Pumpkins

I thought I would make some yard decorations for Halloween. Pumpkins seemed like a simple thing, especially since I had done some previously. Last year I cut some small ones on my CNC router (largest size it can do is 12”x13”), and some larger ones by hand (jigsaw) as samples for my cousin (she needed some for a painting class). I did some more large ones this year.  I have used both MDF and plywood, some ½” , some ¾”. The new part was deciding what to stake them into the ground with. The small ones I made wood stakes, but the larger ones I wanted a more durable stake. My choices were ½” galvanized pipe (~$9) , ½” rebar (~$2), ¾” aluminum spindle (~$1.50). At those prices the easy choice is spindle. The real hard part is what pipe hangers will work. The ½” galvanized are too big, the ¾” copper are too big, the ½” copper are too small. I just happened to try ½” EMT (silver looking, but not galvanized) and the fit the spindle snugly and don’t quite reach the board, so it will be snug. I used ⅝” screws. The small ones on wooden stakes are attached with a nail gun, though they want to come off when pounding them into the ground (basic physics, hit the stake and it wants to move but the pumpkin wants to stay still = Newton's Law of Inertia)
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A little sanding, some primer, some orange paint, some green paint, then some topcoat.