I have taken your teachings sir and made headstones for people all over my town. For no charge of course. You have spread love and knowledge and many grateful soul awaits you.
I do this too, i began long before seeing this video and then I make sure to upload them to ancestry's free findagrave graveyard site so maybe they will be there for posterity
I believe you've helped a lot of people by posting this. Some people just cannot afford a stone marker and this is doable. Also many people might want this for a pet. Very good. I like the whole concept. If you search TH-cam I have 2 clips on Replacing Gravestones. Part 1 and 2.
i cannot tell you what a blessing your video is for me. My father, a Korean war vet, passed when I was a little girl and my mom could not afford a grave stone for him. The military supplied one of those flat stones but it has become chipped from the cemetery workers driving over it with the mower and it is extremely difficult to find his grave without an above ground level marker. I cannot afford a grave stone either and am going to make one of these in the wedge style that you showed. Again, thank you !
As a person who works with cemetery restorations and preservation I found this video extremely helpful. Also, I am in search of my maternal Grandfathers grave. I will mostly likely give this a shot to provide him a simple but quality stone. Sir, thank you again for your work.
This is a brilliant idea. You could use those plastic refrigerator magnets for some sharper lettering and maybe make some kind of rail to keep the aligned as you want. Another idea is to use a 3D printer to print the text or images you want for the mould. Again - this video is a very clever idea!
Thank you. We are a busy family, committed financially and I have just found several of our forebears with no gravestones. So a simple memory of their name, dates, age is all that is required. I have had this priced commercially and it is just not possible. Now I can see a solution. Grateful thanks from New Zealand.
Thank you so much fo this video. my son passed, and I cannot afford a headstone for him. It's making me sick knowing he no marker to remember him by that will endure. I built one from wood hoping it would last till i could afford one but that may never happen. THIS is do-able, and i really appreciate you taking the time to help people like me.
Don’t know if you are still with us but will say a big Thank-you from Canada. I’m making my own headstone and have always been a DIY guy. All my son has to do is follow the instructions.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and your caring, generous spirit. You have given me the courage to apply these easy to follow instructions to make some memorial items for my garden. As a bereaved mother, I appreciate so much the ideas to begin this project that means a great deal to me.
Thank you so much. I have been wanting to make headstones for my grandparents. Now I know that using countertop cement will probably work better. I did not think to add color. I will use your technique.
Hi Mr Lawrence thank you so much for your guidance i have now completed a grave stone for my father he has been without a name for 12yrs so i thank you so much for sharing i wish i could upload a picture on this comment..
I think that's great. I have worked in cemetery's for a long time and you have discovered a cost friendly solution to an area of real heart break for many people!
You're too right there. The cost of headstones is awful. The cost of grave sites is also disgusting. The funeral industry as a whole is criminal. In Australia where I live two big American corporations have bought up all the graveyards and funeral homes and have systematically added an extra 0 or two to all costs involved in burying our dead. It was price fixing at its worst and the most immoral cash grab EVER.
A 10 year old video that has the information I was in need of in an easy to understand, appropriately explained, visual step-by-step procedure. Thank you. One question though: Do they *need* sealer? or is that up to our own discretion? (Any one can answer if they know, please.)
Since the last time I visited you I discovered a refrigerator drawer that is square on three sides and angled back in the front. It’s hard plastic and would be easy to work with and you wouldn’t have to tip it to get the angle. Just a thought. 😊
So I love this idea! I have 3 of them I want to make for very special people that have passed. The only thing is that I don't like the font of the lettering. My question to you is, how do you think it would work if I used wood letters instead of the foam ones? Thank you.
These look great! Lost our Beagle recently and I'd like to make a stone for her. Do you think it possible to put a photo between 2 pieces of glass and have it set in the surface somehow? I'm not sure if merely setting it the bottom of the mold would work (concerned with concrete leaching between glass, and also between glass and mold). Nothing to lose by trying though.
