Sometimes they come back home.

About eight or nine years ago we built our first large welded steel sign. It was for our steel supplier and was made from steel of course. I wanted to make the sign rusty while my client wanted it to be shiny like stainless steel but wanted it made from mild steel and clear coated. But it wasn't practical and a clearcoat simply wouldn't last . I convinced the client to go my way and I finished making the sign. By then he had second thoughts once more and when I delivered the sign it was set up long enough for me to take pictures, then it was taken out back while we discussed it and negotiated some more.

I entered the photos of the sign in an international sign contest and it won first place. My client then proudly installed the sign (complete with rust) and it sat out by the road for many years. Last year with the tough economy taking it's toll my client decided to fold the business. I bumped into him shortly after and he offered me the sign. I gladly took it back for it has always been one of my favorites. I brought it home today and it will be one more sample piece on display around the shop. Only this one is no small sample... it is huge - much bigger than I remember!! I'm thinking it will make the most marvelous topper for my heavy duty steel rack. When a new helper wonders where the steel is kept there will be little doubt.

-grampa dan

Back in the pub

This morning I was back at the Fox & Hounds to install a few more signs. The dart board was hung in it's place as were the many small signs we've been working on. It's coming together quickly now. 

I also installed the Cellar (cooler) door and then finished up the pipes and taps above. The ceing of the bar service area is embossed copper and we wanted everything to mathch. A few telephone conduit pipes were purposely left exposed. I sculpted some fittings and taps. Painted a deep metallic copper and then aged suitably they instantly fit into the decor and added one more of those small detailed areas that makes this place pure magic.

The to-do list is getting shorter by the day. Next trip will add a whole bunch more details that will just about wrap things up.

-grampa dan

The tree is starting to grow again!

It isn't often I do two posts in one day, but today was a busy day. Plus I just know my customer who we are doing the old tree/coffee table for has undoubtably been watching anxiously for some progress. Today was finally the day when we began work on the project. It simply had to wait it's turn. I first had to study what I had done back when I last worked on the project, more than a year ago, probaby more like two. I wanted to seamlessly blend the work we would do now and a lot of water has gone under the bridge since. But I was confident it wouldn't be a problem. Sarah mixed the epoxy for me and I set to work on the sculpture. My goal today was to do a small section of the tree and then have a look to make sure it blended with the work done previously. I pressed on a primer coat and then laid on the rolled strips before carving in the bark texture. I tucked one face into the tree to get back up to speed. When I was done I was happy. In the next days we'll continue on. I'll be in the groove!

-grampa dan