Being my day off I decided to do a little of two of the things I enjoy most... a little welding and some sculpting.
Quite some time ago I started a small sample piece with a miner in a mining car on a sign. I machined the wheels and roughed out the rest. With us being so busy it has sat idle ever since. But good ideas can only gather dust for so long.
The water tower we installed last week still needed a weather vane. I've been thinking about what I would fashion until I spied the miner sitting in the corner. It was perfect. I bent up some steel, cut a bunch more and then welded up all the pieces. Another bit of time was spent grinding things nice and smooth. Then it was time for a little sculpting. It didn't take long to add the detail to the car and then sculpt the miner, who rides in the car with a giant gold nugget clenched in his fist.
The little piece adds a whole lot to the story we are telling. It will be allowed to cure a bit and then we'll add a few coats of paint. It won't be long until the weather vane sits up on the water tower. Stay tuned...
-grampa dan