Such a good idea, I'm going to try this while restoring the family plot and include my recently deceased Father's ashes. I'll try to make up my own concrete mix using 3 parts 3mm granite, 2 parts sharp sand and 1 part cement with red dye.
wow just came across this. Thank you I love this. I have an great Aunt and my Great great grandparents that never had headstones and this would be awesome to do and I be able to do myself! Since winter is coming I was wondering if I were to let them sit down in our basement think it would be okay? I realize it would take longer to dry it consider an old michigan basement. But going check out your other videos too for other ideas too. Again Thank you for
Great video clip, I have a few questions that your experience with memorial making may help me avoid pit falls on my first time ambitious project. My father passed 16 years ago and no one wants to step up with me to purchase a stone, so I am taking it on myself to build one ( always preferred handmade over store). This is my project, I will pour graveside a base for the cast to rest on out of 4000+ psi Quickrete. The memorial will have a 16" cubed base with sub surface lettering on one side, on top of this will be pyramid that start off at 16"x16" square and rise 40" to a 5" x 5" top that a hand tooled 4" x 4" x 30" treated wooden cross will be affixed. The cubed base and pyramid mold ( one piece) I am making out of 3/4" plywood with an exterior 2" x 4" wooden support frame. The inside of the mold will be sanded and lined with heavy weight plastic sheeting ( drop cloth) spray glued and roller pressed in placed. I have ordered Quickrete counter top mix from home depot. Due to the size of this project, I am going to spray the inside of the mold with cooking spray to help release it from the mold. As I am pouring the concrete from a mechanical mixer I thought about using a battery powered saw zall without a blade pressed against the mold to vibrate the air out of the concerted. For my letters which will be Vertical ( no standing water) I thought about using plastic refrigerator style glued directly to the plastic lined molded. Based on my addition, I believe the memorial will be .25 yards of concrete. If you have suggestions, water proof sealants to use, etc. I would be more than happy to listen to your thoughts. Currently the mold is 85% complete. Thank you
This is wonderful and I really appreciate you taking the time to show your expertise. We have three headstones that are needing put in and I am going to do this!
@@bashkillszombies There is no disrespect here. Actually quite the opposite. The total lack of respect is no headstone at all. Or maybe respect is not involved some cannot afford. Guess you are just plain rich and don't understand lack of money.
Thank you. I searched for this video. I am the youngest of 4 girls. All of my sisters have died. I am 50 so yes they were all young. None of them have grave stones. All of them arein different places. I dont know how but I will get it done. I was wondering. This red one. Did you polish it or anything. I like the shine. Alsowould wooden letters work. I had thougjt to do this with wooden letters until I saw this video
I enjoyed this. I just finished making a concrete headstone cross for my mom using a mold box I made. However I want to make her a footstone and your method seems promising. I am concerned however with the large letters. She wants a Bible verse and the letters would need to be fairly small to get it all in. Do they make foam letters around 1/2 inch tall ? Also, Do you spray pam on the letters ? and, If you don't want a band of tape under the letters , can you cut around each letter , in the mold, to remove all visible tape ? and is pam needed on the container inside surface ?
Lawrence, I was impressed with the results and felt this might be a suitable alternative when replacing 18 and 19th century gravestones for relatives. I had two ideas that might result in a more pleasing appearance for gravestones of ancestors. Using more expensive letters for the mold could result in more depth to the letters. Such letters are available for commercial office directory displays. Their cost would encourage reuse from casting to casting. You might consider replacing the masking tape with a kitchen drawer liner. It would improve the finish around the letters. Have you tried a mold release, for example cooking spray?
Mike I just dropped back to the site and saw your post. I had deeper letters but Vetter Stone Company suggested I make them more shallow because it gets so cold around here and the frozen water "Pops" the letter edges. As for the release idea - I have tried it and it works OK, I used "Pam" . I think the drawer liner sounds like a good idea. Thanks.......
You hit the nail on the head more eloquently than I could. I was pretty shocked at the low quality. I know there's always those guys amongst us who will settle for appearance levels lower than what would be appropriate, and I am sure there are far more atrocious DIY headstones in the world; but in this case it truly is just poor choices and either apathy as to the quality or ignorance as to the poor aesthetic and these are easily fixed. I would propose anyone crafting anything for a graveyard to pretend it is for their mother or father. If it's not good enough for them then it shouldn't be in a graveyard; and even then I would suggest asking aesthetic advice, preferably from a younger person under 100 years of age, and preferably from a female.
If you made a 2'x3'by maybe 5 to 12 inches H.. would you need to pour a base or can you simply put this right on the grass as you have done in the video??
