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Blow Molds ~ How do you anchor them down in the yard?


Orville

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I've been actually bolting mine down with Deck Screws to my wooden ramp, but this last year, that's just getting too tedious.  I'd like to place them in what little front section I have or perhaps other locations where they would be visible.

So my question is, just how do you folks that use Blow Molds in your display keep them from falling over and staying upright and in place?

Since mine already have small holes in them from the deck screws and I plan on using them as long as I can, even though they are fading a bit, I'm not opposed to making these holes larger to use tent stakes to hold them in place.  But if there is a better method that works, I'd like to hear how you do it or even suggestions on how to make them keep standing upright and not fall over.  Especially since the Blow Mold NOEL Candles I have {4 of them 2 red and 2 gold} just won't stand by themselves.   And then if we get a windy day or rainstorm with winds, over they'd go when I tried to just place them in the yard before.

So any advice, techniques or what works for you to keep your Blow Molds standing and in place would be greatly appreciated! :)

 

 

Edited by Orville
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depends on the blowmold, I have used rebar, rigid EMT, as well as fence post.  Fence post was used with one that had a hole in the bottom the same diameter as the short piece of post I had.

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I tried using some of those stakes that you tie a sapling {young tree} to so that it grows up straight in my candles, but since they were small, had to use 2 and try to make them fit on either side of the hole in the bottom to hold them rigid and upright, didn't work out so well, they still ended up leaning!🤣

May have to try the fence post idea if I can find different sizes that'll fit the candles holes, they're rather small, but the Santa and Mrs. Claus have a gaping hole in them.  Hole is so big I can almost get my head in through them!

I tried eye hooks and the tree stakes one year on their {Santa and Mrs. Claus} backside so they wouldn't be visible and used zip ties to tie them to the tree stakes, but they still turned to much and wouldn't stay facing forward when a good wind gust would come through.  So after that experience, I gave up on that idea.  They'd either end up facing each other or opposite directions like they were mad at each other!🤣🤣

Fence posts may work if I can find something big enough for those two.  Or maybe rebar by drilling a hole so it can go up through the bottom where there is still a bottom to hold on to.

Edited by Orville
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Two of my snowmen I filled the bottom 2-3" with gravel, and my Santa has a big hole in the bottom that I managed to cram a couple pavers into.  You could always "guy wire" them down if needs be.  I use a lot of 80lb fishing line in my display.  It holds up well and you can't see it at night, and only if you're looking for it in the daytime.

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8 hours ago, Little_b said:

Two of my snowmen I filled the bottom 2-3" with gravel, and my Santa has a big hole in the bottom that I managed to cram a couple pavers into.  You could always "guy wire" them down if needs be.  I use a lot of 80lb fishing line in my display.  It holds up well and you can't see it at night, and only if you're looking for it in the daytime.

Thanks may try the fishing line route this year and see how that works out {if I have enough room to use it}, may have to try the gravel and paver route.  Both good suggestions!

Thanks!

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We have the NOEL candles as well. A couple years ago I built PVC pipe stands for them. This also allowed us to light the entire candle with LEDs inside.

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The center pipe runs about half way or so into the flame part. I did not glue the parts together, just friction fit. I think the light string is a 60 count...

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1 hour ago, rcktpwrd said:

We have the NOEL candles as well. A couple years ago I built PVC pipe stands for them. This also allowed us to light the entire candle with LEDs inside.

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The center pipe runs about half way or so into the flame part. I did not glue the parts together, just friction fit. I think the light string is a 60 count...

Do you have a photo of the stand outside the candle before it was inserted.  And do you have a how to on how you made it?

BTW: my Candles were modified for additional incandescent C7 bulbs, the gold ones I have got 3 holes drilled in the back and wired 3 additional C7 sockets down the back to light the entire candle.  The Red Noel Candles got 6 incandescent C7 bulbs, but didn't drill holes in them, they were the first experiment and so have a thin board with the 6 sockets/bulbs mounted inside along the back.  It works, but I really don't like how the boards look inside the candle when fully lit, so really reconsidering by removing the boards and drilling 6 holes for them like the gold ones 3 light system, just seems to give a better illumination effect than the internal board method.  Even though the boards are very thin, they still cast a little too much of a shadow for my liking.

