Need help on VERY important project

admin

Please forgive my intrusion here. I'm not a welder but I'm working on a very important project and I have a highly skilled and very artistically talented welder who is going to make it.A few weeks ago, a little twelve year old girl was struck by a car and killed in Catoosa, Oklahoma. Her mother is a friend of my wife. Long story short, the little girl (Kristen) had a little metal peace sign with her name on it that they put on her grave after her death. Well, some sub-human, skanky (numerous expletives omitted) demon STOLE it from her grave and we are going to make another one for her, this time anchored in quickcrete.Here is the problem. Neither the welder nor myself have been able to find metal letters smaller than five inches. Does anyone know where we can get some smaller letters? I would estimate from a photo that they are 1 1/2 to 2 inches.I THINK I've attached the photo. If not, you can see it here:Peace SymbolThank you if you can help us. Attached Images
Reply:Look around locally for someone that can Plasme Cut some for you.Jim Colt (SP?) here might be able to point you in the right direction.
Reply:Okay, thank you FB.
Reply:rlb918,First off let me say that this makes me sad, sick and furious all at the same time. I am just up the road from you in Claremore. I know of a couple of places that have laser cutters. I will contact them this morning when they open up. I can not promise anything, but I may be able to swing this at no cost or at the very least the cost of shipping from Wichita, KS. I also make regular trips to Southeastern Colorado and we go through Wichita so I may be able to pick it up as well.Give the family my condolences.  Best regards,jrw159
Reply:Thank you jrw159! That would be WONDERFUL.I agree with you. It's hard to be optimistic about the state of humanity when thery are animals like that walking upright among us.
Reply:A local gate or fence guy with a cnc plasma table can do you one in about 10 minutes.  But I hate to be a buzz kill and say that the cemetary may have removed it due to the new requirement that the monuments be flush with the ground for the landscaping guys to be able to mow around.  My Grandparents are in a cemetary that prohibits above ground  monuments and have removed several over the years.  If you need help talk to mike at the Torchmate section on CNC Zonw and he will help you with a machine nearby if your local guys dont have the capability.  My machine is stored under a ton of stuff or I would make you one myself and send it too ya.  LMK id you need any help finding what you need.BobI'm spending my Kids inheritance, I dont like him that much anyway!!!!!!Enuff tools to do the job, enough sense to use em.Anybody got a spare set of kidneys?  Trade?
Reply:It's my understanding that the cemetery folks told the mother that they didn't remove it but now that you've said that, I probably better check that directly before we go any farther. The mother must have been in a pretty emotional state when she discovered it missing and may not have understood correctly.
Reply:Yeah, it sucks, but the grass crew may have done it cause it's policy.  Sorry to be a buzz kill, but if you need help holler and I will try to help ya get a replacement. Just dont want her to have to go through that over and over till they figure it out.  The cenetary should have a policy page that says whatyou can and can not have for monuments.BobLast edited by Rbeckett; 06-16-2010 at 09:15 AM.Reason: afterthoughtI'm spending my Kids inheritance, I dont like him that much anyway!!!!!!Enuff tools to do the job, enough sense to use em.Anybody got a spare set of kidneys?  Trade?
Reply:Okay, checking for an Internet page is a good idea. I'll do that before I try to contact them. Thank, Bob.You guys are GREAT. I've asked my wife to pass on to the mother what a great bunch of people you are.
Reply:If you tell me the approx dimensions of the letters, rough diameter of the peace sign, correct spelling of the girls name, and thickness of steel you would like it cut from, I'll be happy to draw one up and cut it for you with my plasma. You can email me directly if you would like...  [email protected]   Jim Colt
Reply:THANK you Jim. That will be WONDERFUL. Let me try to figure out what it dimensions were and I'll send an email to you. It'll come from Ric Brown. Thank you!Ric
Reply:I'll post a pic on here when done. It will take about 10 minutes to CAD draw, and about 1.5 minutes to cut. Hopefully it will help the family deal with her short lifetime of memories.Jim
Reply:Jim, you are da man!!!  My machine is down, but if you had not helped out, I was gonna get my uncovered and get it done.  Been a long year in the hospital and my shop is in dissarray.  Thanks a ton for helping out that family.I'm spending my Kids inheritance, I dont like him that much anyway!!!!!!Enuff tools to do the job, enough sense to use em.Anybody got a spare set of kidneys?  Trade?