Thank you. I'm in the process of making several markers due to your video. Mine are much smaller that yours and so is the lettering.Due to only being able to put flat markers is it worth filling the lettering with something? Coloured cement or grout. Is painting inside the lettering an option?
thank you for theses 2 videos. Have you ever thought of adding vermiculite or perlite? I ask because I know of a grave in CA. I live in SC. I was thinking of making and shipping and have my son put it in place. My concerns would be the finish and how it would hold up. thank you
I made a grave stone for a friend who committed suicide in my other house the first one I made I put the tape but I did not rilly like it so I recomend not putting any tape on it I also used some cement protector I don't know what it is called and I super glued a picture of the guy on the gravestone and then I put more of the protector so you have the option of putting a picture I made it a year ago and the rain has not affected the picture good luck on your gravestone and God bless you.
nice. i bot some land and discovered it has an old cemetery on it. i want to try to make some of these and put some tombstones down. im trying to get most of names but it is long forgotted. it is not a recorded cemeteryso there is very little info on it. i was gona use wood till i seen this. i will try it. ty for this idea
richard phelps You would do a real service if you added your cemetery to the findagrave data base. It is easy to add names and am sure it is also easy to add cemeteries. Just google findagrave for their link. Good luck and good job!
+richard phelps Anne is right. It's little graveyards like that where relatives get lost forever. Please submit your findings to the site she spoke of, it sounds like it would help a lot of people in the long run. Also it's a noble aim to re-headstone the place, but make sure it's tastefully done. The fonts and stains used in this video are terrible and an insult to the dead in many cases. You want simple, clean, tasteful design. Also contact your local council for permission first, they may subsidise your endeavour or even help you organise a small club to work on its restoration. If they don't, or if they tell you you can't restore it (worst case scenario - I know in America the authorities can hinder more than help from what I've heard) ignore them and do it anyway. Someone has to. And if you don't perhaps no one ever will and all those lives will be lost to oblivion.
My mom left us in july and her favorite color was blue, is it possible to get a sky blue color/mix? i also have a collection of blue (dark) glass bottles that i would like to break up and add to the mixture. The question here is how much glass can i put into, say 40 liters of mix (best ratio)? Also, could a stand up style be molded? Would rebar be required? Thank you for sharing, and thank you in advance for any help.
Usually don't need re-bar the casting is small. The flat upright I made is pictured on the film it says "jammy" on it and was cast in a flat pan mold using Styrofoam for the top curved part. If you want colors they can be bought on Ebay. The color mix is a preference thing -The more the color the deeper the final casting tone, Add slowly because you can't take the color back out. I can't see any reason that glass could not be added the mixture. If you want thorough hardening of the casting let it soak in water after it cures. Ideally it should be two weeks to a month.
That would look so horribly tacky. Please don't do that. Many cemeteries have by laws to protect the dead from design / aesthetically impaired family members turning their grave site into an eyesore. And coloured headstones are an absolute God awful eyesore. That's why you NEVER see them. Please don't subject your mother to that, that's cruel. You want her to be known to everyone at the graveyard as 'the woman with the disgusting headstone?'
I realize this is an old video but seeing the imprint of the tape in the finished product is not attractive. You can eliminate that by not using the tape at all. Put a printed paper layout below the clear tub and then just glue the letters to the tub directly. This may wind up meaning that the tub will be single use, although you can try using acetone to clean off the crazy glue before using it again. Another option is to sand down the entire surface until the area with tape texture is all gone - but this will also sand off any shine that may have been present.
I have never shined up one of these. The idea of it was to mark unmarked graves. As shiny as it appeared in the video is a temporary thing. It gets a dull finish after a while. There are methods of buffing the concrete to make it shine like a countertop but I have never done it.
Hello. Where can I get the Countertop mix? Lowes and Home Depot in my area have no idea about this brand and no idea what I am talking about. Is there any other type of concrete mixes that are comparable? Thank you.
