Veteran's marker

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Gadget
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Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2009 9:02 pm
Location: Michigan

Veteran's marker

Post by Gadget »

I cast this today. The veteran's marker for Dad's grave was broken and unusable. I used the round part as a pattern and cut the pattern for the name plate with the CNC table. I'll drill a hole in the top for a flag and a threaded hole in the bottom for a ground stake. That should hold up better than the old one.
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chucketn
Posts: 159
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 8:15 am
Location: Jonesborough,TN

Re: Veteran's marker

Post by chucketn »

Good on ya, Gadget! As a veteran, and son of a veteran, I thank you.

Chuck
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Harold_V
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Re: Veteran's marker

Post by Harold_V »

Well done, and for a noble cause. I salute you!

Harold
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
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steamin10
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Re: Veteran's marker

Post by steamin10 »

Having just been involved with Veteran flags for Memorial day, I have seen all the problems and nuances of markers.

Nice looking job. Good on ya.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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Pipescs
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Location: Lester Alabama

Re: Veteran's marker

Post by Pipescs »

Nicely done,

Steamin10 you mention the Memorail Day Flags. I worked a few years ago with the Boy Scouts to help document veterans in our local Alabama grave yards.

It was interesting that the cemetary next to our yard has nine veteran graves of which eight are Confederate soldiers. Most served in the Ninth Calvary. What I found interesting was that the VA sent one American and eight Confederacy flags for the Boy Scouts to put out on the graves.
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
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Harold_V
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Re: Veteran's marker

Post by Harold_V »

Pipescs wrote:It was interesting that the cemetary next to our yard has nine veteran graves of which eight are Confederate soldiers. Most served in the Ninth Calvary. What I found interesting was that the VA sent one American and eight Confederacy flags for the Boy Scouts to put out on the graves.
What a nice way to show respect for our fellow countrymen. When it's all rendered down, we're still brothers.

Harold
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
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steamin10
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Re: Veteran's marker

Post by steamin10 »

That is notable with the diferent flags, and so sad.

The large graveyard I was involved in dates from the late 40's, so remains are natural burials of wwI and forward. However, every year there are discovered wrong positions and new names on the veterans list from the park office, that are turned in to update the archived records. The Legion post in Griffith has been doing this memorial yard for decades, and I walked the markers with septegenarians, and one of 81, that served, and feel obligated to care for those that will not be forgotten in their time.

It is sad to see the bronze flower cups, missing, and a few marker plaques damaged or removed by souless salvagers. This particular park allows only flat markers in their 'Gardens' so the undulating meadow-like land is visually unbroken by cold stone, or statements of wealth or power. Only the park shrines, that may denote a diferent area.

It works out that they had some 6,000 flags out, put up by volenteers, and among the markers are momentos, like golf club flag standards, toy trucks and favored polished rocks by the youngest of the trekkers. It is moving attachments to the present living in our communities.

I am proud to have been invited to such a gathering that is more than picking up sticks with a bit of cloth on it. The same with the tomb of the Unkown soldiers in DC. I have seen the show of the changing of the guard, on 3 visits now. I have witnessed the carriage on the path for interment rituals, and have gotten the sense of the power these things have for people. It is Humbling to understand the true sense of Honor displayed.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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Pipescs
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Location: Lester Alabama

Re: Veteran's marker

Post by Pipescs »

It is sad to see the bronze flower cups, missing, and a few marker plaques damaged or removed by souless salvagers
I had not thought of this before, but with the high amount of copper/brass theft going on here in Alabama it is probably smart that the marker was cast in Aluminum.
I used the round part as a pattern and cut the pattern for the name plate with the CNC table.
When working on a pattern needing letters (Not having a CNC) is there a place you can order larger letters or numbers from for pattern making?
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
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steamin10
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Re: Veteran's marker

Post by steamin10 »

I have a stock of restaurant and theater sign letters that have small tabs that push into plush lined boards and plastic channels. Another type I picked up was for a custom desk display that had all aluminum letters. These items I use by sanding off the tabs and simply rubber cement them to the sign board (mold pattern). I sometimes use an aluminum sheet that has a leathery texture to it, and porvides a busy background for a nice visual effect. Once cast, a coupla passes with a belt sander strikes off all the raised portions for a nice finshed effect.

Any way these items can be found at a good stationary store, the plastic letters are about $5 in a sheet, like model cars would have parts on. They are available in diferent sizes from about 1/2 inch on up to 2+ inches. I have a variety of smalls.

Tho I have not done this, I am told the vinyl sticky letters can be stacked 3-4 layers deep for some vertical dimension and they work. I have some questions about tearout on molding, but just passing along the claim.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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Pipescs
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Location: Lester Alabama

Re: Veteran's marker

Post by Pipescs »

Tho I have not done this, I am told the vinyl sticky letters can be stacked 3-4 layers deep for some vertical dimension and they work. I have some questions about tearout on molding, but just passing along the claim.
While visiting Fender on weekend I watched him make a pattern for the Locomotive name plate he needed. I remember these letters being about 3/4 to one inch high. He stacked up five and then painted the whole thing white. Not more than a couple of hours in the project. Came out very nice in aluminum.
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Well enough pirating of this great thread. I am taking it as inspiration to do some name plates for friends mail boxes and believe I will use aluminum also
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
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Pipescs
Posts: 2194
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:16 pm
Location: Lester Alabama

Re: Veteran's marker

Post by Pipescs »

Oddity of Oddities

I was approached by a fellow co-worker today who knows I am a sucker for weird projects and knows I do castings

He purchased a 75.00, plastic grave marker for his dads tombstone and asked me if it would be possible to make a metal one using it as a pattern. If not he was going to put it as is on the stone.

Having just purchased a 105 pounds of Petrobond I am using it as a test to see how much detail it will catch.

Hope to run off two of them this weekend

Grantham has given me a few mica strainers to try out also on this run as I will be using junk metal from other sessions.

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Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
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