Im fixing this headstone

Who put the blue flowers in the boot?

Bondcrete would probably be what you need shewolf. I'm not sure if you can get it in the states but ask for a glue that would repair concrete tiles or stone.

(step 1 is important as the bulk of the bonding with concrete is a mechanical bond.)

Bondcrete for patching concrete floors and driveways.

Step 1: Damaged areas to be patched should be keyed out to a minimum depth of 6mm.

Step 2: Apply a sealing coat of diluted Bondcrete (Bondcrete 1: Water 4) and allow to dry.

Step 3: Apply a bondcoat of diluted Bondcrete (Bondcrete 4, Water 1) and while wet apply the Patching Mortar.

Step 4. Use a Patching Mortar made up of 1 part Cement, 3 parts Sand mixed to a workable consistency with Bondcrete admixture (Bondcrete 1: Water 10) in place of normal water.

Note: Unless specified the suggested render mix is 21/2 - 3 parts sand, 1 part cement mixed to a workable consistency with diluted Bondcrete Admixture.
http://thaibondall.com/bondcrete_eng.htm

Shewolf,
Do you have any idea what the boot is made of ? It looks to me like cast cement, but do you think it's stone ?

In either case , I would recommend Gorilla Glue. It's a whole lot easier to work with, and will be just as strong.

(This coming from a former stonemason.)

It is concrete Isnt it?

it looks too white for concrete.

Im not sure what it is made of.


I will go today and get really close up pictures of it. Maybe that will help .

I would think, because it is quite literally poured over an old boot, that it might be just home depot mix and pour quick crete...

go ahead and fix it! It will put your heart to rest and the creator of the headstone would be grateful. Crazy glue, gorilla glue, what have you

shewolf
shewolf, you've demonstrated again what we all knew about you. You have a big wonderful heart.

BBB

I dont know.

but they appear to be very old.
The headstone has NO identifying marks at all.

It is in the newer section and I am thinking that it is probally from 50's? 60's? Compared to the ages of those around it.



Thanks BBB.. but .. it isnt really about me completely..

it just really pisses me off that I am trying to hop aboard a preservation "society" who preaches far and wide to anyone who will listen about taking care of this cemetery.

one of THEIR OWN breaks something, and the buck is immediatly passed on to the family members.

Frankly, I think that is a bullshit mentality.

But, I am just as responsible because I KNOW about it.
So, above them, I am willing to correct something that is not a big issue.


but thanks..

What I'm thuinking is that there may just be someone around who cares. Can you wait? Can you put a note in a plastic ziplock inside the boot? If someone does belong to that boot, they might want to have a say.

It's a wonderful idea, fixing the boot. Did the break happen quite recently?

White thinset {ceramic tile glue} might work the best, I've used it to repair a few cast concrete pieces...lions, birdbaths and such..but there are several steps involved much like Dadpad described in his post, priming etc...and heavier pieces I've had to pin them together...drilling holes, then inserting metal pins into each piece. The thinset can be smoothed out over the actual break line, to disguise it, then can be painted black later.

But what might be simpler, if the break is clean...no noticeable missing pieces, and would not requiring any mixing/cleaning {so you wont have to pack water/sponge/buckets} is either the Gorilla glue, as mentioned...or what I use, autobody epoxy....can get it at Auto Zone or related stores. It comes in a dual syringe, when you push the plunger the two parts mix, and it dries clear.

If you go with the glue option, see if you can find some loose pieces, perhaps lying around the cemetery, and test it on them...every so often the "glues" just wont hold, something in the concrete/plaster reacts to kill the bond. And if it does work, you can get a feel on how to stick them together.

Whatever you use, main thing is to clean off any loose particles...one little loose chunk can screw up the whole thing...and tape it in place...duct tape.

Dadpad's advice is excellent. In the USA there's a brand called Sacrete which I suspect is identical to DP's Bondcrete. It's sold in most building supply stores and the salesperson. no doubt, can tell you which version would work best for you -- cement, mortar etc. Prob'ly mortar.

I've used Gorilla Glue with success on several projects and do recommend it highly. But I've never used it on a job this big. Don;t know how well it would hold the weight.

Best of luck on your project, Shewolf! Keep us posted.

you have an excellent point.

The family may well know already, and they might be working on a solution right now . And I could really be throwing their plans out.

I kinda doubt it, but 40-50 years after someone has died is not an unreasonable amount of time for a direct family member to still be alive.
Considering the fact too that there is no name, and no birth/death date on the stone, I can only ASSUME its age to begin with.


So, what I will do is just as you suggested.

Im going to place a note in a bag. Give some detail about what I saw, when it happened, and how. Tell them who I have given this information too.. and.. maybe create a silly email address and leave that there so they can contact me.

If in.... a week? 2 weeks? there is no responce, I can start working on it.

I will take some time and hunt down the glue style that Dadpad suggested, and get some closer pictures of the stone and post them as well. In case someone can identify it faster then I can.

I was supposed to take some more pictures today but I went to see 300 instead.. hehe..

Thanks a ton you guys. I do appreciate it.

Er.... 2 weeks? Ok, ok, just glad you'll make the effort and leave a note.

you think longer?

like.. how long?



I guess I am strange, but I see this place at LEAST once a week. definatly more.
So my time frame may be a bit ... off.... for normal people..

How often do you visit the tombstones of your loved ones?

point taken.


I only have one family member buried "with in reach" essentially..


everyone else is in Michigan and I cant get there regularly.

but my aunt died 2 years ago this July.
I have been to see her plot twice.

Once right after her death, and the other maybe a few weeks ago to see her new headstone. I dont like it.. so I probally wont be going back. Not because of the headstone.. I just went to see it actually and that was it.

Now, if I knew it were broken, IM STRANGE that way but I would be around to fix it , but.. thats just me..


I see your point.

I think people go to the cemetery to visit on birthdays and maybe holidays more than on a weekly basis.

I agree with littlek. The flowers don't seem that old to me, especially for having been out in the weather all the time. I can't imagine more than a year old.

I think a note would be a nice way to do it.