Today, we kept busy in the shop, welding the front and back of the giant ‘N’ for DOWNEYS. The welding on the letter is now complete, with just a little grinding left to finish that part of this project. By first coffee time tomorrow, this letter should be on its wheels and ready to roll out of the shop. Then we can begin the fabrication of the final ‘D’ and the ‘E’. Stay tuned…
So many cuts!
The tiling of the main floor living room is now largely complete, and looking great, with only a few partial edge tiles remaining. Jay is now making the many complex and detailed cuts, while Matt continues to lay tile through the kitchen nook and library areas. Upstairs, Peter is installing the final tiles in the bathroom. He’ll start installing the grout in the next few days. The Copper Crown is almost complete!
First weld
Laura works super fast and is a quick study. She is one of those rare helpers who just instinctively knows what I need before I can communicate to her which tool or length of material I require. This means I have to be on top of my game to stay ahead. This also means that Laura is ready and eager to learn new things. Near the end of her workday, I handed her the welding stinger to allow her try welding for the first time, and I’m happy to report that she is a natural. With more than 70 feet of weld in each DOWNEYS letter, there is plenty of nonstructural welding to do. Since she is handling the bulk of the grinding after we do the welding, I suspect she will quickly learn how to do a really nice, even bead. By the end of this project, she will have a whole bunch of experience pulling welds. Let the welding adventure begin…
