In some cases it may be necessary to externally brace a broken marble tabletstone that has been epoxied so that the full weight of the stone does not totally rest on the adhesive. If the bracket can take some of the weight, the adhesive will have a better chance to survive the wind and bumps from careless equipment operators or vandals -- the main hazards to the life of a cemetery monument.

Braces need to be unobtrusive yet strong enough to stand the test of time. A solution can be found in extending a U-shaped piece of stainless steel around the stone and extending it into the ground on each side to provide the necessary support.

The collar should be applied over the top of the stone and extend into the ground at least 12 inches below the surface to provide the necessary support. A 14-gauge number 304 stainless steel is recommended for this purpose.

Using a large piece of cardboard, create a template - a full-scale tracing of the size of the monument including its thickness. A tight fit is needed on all sides, yet the collar should not be too tight or it will not easily fit over the top of the monument. Remember when measuring that old marble monuments are not uniform in dimension from top to bottom where thickness can vary slightly.

For the sake of "unobtrusive historical representation," the collars should be made with the front channel slightly narrower than the rear channel.

If the stone is upright, the collar can be slipped over the top. If the monument is in pieces, stand the collar on its "nose" on a solid surface and thoroughly epoxy the inside of the "nose" as well as the sides for a tight bonding of the monument to the collar.

The piece that is the top of the monument is slipped upside down into the collar first. The front of the stone must face the narrowest edge of the collar with the back of the monument facing the widest portion of the collar. If there are more broken pieces, epoxy all the joints and keep adding them in reverse order so that when the collar-with-monument has been put upright, all the pieces will be in the correct sequence.

If necessary, a heavy-duty pipe clamp can be used to keep the steel collar from spreading too much. Pipe clamps also make good "handles" for more than one person to assist in setting up the collared monument.

Dig or drill holes at least 12 inches deep on each side of the base of the monument. Before the monument is hoisted into the vertical position, carefully fit a tin or aluminum can the size of a tomato juice or coffee can, around each extension. When the extensions and cans are lowered into the ground, and the stone propped into an upright position (use a level to make sure), the cans should be filled with "Rockite" or other fast-setting hydraulic cement.

When the Rockite has set (about 15 minutes) fill the rest of the holes with concrete.

Finish your project by sealing all surface areas where the monument stone comes in contact with the stainless steel collar. Use a good-quality clear silicone caulking sealer. Be sure to caulk on each side of the monument with a bead that starts at the ground and goes completely up and around the monument back to the ground again. This should be done on each side of the stone.