Lowe's and Home Depot should both have it. Lowe's: I looked for type S and couldn't find the exact one. here are a couple of alternatives: Lowe's $5.85 QUIKRETE 80# Mason Mix Type S Item #: 230013 | Model #: 113680 or Home Depot $5.25 80 lb. Type S Mason Mix Model # 113680 Internet # 100318510 Store SKU # 718950 Hope this helps. I would have my form ready to pour and a trowel handy just in case I needed it also if it id an extremely hot day might want to cover it from the sun as to help slow the exceleration of the drying process so it will cure proper. You also could ask the sexton and see if you could get permission to take castings of a finished stone such as the name and dates with plaster paris JUST MAKE SURE you use something like aluminum foil then ease into the creases of the part you want to cast and make double sure you didn't tear the foil in the process and then mix your paris and wait till it hardens then all you have to do is press your mold int the morter before it has time to set and walla. or you could go to a hobby shop and get the little letters and numbers and press them in I wish you Good luck I also have a couple of ones to make.
seeing as concrete is porous, wouldn't some kind of sealant work to make them last a bit longer and sanded with various grits of sandpaper to smooth out certain areas? maybe even painted lettering thanks for the upload and a good video
I now have an additive that makes the casting waterproof through and through. This means that it will not deteriorate from hat/cold/wet shock. It increases the casting life to about 1000 years. But I will never live to see it Yes the casting can be buffed and coated with epoxies . Stone companies make paint in arasol that is perminate. Another tatic is to fill the letters with a different color concrete
@@igounfazedmost likely the channel is abandoned since this was the last upload. Look up concrete sealants or waterproofers to decide which is best for you. There is a difference between sealers and waterproofers
@@igounfazed Here in South Africa is a substance called Drikon. It causes a very great slump which eliminates bubbles immediately, and sets rather quickly. It doubles strength and is also used for waterproofing cement.
I need your help Sir ! I'm making my own pet memorials using a plastic mold and cement. It has an oval indentation where a picture of the animal will go and I need to seal over the picture with something to waterproof it . I have looked for six months and still don't have a clue what yo use . Can you please tell me what I need ? I really would appreciate it so much !
It's not like the dead person is going to roll their eyes and be like "OHHH MY G-D.. CONCRETE! I WORKED 50 YEARS FOR CONCRETE! YOU COULDN'T DO GRANITE! "😂
I have taken your teachings sir and made headstones for people all over my town. For no charge of course. You have spread love and knowledge and many grateful soul awaits you.
I do this too, i began long before seeing this video and then I make sure to upload them to ancestry's free findagrave graveyard site so maybe they will be there for posterity
@@andreapyeatt2673 i got a question, what type of concrete do you use? my local Lowes and Home Depot don't carry countertop concrete.
My hats off to you sir..you have a kind heart to do this for a man with no family and no marker
thank you. my mother passed away 3 yrs ago and family can't afford headstone. so I am hoping I make it right.
Did you make one? How did it turn out?
I believe you've helped a lot of people by posting this. Some people just cannot afford a stone marker and this is doable. Also many people might want this for a pet. Very good. I like the whole concept. If you search TH-cam I have 2 clips on Replacing Gravestones. Part 1 and 2.
i cannot tell you what a blessing your video is for me. My father, a Korean war vet, passed when I was a little girl and my mom could not afford a grave stone for him. The military supplied one of those flat stones but it has become chipped from the cemetery workers driving over it with the mower and it is extremely difficult to find his grave without an above ground level marker. I cannot afford a grave stone either and am going to make one of these in the wedge style that you showed. Again, thank you !
As a person who works with cemetery restorations and preservation I found this video extremely helpful. Also, I am in search of my maternal Grandfathers grave. I will mostly likely give this a shot to provide him a simple but quality stone. Sir, thank you again for your work.
just made my wife's flat stone. Thank you so much for the instructional video sir. The finish item turned out great.
How tall are the foam letters and numbers ?
Turned out very well. When I do small pours like that I use my sander to vibrant the outside of the container, it's helps to remove the air bubbles.
Great tip thank you
This is a brilliant idea. You could use those plastic refrigerator magnets for some sharper lettering and maybe make some kind of rail to keep the aligned as you want. Another idea is to use a 3D printer to print the text or images you want for the mould. Again - this video is a very clever idea!
Thank you so much Lawrence for sharing your ideas. I'm sure you've helped a lot of people. God Bless you!
Thank you. We are a busy family, committed financially and I have just found several of our forebears with no gravestones. So a simple memory of their name, dates, age is all that is required. I have had this priced commercially and it is just not possible. Now I can see a solution. Grateful thanks from New Zealand.
Thank you so much fo this video. my son passed, and I cannot afford a headstone for him. It's making me sick knowing he no marker to remember him by that will endure. I built one from wood hoping it would last till i could afford one but that may never happen. THIS is do-able, and i really appreciate you taking the time to help people like me.