But I really like your stand idea, that would probably be the best option for them.

Thanks for the photo and the info! :)

EDIT: forgot top add this little tidbit of info on my candles.  My red candles still use the standard 25 watt bulb {although I use a 40 watt since they aren't usually "ON", but flicker like a candle flame would do.  The gold candles have a C7 socket {came that way} for the flame tip and I use a larger bulb and higher wattage C7 bulb in them as well, as they also are set to flicker and not usually "ON".  So my Noel candles are all 2 channels each so I can light the stalk and have the flame flickering.

 

Edited by Orville
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I can't find any pics of the bare stands at the moment... basically there are three Tees and short sections of 1/2" pvc to make the base and end caps on the legs. Then a long piece of 1/2" pvc  for the vertical in the middle.

I like that you have two channels in your so you can make the flame flicker!

 

Here is a pic of a couple in the display:

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12 hours ago, rcktpwrd said:

I can't find any pics of the bare stands at the moment... basically there are three Tees and short sections of 1/2" pvc to make the base and end caps on the legs. Then a long piece of 1/2" pvc  for the vertical in the middle.

I like that you have two channels in your so you can make the flame flicker!

 

Here is a pic of a couple in the display:

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Like how those hold the candles.  Will have to see if I can figure out sizes I need, since the Red Candles are larger than the gold ones, so I know I'm going to have to probably make a smaller version for the gold candles.

Will have to see if I can get a video with my wifes old cell phone{since it will allow me to upload videos from it to my computer} of my candles with the flickering flame effect and post it. 

I get a lot of compliments on the candles and asked often: 

How do you make the candles flicker in the flame section and keep the bottoms lit steady like that at the same time? 

or: 

Where did you find those special flicker bulbs that allows your candles to do that?  I'd like to buy some, where did you get them.  

Of course when I try to explain how I created the effect using specialized lighting software, and that the candles are on a special lighting controller controlled by that software, takes 2 channels to make them do what they're doing, most look a little bewildered and totally lost. LOL

 

Edited by Orville
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I also put gravel in the bottom of mine and also put pavers or brick in the ones with a big hole in the bottom. I also have a North Pole blow mold that has gravel in it and I tie off from the top to 2 stakes out about 2 foot to help keep it upright, it is about 4 foot tall.

Edited by Wayne K
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For candles I used to drill a hole on each side towards the base from side to the bottom - one on each side and then use the 16" spikes $1 each at lowes. 

For the pumpkins I would drill one hole in the bottom center and drive the spike , head first into the ground and slip the pumpkin onto the spike. easy peasy

JR

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3 hours ago, dibblejr said:

For candles I used to drill a hole on each side towards the base from side to the bottom - one on each side and then use the 16" spikes $1 each at lowes. 

For the pumpkins I would drill one hole in the bottom center and drive the spike , head first into the ground and slip the pumpkin onto the spike. easy peasy

JR

I've got tons of spikes, bought them to hold some other things down that I no longer have {animated wire frame reindeer mainly}, but tossed them last year as they had just rusted away so badly.  Salvaged the lights and the motors for other projects though as they were still good. LOL

Never thought about driving them head down and staking a pumpkin on them.    Although I'm not sure I'll be doing a Halloween show again.  Last years was a total bust, and it takes me so much time to get stuff up and ready and then the change over for Christmas is getting to be a little too much for me to handle now.   So probably only Christmas and possibly a few odd and end  displays over the year for me.   But Halloween and Christmas are just too darn close together, since I want my Christmas display up by Thanksgiving night.

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3 hours ago, Wayne K said:

I also put gravel in the bottom of mine and also put pavers or brick in the ones with a big hole in the bottom. I also have a North Pole blow mold that has gravel in it and I tie off from the top to 2 stakes out about 2 foot to help keep it upright, it is about 4 foot tall.

Do you use something to patch the hole to keep the gravel inside the blow mold?    I tried it once, but if it did get knocked over by some stupid dog running loose in the neighborhood, which happens way too often here, the gravel spills out of the hole.   So do you use some method to block the hole, and if so what do you do, or use to do it?

