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.

Punch the clock

Thanks to Laura with The Rusty Pumpkin for the sweet time clock. I was able to fit some inked ribbon on the old bobbins, and she works like a champ again. Declan was put above of the clock to make sure everyone punches it...

Screwed

I happened upon these yesterday at Lowe's. They were marked down to $7 due to them being "special order - returned." These should be on every shelf in every big-box and ma & pa store around. I hate having to use crappy, flathead decking screws on projects. Why is it SO HARD to find a legitimate Philips panhead wood screw like this? These totally RULE! I need to go back and buy the rest of them.

Large head wood pans forever!!!

Gabriel's platform bed - headboard dadoes

Straight edge, circular saw and a chisel equals some dadoes for the headboard to slide into. Getting closer!

Gabriel's platform bed - rail connections

Here's what will be the "hidden" connection of the rails (top) with the foot rail (below). The view of the foot rail in the picture is of the bottom. The bolts will fasten through the interior face of the foot rail and be tightened with two washers and nuts each. Unless you're cheek-to-the-floor, one will never see it - seamless.

Basically, fabrication of all the pieces is finished. I put a bevel on a huge piece of beam approximately 6" x 8" that four feet will be cut out of. Unfortunately, my camera batteries went dead and I wasn't able to grab and pics. I'll snap some first thing in the morning before cutting each individual foot. Being Mr. Smartypants, the degree of the bevel is 15 degrees, which is exactly the angle the headboard will be reclined at.

One more day of tidying up the cuts and then a full day of sanding. I need to get over to see Toby Larsen in Ames for use of his wide-belt sander to surface the headboard. Should have no problem delivering this next week after a couple of coats of Varathane.

Cheers....

Oxy-acetylene cart

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

Heroic Ink - Illuminated address sign

I started fabricating an illuminated sign for the Mump and Hugo at the newly opened Heroic Ink at 409 Douglas Ave. in Ames, IA. I've been tattooed by both of these gentlemen and continue to refer people to them time and time again.

The sign is 20 ga. mild steel measuring 4" x 7" x 36". Next step is to weld together the seams, fabricate a cap and then figure out a piece of semi-transparent, red polycarbonate or a vinyl sticker that illuminates "4 0 9" vertically. Two fluorescent bulbs will be enclosed inside the box.

Thanks to Don Shearer for the use of the press brake...and the useful tips to go along with it.

This is some mad talent

Here's a link a friend of mine passed on featuring the metal skills of a gal by the name of Cal Lane. This blows my mind with how intricate she is with a torch. I don't envy her monthly oxy-acetylene bill...

Logo

Here's my new logo. A million thanks go out to Susanne Duffner at Pica Press.

11.2.09- Vinyl stickers have been ordered...should have them in a couple of weeks. Hit me up here if you'd like some.

Welding caps...homemade style

I never liked the welding caps I used to get for free from the vendors that used to frequent the shop. So, I took one home, ripped out the stiching and voila!...I had templates to stich my own. After taming a fiercely uncooperative sewing machine last night, I was able to put Israel and Deutschland together. France and Switzerland are on their way...

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...

Vintage book

Barn wood - mortises

I HAVE been doing something since I got back from Phoenix. Here's an example of the mortises that mate with the barn wood tenons. The mortising drill is probably the coolest carpentry tool I've yet to use. Call me old school, but I love a pinned mortise and tenon joint. The detail looks cool and they're super strong. (The bed is getting a 3/8" lag pin.) Maybe it's the sideburns that brings out the Amish in me...I was wondering how the hell those dudes built barns without a machine like this using those joints. Very cool.

The bed should be standing in the next day or two depending on tomorrow's Lumicor frame installation. I'll be spraying polyurethane here pretty quick with hopes of a late install tomorrow night. Seriously, the frames are gonna rule...

Pliers

Yesterday I got back from Sioux City after running some steel up to Valmont Coatings for Artistic Iron Works, my former employer. My old bench is still there over by Kevy's area. I found these and was elated, for I hadn't had them in months since leaving. I shared my elation to Kevin who compared me to "Senior." Every shop, well, every "old" shop has a "Senior." He's the elder of the shop that was, until last year, coming in everyday to "work," at the age of 88. All the tools were very sentimental to him. I often laughed at him for it. He had a story for every piece of steel, machine or miscellaneous piece of shit in the shop. But, I can somehow relate to him now. These were my first "welding" pliers I purchased for my first welding course I took. They grab hot metal, loosen nuts, cut wire and loosen nozzles tips on a mig gun. As a welder, here's my favorite tool.

Kevin's just jealous...cause he doesn't have a pair. Or a pair of pliers either...