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Post by Original Admin on Jun 16, 2006 19:28:56 GMT -5
Ok.
About Ten years ago I went down to Stratford Upon Avon (Shakespear Country) with Debs and her mom and pop. As we walked through all the ruins and villages and church graveyards - my Father inlaw said - this...................
"They should make gravestones out of toughened plastic".
Tonight - a whole ten years later - my mate (a sculptor) comes out with "Mark - I have a new business - now its top secret dont tell anyone...."
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Post by cpdad on Jun 16, 2006 19:45:33 GMT -5
WOW..runs off to U.S. patent office to check ;D...just kidding...sounds super cool...if they can endure like the granite.
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Tellfamily
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2004
Posts: 476
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Post by Tellfamily on Jun 18, 2006 21:39:42 GMT -5
Seems that that the UV light would ruin plastic. Can't see a piece of plastic exposed tot he weather last hundreds of years.
Just like those plastic fences that became populor 7-8 years ago. After 10 years they just get replaced with somethign else.
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
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Post by stefan on Jun 19, 2006 9:57:55 GMT -5
But there are so many UV stabilization products on the market- Plus what about vinyl siding??? I mean that stuff holds up very well- (heck in some cases I think it will be around LONG after we are gone
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Post by Original Admin on Jun 19, 2006 18:21:45 GMT -5
For sure Stephan.
Now who wants to put the cash in?
Ive got 20,000 USD to play with - and I'm talking about injection moulding and toughened resin rather than just plastic.
Does anyone want to start a business on this front?
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Post by Cher on Jun 19, 2006 18:50:45 GMT -5
Oh no Mark, if you have that just laying around drop me a note, I can sure take that icky money off of your hands. *smile* Yeah, I know, you don't have to say it. ;D
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Post by Original Admin on Jun 20, 2006 2:14:49 GMT -5
I'd have to beg borrow and steal it Cher - but I think it would be worth a gamble.
I dont know how to get the ball rolling though.
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
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Post by stefan on Jun 20, 2006 8:54:03 GMT -5
Here is the kicker- and I used to work in plastics- so I'm pretty fimiliar with this- Moulding costs are gonna run in execess of $50,000!!!!!! We delt with a company that made stryofoam pet coffins- they put everything they had into it- and 5 years later they could not give the stuff away- The mould alone cost them $120,000 ( for a 2 peice chinese steel mould). A very interesting idea but one that is going to take some CAPITOL to bring to fuitation.....
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 20, 2006 9:04:06 GMT -5
Mark: Before you go too far with the plastic gravestone idea, I'd think long and hard about the whole psycological mindset behind the purchase of grave markers. Remember, the purchase of burial- related items are for the appeasement and psychological soothing of the living. Having just buried my dad a bit ago, I have first hand knowledge of , at least the American version of ye olde coffin shop. ( which looked more like a new car showroom!) As you know, a great deal of guilt is part of the equation in the burial process and pressure is applied to make you purchase the friggin biggest, fanciest, most expensive coffin and burial marker that the funeral director can convince you that you can afford. (Kinda like engagement rings. If ya love the gal enough , you've got to go for the biggest rock you can afford). The sales pitch is: sure, they have inexpensive plywood coffins etc but bygod if y'all loved your relative don't you feel you owe them the best, the soild bronzed, twelve handled, glorious, embossed, silk- lined fancy pants model that's just like what Elvis was buried in etc. Now I can see maybe a market for low end molded gravestones and maybe enough would sell to even make you rich, never can tell. I can imagine however, that many would not wish to visit the grave of their loved one and see, not the magnificent carved, polished stone that lasts hundreds of years but the "cheapo Plastic" marker of unknown lifespan that acts as a constant reminder to them of how poor or frugal or "cheap" they were during the burial process....mel
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
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Post by stefan on Jun 20, 2006 9:23:00 GMT -5
Another great point- and a reason why I am being cremated- and my ashes are to be placed in a barrel of 60/90 with an assortment of jasper and agates (seriously- My wife keeps scoffing at me- but I'm putting it in my will!)
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Post by Cher on Jun 20, 2006 9:54:02 GMT -5
Don't forget to designate where to dump the slurry Stefan.
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
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Post by stefan on Jun 20, 2006 9:56:42 GMT -5
-Ohh good point- But I usally save my slurry and re-use a little- so I guess I could be tumbling for a long time!!!! or maybe I'll just have a little bit of me put into many many batches?
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Post by Original Admin on Jun 20, 2006 11:25:32 GMT -5
LOL here - good points all - I will pass them on to my friend for his info.
I think hes talking about materials which would probably cost MORE than granite funnily enough.
And over here weve had a spate of vandal attacks on graveyards - whereby the granite and sandstone headstones have been hit with whatever is around and have cracked/chipped and or broken completly.
Mate reakons his plastics/resin mixtures cannot be broken with a sledgehammer.
Lots to think about - hes also a scupltor so hes thinking of moulding shapes like cherubs and angels and what not aswell - probably do books too with words on.
Apparently hes seen some stuff in graveyards and seems confident he can do better.
Who knows how it will go - I'll let you know when hes actually got a result of some sort.
Thanks for the input though.
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Tellfamily
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2004
Posts: 476
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Post by Tellfamily on Jun 20, 2006 12:41:32 GMT -5
Can you think of one thing that is plastic & exposted to the weather that is over 50 years old? Vinal has a 40 year life span. Nothing & I mean nothing will last as long a rock.
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Post by ladyt on Jun 20, 2006 13:22:22 GMT -5
I wonder if the vandals could smash the plastic headstones with whatever to an extent that they cave in? Then they would also have to be replaced. Just a thought. Tonja
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 20, 2006 18:06:47 GMT -5
Can't remember where it was, maybe in some old gold country graveyard, but somewhere I've seen cast iron or steel grave markers. Probably no good for rainy or salty climes but That would sure give those vandals a good time trying to break those!.....mel
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Post by joe on Jun 20, 2006 19:04:10 GMT -5
Hey Stef, I think your fine enough to be in the polish cycle!
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eklector
off to a rocking start
Member since June 2006
Posts: 3
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Post by eklector on Jun 20, 2006 21:35:04 GMT -5
the idea of plastic grave markers isn't new - I'll sound like an old fogie now but 35 years ago they were using them here and they seem to be standing up just fine - guilt thing doesn't play into it at all - they are almost as much as the rock ones
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SirRoxalot
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
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Post by SirRoxalot on Jun 20, 2006 21:56:25 GMT -5
Well, the death industry is a billion dollar business in the US, and it's basically a huge ripoff, but think for one second about this ridiculous idea.
You want to mark the location of your deceased BELOVED with a PLASTIC headstone??? I don't think so.
Don't invest a penny, bro; or if you do, do your homework homework; eg. the death business has conventions, attend one and talk to the con artists that sell 10k coffins, see what they think.
(My mother's stone is small, granite and flat to the ground, so don't think I'm being merely flippant here.)
SirRoxalot
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stefan
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Member since January 2005
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Post by stefan on Jun 21, 2006 10:48:06 GMT -5
Thanks Joe-- geeze now I'm blushing
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