Don’t know if you are still with us but will say a big Thank-you from Canada. I’m making my own headstone and have always been a DIY guy. All my son has to do is follow the instructions.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and your caring, generous spirit. You have given me the courage to apply these easy to follow instructions to make some memorial items for my garden. As a bereaved mother, I appreciate so much the ideas to begin this project that means a great deal to me.
Thank you so much. I have been wanting to make headstones for my grandparents. Now I know that using countertop cement will probably work better. I did not think to add color. I will use your technique.
You Sir, have helped many a struggling family. Thank you from me & mine ❤️
People are only gone when no one remembers them. Everyone deserves to be remembered, thanks for your video.
Hi Mr Lawrence thank you so much for your guidance i have now completed a grave stone for my father he has been without a name for 12yrs so i thank you so much for sharing i wish i could upload a picture on this comment..
I think that's great. I have worked in cemetery's for a long time and you have discovered a cost friendly solution to an area of real heart break for many people!
You're too right there. The cost of headstones is awful. The cost of grave sites is also disgusting. The funeral industry as a whole is criminal. In Australia where I live two big American corporations have bought up all the graveyards and funeral homes and have systematically added an extra 0 or two to all costs involved in burying our dead. It was price fixing at its worst and the most immoral cash grab EVER.
A 10 year old video that has the information I was in need of in an easy to understand, appropriately explained, visual step-by-step procedure. Thank you.
One question though: Do they *need* sealer? or is that up to our own discretion? (Any one can answer if they know, please.)
Thinking of doing this for a living your instructions and the visuals are wonderful thanks
Glad I found your videos Lawrence. I'm sharing them w/ all of my Find A Grave & genealogical society friends.
Thank you Lawrence,, very informative and done with dignity. This will help me a lot about making a gravestone for my pet..
Bless you for this work. And thank you for the excellent solution for a cemetery project I am working on.
Since the last time I visited you I discovered a refrigerator drawer that is square on three sides and angled back in the front. It’s hard plastic and would be easy to work with and you wouldn’t have to tip it to get the angle. Just a thought. 😊
Thank you so much! You are a wonderful teacher and as well a person. I wish I had your patience and overall attitude.
Like amanda, my mom just died. Can't afford to pay for stone right now, so I am going to try this. Thanks for posting. ❤
Great video! Not a fan of the font used but, this solved my problem of having my dad's grave unmarked for 20 years
If I am only going to use the mold once, can I glue the letters directly to the plastic container so I don't have the tape to worry about?
So I love this idea! I have 3 of them I want to make for very special people that have passed. The only thing is that I don't like the font of the lettering. My question to you is, how do you think it would work if I used wood letters instead of the foam ones? Thank you.
These look great! Lost our Beagle recently and I'd like to make a stone for her. Do you think it possible to put a photo between 2 pieces of glass and have it set in the surface somehow? I'm not sure if merely setting it the bottom of the mold would work (concerned with concrete leaching between glass, and also between glass and mold). Nothing to lose by trying though.
Such a good idea, I'm going to try this while restoring the family plot and include my recently deceased Father's ashes. I'll try to make up my own concrete mix using 3 parts 3mm granite, 2 parts sharp sand and 1 part cement with red dye.
You Sir are a craftsman. Thank you for your art.
brilliant idea and a lovely gesture something I would love to do
wow just came across this. Thank you I love this. I have an great Aunt and my Great great grandparents that never had headstones and this would be awesome to do and I be able to do myself! Since winter is coming I was wondering if I were to let them sit down in our basement think it would be okay? I realize it would take longer to dry it consider an old michigan basement. But going check out your other videos too for other ideas too. Again Thank you for
Hi lawrence,
Thanks for taking the time to make/edit this. It will help to remember our little dog. :-)
Have to say I am going to make one for my recently deceased brother in law.... His wife (my sister) cannot afford one and this would be perfect.
Thank you for your help and this video. My family has a potters field and this will help us.
Thank you for making this video! Nice job!
Thank you 💕 so much for your video! It made me weep! God bless you for your talent and helped me out tremendously!
Thank you so much for making this video. I had this idea but took to the internet to find ideas and came across this video.
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing your craft.
