Bike rack

I fabricated this bike rack a few years ago from plans from an artist in Des Moines out of 1 5/8" OD pipe. It was done through a former employer of mine - the sculpture is located in Des Moines' East Village.

ISU - Completion of Phase I

Three GREAT days in the shop. Still can't explain how fun and creative a process this was. Sarah Grant really got her hands dirty this week...literally.

Boonie and the Four Seasons - ISU installation

The sum of my cold forging...



Kim Hutchison (left) and Sarah Grant (right)



Mock-up of the "Spring" apertures...



The uncooperative photo specimen - but with a great creative eye - Michelle Lamb...



The finished fabrication of "Spring"...



Finished fabrication of both "Summer" apertures...



This was one of the funner days I've had in the shop in a long time. The heat made for an exhausting day; having to wear leather sleeves and a welding helmet all day will take it of ya. Despite that, the four of us rocked out to some cool tunes and had what was for all of us, an atypical day of productivity. Fabrication will be completed tomorrow and then it's of to the Sticks studio in Des Moines for some brass/coppper/wood adornments and some sort of paint/acid wash/sealed finish.

Faith

I don't need to show ya'll more pics, but I pounded out more leaves today...you'll just have to take my word for it. Tomorrow, they'll be done...I hope.

Brackets

I forgot I did these...like, two years ago.

Stair rails - Cedar Rapids

These rails were fabricated on the request of my brother-in-law, Clint Haight (Custom Projects and Homes). 1 1/2" tube square, 1/2" square bar, black powder coat finish. The residence is in Cedar Rapids, in Czech Village, where many homes were devastated during last year's flooding. Many of the homes are still vacant and remain in limbo.

Bethany's new chair...

I thought my wife deserved a finished piece...so I built her a swivel chair.

I.S.U. - cold forging

I started my mock-up of the I.S.U. project today with a nice dose of cold forging. Without any gas for the forge today, I resorted to a dished out piece of elm making a steel sandwich with the business end of my hammer. It did a surprisingly good job making fast work of the 11 GA hot-rolled steel I plasma cut yesterday. I will need to get some fuel next week in order to bend and manipulate the 3/4" vineyard bar - it won't cooperate as well as the 11 GA.

The stump did prove that wood prevails over steel once again...

Maple-Willow-Larch dining hall at I.S.U.

Here's a mock-up of the what will be A LOT of forging to be had by my hand in the next month. This is a project I'm working on with Sticks, a furniture and object art company based in Des Moines. The cardboard represents a stone facade in the newly renovated Maple-Willow-Larch dining hall at Iowa State University. 3/4" vineyard bar (vine-textured steel, see below) will act as "stalk" apertures where a variety of leaves will hang composed of either steel, wood, copper or brass.

So...what did you do this summer?

Bar stool for Kate's mother - II

This is about all I accomplished today. The birch-ply seat has been sprayed with polyurethane. Just waitin' for some vineyard bar to finish the arm rests.

Bar stool for Kate's mother...

Here's a rough mock-up for a client in Cedar Rapids, IA. Katherine requested armrests and a footrest on the steel base. Both of those remain to fabricate. The wood seat is just a template used for forming the steel and isn't supposed to be a "state fair" fit. Seat will be birch ply while the steel will be finished in a brown vein-type powdercoat. Hopefully, it will be delivered next week...

NOLA

I know, I haven't uploaded anything in the last week. But there really hasn't been anything to post recently. Bethany and I are heading south to the French Quarter with some friends from Ames tomorrow. The pic is of one of my "Top Five All-Time Favorite Bars." We get back next Monday and then I'm off to St. Louis to work Rib America.

Speaking of food, I've finally found an outlet for my food and drink rants. Food Tour of Iowa founder and author, Ben Gordon, has invited my wife and I to contribute to his fantastic blog. Ben is way beyond his physical years, both intellectually and academically; an old soul if there ever was one. Place a bookmark or RSS feed on his site, you'll see more of me there in the coming weeks than here.

Cheers...

Barn wood bed - headboard assembled

Alas, the headboard is assembled and 95 percent complete. The arch will receive a 1/4" x 2" steel cap with some faux rivets that will match the steel lags pinning the mortise and tenon joints. The only thing I'm waiting for are the 3/4" hammered steel rods that tie in the top of the posters. This, like most other pieces, is for sale. Send queries and $100 bills here.

Light table - looking for an owner

This piece has been weighing on my mind for a few years now...and in the works for as long. The table top is two laminated pieces of 3/4" birch MDF; 48" diameter. The center has been CNC machine routed to accomodate a 1/2" pane of tempered glass 24" in diameter. The skeleton of the pedestal is 1/2" tube square wrapped with 20 gage sheet metal. The inner wall of the pedestal will be wrapped with 1/8" birch ply. The base is made entirely of solid maple with an inlay of 1/4" depth to allow for the acceptance of the lower steel ring. The visible reveal of the maple flush with the steel is 1" (as shown in the picture). Six threaded studs have been welded to bottom of the lower ring, thus, allowing for the fixation of the wood base to the steel pedestal. The addition of a dimmable light at the bottom of the base will allow the user to set the illumination viewed through the glass. Four floor levelers with plastic glides will be inset into the bottom of the base to protect any flooring. Client will have choice of the finished color and stain for the steel and wood, respectively.

This is a one-off piece I have little intent of producing in the near future. I'm not saying I'll NEVER build another, but the cost of material, time and labor all culminates to be quite a bit of work.

Questions, comments and complaints can always be directed to me, Boonie...Thanks for taking a look, I'll entertain any serious offers sent to me.

Two Wheels and a Motor

I implore everyone to visit Two Wheels And A Motor. It's a podcast produced by some buddies up in Minneapolis about the best form of transportation known to man...or woman.

Chopping block...

Here's the completed cutting board for Ryan and Kellie. Maple and walnut, approximately 19 1/2" x 25 1/2".

Summer's shapin' up...

It's funny how things (life, circumstances, friends, emotions, the litter box) can change like the weather in Iowa. One day is a bust and the next is beaming with enough creative potential to send the mind reeling. Between the stuff I want to get done, NEED to get done and the time I'll be away this summer, I'll have a scant amount of time for a few one-off projects. If you've been thinking about a piece/project, let me know soon.

Bethany and I will be in Minneapolis this weekend celebrating our two-year (today!). I'll post some pics of the chopping block I've been working on this weekend for Brother Ryan O'Rourke.

Stump

Thanks for taking the pics, Bethany...

Fong's Pizza - pagoda tapper box

This was fabricated in December '08 for Fong's Pizza in the downtown Court Ave. district in Des Moines. 1/4" mild steel throughout with stainless on the backside for the beer faucets. Lights are fed up through the bottom of the structure and illuminate the "building," making the white plexiglass glow. 24" tall, 10" deep, 18" long. Finish is powdercoat.