BOAT!!!

Today I found a good deal on a 12' aluminum boat with a trolling motor. All I can think about is getting it out on the water! It needs a little work. I will have to make a plate for a 1/2" crack, sand it down, prime it with a special aluminum primer, and paint it with marine paint... I would like to paint the inside of it with some sort of "no slip" paint or just regular polyurethane and put down those black anti-skid strips. I would also like to customize it somehow... I'm sure my Dad can help me come up with some crazy/functional additions! 

I learned about drawing a "sproul line".  It is an old school method used in boat making, but we used one to bend steel tube for a foot rail for a bar. I tried to research the method online, but couldn't find anything so I assume it is one of those little tricks that people don't use much anymore. I think it is awesome!

Basically, we laid down a piece of plywood (appx. 5' x 6'). We got another piece of plywood (appx. 12" x 18") and drilled a hole large enough for a Sharpie marker to go through it. We went to the bar that the foot rail was being made for for, put the large piece of plywood on the floor with 2 corners touching the bar. The smaller piece of plywood went on top of the large piece with the corners touching the bar also. The small piece was pushed along the bar with a line being drawn on it to match the radius of the bar. After using the line to match up the curve we put in the steel tube, it matched perfectly! 

New listing on Etsy.com

I've posted a new item for sale today:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LoneStarSteel

Today is a cold, rainy, lazy Sunday. The house is dark, quiet, and cool and the Christmas lights are the only lights that are on.

I might get the materials for the first bottle tree this week if I have time. I will have to sit down and calculate what I will need first... I know I could end up going way overboard if I don't. The holidays are always so busy... I am going to have to make time.

p.s. check out the pete yorn and scarlett johansson album

Items on Etsy.com

I posted two items on etsy.com today. There is more to come! Please "heart" my store and/or items!!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LoneStarSteel

Also, please give me feedback! I depend on it! If you have any comments, suggestions, questions, etc, etc... let me know!

Enjoy!

New design

I got my latest shipment of horseshoes in and made a newly designed single wall hanger. It is very simple and I like it.
I have a request for a bottle tree. I am going to go to an antique market to take a look at one. I have a design in mind, but I am trying to keep it as simple and lightweight as possible... though I have to make sure it won't be top heavy. I am considering using different size rod on different parts. We will see. There may be a little trial and error involved to get it exactly how I want it. The history behind bottle trees is pretty fascinating, too.

A little history lesson for the day:

Bottle trees have their roots (heh heh!) in Congo culture that can be traced back as far as the ninth century. They believed to be used for protection. The bottles were hung in the trees to trap evil spirits. As sunlight shined through the bottles the spirits were attracted to them and they flew inside to investigate. It is said that once inside the bottles the spirits couldn't escape. The traditional color of the bottles used were blue, but people use all different colors these days.

Other commonly held beliefs regarding bottle trees are that they bring good luck or are used to house the spirits of ancestors. They are also known as "Haint" trees (in reference to Haint Blue according to Gullah folklore).

Class is dismissed!

Waiting

I ordered 20 more horseshoes on Tuesday. My supplier is AWESOME and ships fast. I'm thinking I should have them by Monday. In the meantime I'm working on more ideas... Hmmmm...
Today is my grandfather's birthday. He would have been 80 today. I love the fact that my father has some of his tools... It is awesome to get to work with them. While I'm working I often think of the stories my father has told me about his father (who passed away when I was 12 or so). People make so much more sense when you get to know them as an adult. I think I know him better now than I did then.


p.s. mystery train/elvis

I’m feeling incredibly motivated today to get everything up and running in the very near future. I think I may fab a book stand this afternoon and work on some drawings and dimensions for other items this evening.

The smell of hydraulic oil from the press brake is always familiar and especially strong today. It’s cold outside and steel is even colder. Damn, I wish I could find my gloves!!!

p.s. Dancing in the Dark/Bruce Springsteen

Tradition

In the tradition of four generations of Master Metal Fabricators I begin as the first female Journeyman in the family