Great video clip, I have a few questions that your experience with memorial making may help me avoid pit falls on my first time ambitious project. My father passed 16 years ago and no one wants to step up with me to purchase a stone, so I am taking it on myself to build one ( always preferred handmade over store). This is my project, I will pour graveside a base for the cast to rest on out of 4000+ psi Quickrete. The memorial will have a 16" cubed base with sub surface lettering on one side, on top of this will be pyramid that start off at 16"x16" square and rise 40" to a 5" x 5" top that a hand tooled 4" x 4" x 30" treated wooden cross will be affixed. The cubed base and pyramid mold ( one piece) I am making out of 3/4" plywood with an exterior 2" x 4" wooden support frame. The inside of the mold will be sanded and lined with heavy weight plastic sheeting ( drop cloth) spray glued and roller pressed in placed. I have ordered Quickrete counter top mix from home depot. Due to the size of this project, I am going to spray the inside of the mold with cooking spray to help release it from the mold. As I am pouring the concrete from a mechanical mixer I thought about using a battery powered saw zall without a blade pressed against the mold to vibrate the air out of the concerted. For my letters which will be Vertical ( no standing water) I thought about using plastic refrigerator style glued directly to the plastic lined molded. Based on my addition, I believe the memorial will be .25 yards of concrete. If you have suggestions, water proof sealants to use, etc. I would be more than happy to listen to your thoughts. Currently the mold is 85% complete. Thank you
Thank you for making this video, using the foam letters is a great idea. I will certainly give this ago.
This is wonderful and I really appreciate you taking the time to show your expertise. We have three headstones that are needing put in and I am going to do this!
thank you sir, this is just what i was looking for!
Wonderful, perfectly explained on all levels thankyou sir 🙏
Well made video with helpful info. Thank you.
How did you make the Celtic cross form? This is what we want to make for a monument at church
These are beautiful !! I'm hoping to restore an 1880s cemetery where 2 sets of gr gr gr grandparents are. They have no markers.
Please do it tastefully. Given the era of the site the bucket plaque example shown here would be a terrible choice and disrespectful.
@@bashkillszombies There is no disrespect here. Actually quite the opposite. The total lack of respect is no headstone at all. Or maybe respect is not involved some cannot afford. Guess you are just plain rich and don't understand lack of money.
Thank you sir now I have some great kind mans knoll-age to help a friend in need. God-Bless You Sir.
Thank you. I searched for this video. I am the youngest of 4 girls. All of my sisters have died. I am 50 so yes they were all young. None of them have grave stones. All of them arein different places. I dont know how but I will get it done. I was wondering. This red one. Did you polish it or anything. I like the shine. Alsowould wooden letters work. I had thougjt to do this with wooden letters until I saw this video
Nice job.
Can you confirm - is that concrete (ie with aggregate), or mortar (just sand and cement)?
Lowes and Home Depot in my area don't carry countertop mix,and they never heard of it.Is this also called "type S mortar"?
I enjoyed this. I just finished making a concrete headstone cross for my mom using a mold box I made. However I want to make her a footstone and your method seems promising. I am concerned however with the large letters. She wants a Bible verse and the letters would need to be fairly small to get it all in. Do they make foam letters around 1/2 inch tall ? Also, Do you spray pam on the letters ? and, If you don't want a band of tape under the letters , can you cut around each letter , in the mold, to remove all visible tape ? and is pam needed on the container inside surface ?
Lawrence, I was impressed with the results and felt this might be a suitable alternative when replacing 18 and 19th century gravestones for relatives. I had two ideas that might result in a more pleasing appearance for gravestones of ancestors. Using more expensive letters for the mold could result in more depth to the letters. Such letters are available for commercial office directory displays. Their cost would encourage reuse from casting to casting. You might consider replacing the masking tape with a kitchen drawer liner. It would improve the finish around the letters. Have you tried a mold release, for example cooking spray?
Mike I just dropped back to the site and saw your post. I had deeper letters but Vetter Stone Company suggested I make them more shallow because it gets so cold around here and the frozen water "Pops" the letter edges. As for the release idea - I have tried it and it works OK, I used "Pam" . I think the drawer liner sounds like a good idea. Thanks.......
You hit the nail on the head more eloquently than I could. I was pretty shocked at the low quality. I know there's always those guys amongst us who will settle for appearance levels lower than what would be appropriate, and I am sure there are far more atrocious DIY headstones in the world; but in this case it truly is just poor choices and either apathy as to the quality or ignorance as to the poor aesthetic and these are easily fixed. I would propose anyone crafting anything for a graveyard to pretend it is for their mother or father. If it's not good enough for them then it shouldn't be in a graveyard; and even then I would suggest asking aesthetic advice, preferably from a younger person under 100 years of age, and preferably from a female.
