Machinery

My wife took some photos the other day. This is of our new piece of machinery.

I gotta think this guy sings nothing but Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time" to himself...and he's even MORE naked than Cher was in the video.

Barely wired...

These pics were sent to me by Aaron Moon with the attached notations:

"Back story...working on an old car in rural Dallas county with a friend. We were in need of a tap and die set so off to the neighbors we go. There I stumbled upon this gem. Guy tells me he still uses those cables. Wowza!"

Those cables have to have two dozen rolls of electrical tape on 'em...damn. Still, an old, cool Forney welder similar to one Double D sent me a while back...

Introducing the Gaucho Grill

This has been an ongoing project for the better part of six months now. Mike "The Grill Guy" Schmitt approached me months ago about helping design and fabricate this fun cookout creation. I always take a fond interest in projects related to the food industry - especially this one. It's not a primary grill, but for anyone that consider himself or herself an outdoor chef, this charcoal/wood grill is gonna be tough to beat. Below is some text from Mike's press release along with his contact information.

It's been a pleasure collaborating on this project...and bringing back Mike's inner punk.

-Boonie



The Gaucho Grill is inspired by South American outdoor cooking. Argentinians typically build fires and cook over them in time honored methods that are starting to catch on in the United States. The Gaucho Grill is made in Des Moines, Iowa by Factor II Fabrication for Grill'N Out!



The Gaucho Grill is easy to use, easy to clean, flexible, mobile and built to last a lifetime. Cooks can Grill, Indirect Grill, Griddle, Skewer, Rotisserie, Roast directly on the coals and use Dutch Ovens or other cast iron cookery on the coals as well.



I designed The Gaucho Grill because I was tired of running out of fuel before I was done cooking? You will never run out of fuel again because you can always add fuel at anytime during the cooking process with our open firebox technology. Simply burn wood to embers or prepare Lump Charcoal to ensure even heat transfer then drag the coals under the cooking surface of your food. When the ashes cool, simply pull them off the grill into a trash receptacle.



The Current Model is the 5'. It has 10 square feet of flexible cooking space. Most grills are measured by sq inches! The size and construction lends itself to opportunities to customize, let us know what you'd like to put on your grill.
The Gaucho Grill offers a Customer Satisfaction Warranty on Firebox Burnout, all other components come with a one year limited warranty.
So, If you're fed up with small grills with limited space or limited cooking methods contact us today.


Mike "The Grill Guy"
info@grillnoutiowa.com
515-229-9713
www.grillnoutiowa.com

Old school boy eyes some old school equipment

My bud, Dan Dahle gets around...I don't ask doing what, he just gets around. Here, he spies another vintage welder in northwestern Iowa. It must have flooded there lately, the work clamp was plugged into "High Ground." Double D says this unit is still in use.

Vintage

Vintage welder still in use in northern Missouri. Spied by my bud, Double D.

Daniel Hyland Design

Daniel and I delivered this table to the Niegsch Residence in Ames this afternoon. The powder-coated finish is actually "statuary bronze," intended to feign a well-worn bronze piece. This finish, coupled with the simple, clean lines makes for a very elegant piece if I do say so myself. With the table to the wall, there are absolutely no visible welds. This simplicity, in my mind, is due to very thoughtful and intelligent design.

The expression "less is more" is an understatement with regards to this piece. Well done, Daniel! Thank you for allowing me to fabricate it...

Oxy-acetylene cart

I finished up my oxy-acetylene cart today. Heavy duty - this one's built to last.

North Liberty deck addition & railing

For some reason Clint and I thought it would be a good idea for me to do this welding job in the middle of one of the hottest streaks this year during the hottest part of the day. After we were done today, I headed to Kum & Go and bought a store t-shirt to replace the totally drenched one on my back. This was miserable today...



The only existing railing was on the steps leading up to the stoop. We added the support post that is directly below the outside corner of the newly finished deck Clint added to the second floor. To the give the post a little more function, it now also acts as a railing post, with the addition of another right next to the house against the siding. All posts are 2 1/2" sq. tubing. The railing is 1" x 2" rect. tubing turned on edge. The homeowner will provide the finish via enamel paint.




Even though I could have gotten by using solid, mild steel MIG wire, I opted for .030 flux core wire with additional gas shielding. The welder was powered with a 5500W generator with a single 3-pole, 220V twist-lock outlet. We built a converter setup wiring a 50A receptacle into an L14-20 plug. My welder doesn't pull more than 20 amps, so I wasn't too concerned about overworking the generator, or tripping any breakers. The beads laid down looked pretty freakin' good. This made for a tidy little portable setup.




Thanks to Clint Haight of Custom Projects and Homes for taking the "action" pics of me under the hood.

Hot show, dude...hot