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3 minutes ago, Orville said:

I've got tons of spikes, bought them to hold some other things down that I no longer have {animated wire frame reindeer mainly}, but tossed them last year as they had just rusted away so badly.  Salvaged the lights and the motors for other projects though as they were still good. LOL

Never thought about driving them head down and staking a pumpkin on them.    Although I'm not sure I'll be doing a Halloween show again.  Last years was a total bust, and it takes me so much time to get stuff up and ready and then the change over for Christmas is getting to be a little too much for me to handle now.   So probably only Christmas and possibly a few odd and end  displays over the year for me.   But Halloween and Christmas are just too darn close together, since I want my Christmas display up by Thanksgiving night.

I used to do that with all blow molds, my Santa sleigh and reindeer. Now I use steel cable and hang them as high as I can get them. 2018 I did not use any Christmas blowmolds, I cut down one of my primary trees to make room for my 8 circles.

I never had a problem with any of the blow molds spinning or blowing over. With my pixel stuff I just don't use them.

For my singing faces and large stuff I use 1/2" emt conduit with about a 33 deg bend on each end, flatten the ends and drill a spike hole on one end and a screw size hole on the other. Screw to face frame and spike into ground. Last Christmas my singing guitar snowman was the only item affected by 80+ mph straight line winds. But nothing broke, just moved and 1/2 fell over.

JR

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2 hours ago, Orville said:

Do you use something to patch the hole to keep the gravel inside the blow mold?    I tried it once, but if it did get knocked over by some stupid dog running loose in the neighborhood, which happens way too often here, the gravel spills out of the hole.   So do you use some method to block the hole, and if so what do you do, or use to do it?

Orville

I believe that most of my blow molds have now, have a plastic bottom in them with no holes in them. My nativity seen has big cut out holes in them and I am able to lay them on there side and stuff a couple of bricks /small pavers inside of them. I do remember many years ago I had some with big holes in the bottom and I cut rectangular pieces of paneling ( if I remember correctly ). I cut them rectanguler in shape and made the small side about 3/4" bigger than the hole and the long side 1 1/2" to 2" bigger than the hole. I then made (2) 3/8" deep notches across from each other, then slid the narrow side in to the opening and pushed it all the way in to the opening. Once it was inside, I centered it over the hole, then I drilled small pilot holes for sheet metal screws and then put several screws around the hole. If I remember correctly before inserting the plate, I put a screw in the center of the plate so I could hold it in place to drill and put the screws in. (take this screw out when done) I then took the light bulb out and filled 2-3 inch's with pea gravel and put the bulb back in.

Edited by Wayne K
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The left side of our display has 2 blow mold candles and blow mold Santa and Mrs. Claus.  The candles have a solid bottom so I filled them with sand and also attached them to tall garden stakes with fishing line (rebar would've worked too).  The bases of Santa & Mrs. Claus have cut-out holes so I inserted 3 big/heavy landscaping bricks into the bases to weigh them down. 

The bigger blow molds in our Nativity scene also have parts of the bases cut out, so I also used landscaping bricks to hold them down.  For the 3 animals to the left of the shepherd,  and the camel (furthest to the right, hard to see in the video), I have them screwed into boards that are held in place with landscaping hooks that are pushed into holes drilled at the end of each board.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJj9MhZumuw

 

Edited by Speedster
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5 hours ago, Wayne K said:

Orville

I believe that most of my blow molds have now, have a plastic bottom in them with no holes in them. My nativity seen has big cut out holes in them and I am able to lay them on there side and stuff a couple of bricks /small pavers inside of them. I do remember many years ago I had some with big holes in the bottom and I cut rectangular pieces of paneling ( if I remember correctly ). I cut them rectanguler in shape and made the small side about 3/4" bigger than the hole and the long side 1 1/2" to 2" bigger than the hole. I then made (2) 3/8" deep notches across from each other, then slid the narrow side in to the opening and pushed it all the way in to the opening. Once it was inside, I centered it over the hole, then I drilled small pilot holes for sheet metal screws and then put several screws around the hole. If I remember correctly before inserting the plate, I put a screw in the center of the plate so I could hold it in place to drill and put the screws in. (take this screw out when done) I then took the light bulb out and filled 2-3 inch's with pea gravel and put the bulb back in.

Thanks Wayne, that helps a lot! :D

 

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