This is brilliant sir, thank you so much!
If you made a 2'x3'by maybe 5 to 12 inches H.. would you need to pour a base or can you simply put this right on the grass as you have done in the video??
Thank you. I'm in the process of making several markers due to your video. Mine are much smaller that yours and so is the lettering.Due to only being able to put flat markers is it worth filling the lettering with something? Coloured cement or grout. Is painting inside the lettering an option?
Thank you for sharing your knowledge
Excellent video. Thank you.
Very kind to do this for people
Thank you so much for sharing this!
Sir,that is very cool.Thank you!
Great instructions thank you .👍
I've always thought about doing this, is there a certain way of removing the mold or does the headstone pop right out?
Having trouble finding foam letters and numbers can I use wood letters and numbers?
thank you for theses 2 videos. Have you ever thought of adding vermiculite or perlite? I ask because I know of a grave in CA. I live in SC. I was thinking of making and shipping and have my son put it in place. My concerns would be the finish and how it would hold up. thank you
Do you have the names of all the products you use?
I cannot afford a tombstones for my husband. It is too expensive. I like to make my own.
I made a grave stone for a friend who committed suicide in my other house the first one I made I put the tape but I did not rilly like it so I recomend not putting any tape on it I also used some cement protector I don't know what it is called and I super glued a picture of the guy on the gravestone and then I put more of the protector so you have the option of putting a picture I made it a year ago and the rain has not affected the picture good luck on your gravestone and God bless you.
Thank you for a great video.
Thanks for sharing. Well done sir!
I love this video thank you so much for sharing this
You are a good man. Thank you.
nice. i bot some land and discovered it has an old cemetery on it. i want to try to make some of these and put some tombstones down. im trying to get most of names but it is long forgotted. it is not a recorded cemeteryso there is very little info on it. i was gona use wood till i seen this. i will try it. ty for this idea
This works great and it seems really long lasting
richard phelps You would do a real service if you added your cemetery to the findagrave data base. It is easy to add names and am sure it is also easy to add cemeteries. Just google findagrave for their link. Good luck and good job!
tyvm anne, the cemetery is not very easily got to, there use to be a road running along it but it long gone, i may do that tho. tyvm
Lots of people do family history research. These little lost cemeteries may just hold the clue where that missing ancestor was buried. :D
+richard phelps Anne is right. It's little graveyards like that where relatives get lost forever. Please submit your findings to the site she spoke of, it sounds like it would help a lot of people in the long run. Also it's a noble aim to re-headstone the place, but make sure it's tastefully done. The fonts and stains used in this video are terrible and an insult to the dead in many cases. You want simple, clean, tasteful design. Also contact your local council for permission first, they may subsidise your endeavour or even help you organise a small club to work on its restoration. If they don't, or if they tell you you can't restore it (worst case scenario - I know in America the authorities can hinder more than help from what I've heard) ignore them and do it anyway. Someone has to. And if you don't perhaps no one ever will and all those lives will be lost to oblivion.
How and what's the best to use to cure/seal my grave marker after I remove it from the mold
Thank you, Very nice work!
Awesome direction
Do you have some videos? Please
Good job buddy 👍👌.
Hi, how about using white cement?
How much concrete do use, and do I mix it with sa nb d
How long approx will countertop concrete sealed last as a grave marker?
Thank you sir
I think I'll make my own
You are a good man
Thank you for this video
My mom left us in july and her favorite color was blue, is it possible to get a sky blue color/mix? i also have a collection of blue (dark) glass bottles that i would like to break up and add to the mixture. The question here is how much glass can i put into, say 40 liters of mix (best ratio)? Also, could a stand up style be molded? Would rebar be required? Thank you for sharing, and thank you in advance for any help.
Usually don't need re-bar the casting is small. The flat upright I made is pictured on the film it says "jammy" on it and was cast in a flat pan mold using Styrofoam for the top curved part. If you want colors they can be bought on Ebay. The color mix is a preference thing -The more the color the deeper the final casting tone, Add slowly because you can't take the color back out. I can't see any reason that glass could not be added the mixture. If you want thorough hardening of the casting let it soak in water after it cures. Ideally it should be two weeks to a month.
