears, and now I have no way to put them in the ground and Im stuck with what to do with them. Anyway to get them in the ground, even just for Halloween night? Im so frustrated I just want to pull them all in and forget the whole thing. (they are currently blowing around our front yard because of the high winds.) Sorry for the vent! Thanks for any help!

One usual method is to drill a long hole in the bottom of the tombstone. Drive a longer metal rod, rebar, even a bamboo tomato stake or something into the ground and place the tombstone onto it.

Tombstones are terrific wind catchers and if they aren't anchored really well they'll fly down the street.

I sharpened the end of a piece of half inch copper pipe and used it to hand drill the holes in mine and it worked fine.

Don

You know those annoying political signs that are stuck everywhere this time of year? They are posted on a heavy wire frame, that when cut in half and shortened just a bit, form a nice wire steel "H"(you'll get 2 per sign!) that headstones mount onto perfectly! Now if you could somehow 'find' a few of these, you'd be in business.

I hot melt glue 1/2" PVC pipes about a foot long each (two per tombstone) one on each side of the back. I drive two 3/8" x 2 foot rebar into the ground and slide the tombstone PVC pipes over the rebar. The rebar is easy to remove but hold the tombstones steady.

Rebar = about $.99 each at lowes

Pvc = about $2.50 per 10 foot section

Tombstones not blowing away = Priceless


In a pinch you could also use a brick and some duct tape around the bottoms.

Originally Posted by bradg896

You know those annoying political signs that are stuck everywhere this time of year? They are posted on a heavy wire frame, that when cut in half and shortened just a bit, form a nice wire steel "H"(you'll get 2 per sign!) that headstones mount onto perfectly! Now if you could somehow 'find' a few of these, you'd be in business.

I actually have a ton of these (husband owns his own business with yard signs for advertising.) We tried doing this but didnt have anything to cut them in half with? They are impossible~ we could do the brick/duct tape thing as well. Thanks for all the suggestions...if only we could cut those stupid wire things!

One of those small, cheap hardware store bolt cutters will do the trick! Made a whole pile of stands that way myself.

I use an old par of line man plyers. but i think hubby should just sit in the front yard and hold them i mean he did break them

I use a spade bit with an extension to drill a hole in the bottom of the tombstone(mine also have a 1/4" plywood back. then I push in a 12" piece of 1/2" pvc with latex caulk in the hole. I use 12" rebar in the ground to set it on. Cutting steel can be done witha metal cutting wheel on a grinder, circular saw, or a dremel tool

If its a 1/4" thick or less, you could use a hacksaw or file to cut a notch in the metal. Then bend it back and forth and it should break at the notch.

Bamboo stakes for tying up plants (cut or break them to be about a foot or so long, drill holes in the tombstone, line up the holes you drilled with the stakes and start them into the ground, then TAKE OFF the stone and push the stakes into the ground about halfway, then mount the stone and push it home. (if you try to push it in with the stone on the stakes - you will end up having holes popped into the stones... learned the hard way )

Get cheap wire cutters (I got some at Sears Hardware for $13 that cut through coathanger thick wire) and go to town with the sign wires you already have. Make sure you tell them you need something that cuts through wire like coathangers - I got shown some tin snips that do NOT work on wire.

Glue to scrap pieces of plywood/wood.

Regular stakes painted black and duct tape. I've resorted to this one in really windy conditions. Pound in a stake then tape it to the back of the stone.