Almost ready to roll.

As we build and begin the training of a bigger crew we are also accomplishing plenty each day. The wagon is now ready for the fiberglass reinforced concrete. The horse is getting wired as well. The galvanized lath is measured and cut and then painstakingly shaped and attached by twisting the heavy tie wire with special nippers to the welded frame. Its a job that takes a great deal of practice and knowledge to accomplish. The person doing the task needs to understand how the wire shapes and also how the concrete will go on. Its a tall order for the newbies but they are rising to the challenge.

I can hardly wait to see the sculpted concrete in place!  Stay tuned...

-grampa dan

Noella's rock

A number of years ago my good friend Noella attended one of our workshops. She is a talented, award winning sign artist I've admired for as long as I can remember - one of my heroes. The signs she and her team create are amazing! Noella is always eager to learn new things which she demonstrates each time we get together. That workshop (and others since) was no exception.

At the workshop we gave a demonstration of welding, something she had never tried previously. She was first in line when it came time to give it a try. A while later she asked me if she could really build something and suggested it be a rock, a simple project to start with. Noella bent the pencil rod into a rock shape and welded it up. Next came the wire lath, another first for her, followed by the fiberglass reinforced concrete. The next day I saw her excitedly painting the rock with our iron paint which rusts over time. It was a good looking rock. Noella lives in Ontario and when it came time to go home the rock, too big to take on the plane, stayed behind. I wasn't sure what to do with it but I decided to store it out back in our boneyard to see how the iron paint would hold up on concrete over time. The answer to my question about the paint is that it held up just fine and the rock developed a beautiful rusty patina over time. I was determined to put Noella's efforts to good use when the right time came.

Today I started welding the frame for the fun directional sign for Cultus Lake Adventure Park. As I looked at the drawing before I started I saw that I had designed the roots to be hollow underneath. It looks cool but I know from experience that this could mean maintenance would be compromised as dirt would love to hide there. I decided to 'grow' the tree over a good sized rock instead and I knew the exact rock I would use. It's going to look very cool when we are done.

Noella went home from that workshop really excited and inspired. As soon as she got home she bought a full welding rig and learned how to use it too. She's built some pretty cool projects with it since.

-grampa dan

Hitching up the wagon

Today was the first day of the new project build. Spirits were high as two new hires joined our crew. I spent most of the day under my welding helmet, working on the wagon wheels and the happy horse. Together we made great progress on a variety of projects! By tomorrow afternoon the wagon should be ready for the sculpted concrete.

While the boys wired the wagon I was busy in the shop starting the welding on the happy horse. First came the structural steel, good and strong to withstand thousands of rides through the years. Then came the pencil rod outline. The equine has a ways to go before he is done.

Tomorrow the horse will get a mesh skin and then be ready for the sculpted concrete.

I'm already starting to think about the next piece we'll start soon.

-grampa dan