Reply:Ric,  It sounds like Jim has you taken care of so I will cancel from my end. If for any reason it falls through though just let me know. Jim,  Very good of you to help out like that. jrw159
Reply:rlb918,Sounds like the great guys here have taken care of you.Losing a child before their time must be horrible.  Have a CNC plasma and I'll cut a sign if you still need it.  email or PM me if you want.  If not, God bless the family of that girl.
Reply:Okay, I missed it that someone had already offered. I'm overwhelmed by y'all's kindness! And welders now have a new fan! My wife is really touched by you guys' offers. She asked for the dimensions and I'll email them as soon as she hears back from her friend (the child's mother).
Reply:A suggestion if you will,  if the policy prohibits having them, you can secure it to the headstone using epoxy.  it will last severay years that way.  A more permanent route is to drill and screw it to the headstone.  I prefer the former for if any reason you want to remove it, you haven't permanently scarred the headstone by drilling it.  Also, I would have the manufacturer of the headstone drill the holes for if any reason it cracked you wouldn't want to deal with that.  Epoxy is what is used most around here.
Reply:Originally Posted by rlb918... a little metal peace sign with her name on it ...
Reply:Thank you, Scott. That's a good idea and I'll mention it to the mother.Tensaiteki, yes I realize that that isn't a true "peace symbol" but that's what the child's mother refers to it as so that's what I've been calling it.
Reply:By the way, Jim, we haven't heard back yet on the dimensions.
Reply:RLB,  Looks like it's about 24 tall and 4 inches wide if the letters in the pic are around 2 1/2.  So a total 36 height will give you a substantial leg in the ground for support.   Thats just a guess, but it should be pretty close from what I have been doing in similar stuff.I'm spending my Kids inheritance, I dont like him that much anyway!!!!!!Enuff tools to do the job, enough sense to use em.Anybody got a spare set of kidneys?  Trade?
Reply:Looking at the other headstones it looks like a flat marker only cemetery.So I don't think you will be able to have anything sticking up.They do this so they can mow with no obstructions.There was a suggestion about gluing them to the marker stone which is a good one but you might want to check the design with all the rest of the stuff on it.You want it to look dignified and not too crowded, but still a kid's stone.So try checking on all that before going too far along. Call the cemetery and they will let you know. Finally try to get the lady to a Compassionate Friends maeeting, it's for people who have lost children. I looked up your area and the nearest one is given below it's 12 miles away in Tulsa.I know it helped me I have lost two children and this is very personal to me. (918) 481-2181TCF Line or (918) 622-2739 CathyFloral Haven Family Center , 6420 S 129th E Ave, Broken Arrow, OK 74012
Reply:Andromeda, it seems almost pointless to say that I'm sorry for your loss. It's incomprehensible to me. I will have my wife pass this information to the child's mother.If I understood correctly, the cemetery allows such items but they must be taken up by certain dates for mowing. We haven't gotten a confirmation from the mother on the dimensions yet but as soon as I get that, I'll pass it on.My wife is leaving Thursday for India for a few weeks so things are a little bit chaotic. As soon as I can get directions, I'm going to drive to Catoosa and look at the grave site first-hand.Thank you, everyone for your comments, suggestions, and most of all the offer to help!Ric Brown
Reply:Thank you for your kind words but you know you think your life is bad until you meet someone who has lost three children, then you you say Thank you God.Back to the Mowing.Please remember someone has to go out there and pick that  up and put it back maybe a member of the family? Anything to avoid this would be a good idea.
Reply:I agree Andromeda and we'll look at the options suggested. According to my wife, the mother was taking the one that was stolen up and putting it back after mowing.Any movement on the ornament?  Havent seen any pics so I figured I would ask.I'm spending my Kids inheritance, I dont like him that much anyway!!!!!!Enuff tools to do the job, enough sense to use em.Anybody got a spare set of kidneys?  Trade?
Reply:No, there's not been any progress. My wife is in Bangladesh until the first week in August and I'm not in direct contact with the child's mother. I'll find out if it's okay if I contact the mother. Thank you!