That would look so horribly tacky. Please don't do that. Many cemeteries have by laws to protect the dead from design / aesthetically impaired family members turning their grave site into an eyesore. And coloured headstones are an absolute God awful eyesore. That's why you NEVER see them. Please don't subject your mother to that, that's cruel. You want her to be known to everyone at the graveyard as 'the woman with the disgusting headstone?'
You’re a genius
Thank you
I realize this is an old video but seeing the imprint of the tape in the finished product is not attractive. You can eliminate that by not using the tape at all. Put a printed paper layout below the clear tub and then just glue the letters to the tub directly. This may wind up meaning that the tub will be single use, although you can try using acetone to clean off the crazy glue before using it again. Another option is to sand down the entire surface until the area with tape texture is all gone - but this will also sand off any shine that may have been present.
Thank you Sir.
once you take all the the tape and lettering off can you shine it up some how?
I have never shined up one of these. The idea of it was to mark unmarked graves. As shiny as it appeared in the video is a temporary thing. It gets a dull finish after a while. There are methods of buffing the concrete to make it shine like a countertop but I have never done it.
How do you get it glossy ? I've never seen mortar or concrete shine its always dull
It is as smooth as the casting surface Later it will become flat finish
@@lawrencepkortuem3766 Thank you
Hello. Where can I get the Countertop mix? Lowes and Home Depot in my area have no idea about this brand and no idea what I am talking about. Is there any other type of concrete mixes that are comparable? Thank you.
Sorry I'm late to answer but I got it at Manards. Its common with home owners that want to make their own counter-tops Thanks.....
tygrefyfe
IN your case you could try Type S Crete.
thank you!
Lowe's and Home Depot should both have it.
Lowe's: I looked for type S and couldn't find the exact one. here are a couple of alternatives:
Lowe's $5.85
QUIKRETE 80# Mason Mix Type S
Item #: 230013 | Model #: 113680
or
Home Depot $5.25
80 lb. Type S Mason Mix
Model # 113680
Internet # 100318510
Store SKU # 718950
Hope this helps. I would have my form ready to pour and a trowel handy just in case I needed it also if it id an extremely hot day might want to cover it from the sun as to help slow the exceleration of the drying process so it will cure proper.
You also could ask the sexton and see if you could get permission to take castings of a finished stone such as the name and dates with plaster paris JUST MAKE SURE you use something like aluminum foil then ease into the creases of the part you want to cast and make double sure you didn't tear the foil in the process and then mix your paris and wait till it hardens then all you have to do is press your mold int the morter before it has time to set and walla. or you could go to a hobby shop and get the little letters and numbers and press them in
I wish you Good luck I also have a couple of ones to make.
seeing as concrete is porous, wouldn't some kind of sealant work to make them last a bit longer and sanded with various grits of sandpaper to smooth out certain areas? maybe even painted lettering
thanks for the upload and a good video
I now have an additive that makes the casting waterproof through and through. This means that it will not deteriorate from hat/cold/wet shock. It increases the casting life to about 1000 years. But I will never live to see it
Yes the casting can be buffed and coated with epoxies . Stone companies make paint in arasol that is perminate. Another tatic is to fill the letters with a different color concrete
Can you *Please Please Please* update a response with what the additive is? Please?
@@igounfazedmost likely the channel is abandoned since this was the last upload.
Look up concrete sealants or waterproofers to decide which is best for you. There is a difference between sealers and waterproofers
@@michel3265 Thanks.
@@igounfazed Here in South Africa is a substance called Drikon. It causes a very great slump which eliminates bubbles immediately, and sets rather quickly. It doubles strength and is also used for waterproofing cement.
I need your help Sir ! I'm making my own pet memorials using a plastic mold and cement. It has an oval indentation where a picture of the animal will go and I need to seal over the picture with something to waterproof it . I have looked for six months and still don't have a clue what yo use . Can you please tell me what I need ? I really would appreciate it so much !
Epoxy
Do you have an email address to contact you for questions and to send pictures of the markers I make ?
It's not like the dead person is going to roll their eyes and be like "OHHH MY G-D.. CONCRETE! I WORKED 50 YEARS FOR CONCRETE! YOU COULDN'T DO GRANITE! "😂
Thank you!