Name this Space

Got some great use of my plasma cutter in making this sign for the drive gates. The name of the place is "the Rock Farm" (it's 20 acres of rocks and woods up the side of a mountain). I used a projector to duplicate and enlarge a True Type font called Papyrus which has irregular edges and an informal look without being "comic". I really like this look for this application.

Here it is before being attached and painted; well... final painting. I think I'll use an air brush look around the lettering in copper but I wanted to try the technique first. I used car body primer to highlight the lettering to see if I liked the look.

Drive Gate Project Update

I've gotten the simple drive gates built and set the posts in concrete (a rural site 180 miles up the road). I painted the posts before installation and now need to clean and paint the gates. I've been asked to add a name to the simple gates so I'll design a name plate and cut the lettering with the plasma torch. Once I attach the name plate, I can get the painting done.

The gates join in the middle and are 11' each. They are made of 1 7/8ths" schedule 40 steel pipe and 2" schedule 40 uprights. The only trick in putting these together was marking and cutting the diagonal pipe to fit from the upright to the boom. These intersections involve compound curves for each segment. Because of their unsupported combined length, I built a center lock setup that will mechanically join the two pieces to prevent/reduce sag over time. I'll find out just how precisely I set the posts when I install the gates and test the center locking mechanism.


The other interesting feature was a solution to fix the uprights on the posts in such a way as to prevent unwanted removal. My solution for this involved welding a plate end on a piece of the 2" making a cap. By drilling 17/32" holes through the caps and the 1 7/8ths posts I created a keyway and used a piece of 1/2" rod as a key.

By heating the ends of the rod and hammering them to thicken the ends it will lock the cap in place and yet be removable with a torch without having to cut the posts or the gate upright. There a many other solutions but I like this one this time.

The big tease...

Today it feels like spring and the highs are to be in the 70's but just two days ago we had another freeze overnight. This is the second time in two weeks that I've put pots and wheat straw over my tender garden plants. It's like a dance..., slide, slide, back step; slide, slide, back step.

I can't complain since I'd always rather it be cooler than hotter. All I have to do is think of August in Alabama and I break out in a sweat!

This week I've got several projects in the shop. I'm building a simple drive gate, working on an ornamental stone marker, and developing a proposal for some railings. It's a good week with lots to do and good weather.

I picked up a book that my sister-in-law gave me several Christmases ago on the Zen of Modern Eastern Cooking. The author spends several chapters describing the way of cooking and the state of mind of the Zen cook. Inspired, I'm looking for fresh ingredients, a wok, and a better cleaver. I'm considering making a cleaver like the one pictured in the book. JW has offered a piece of a huge saw blade to use as a blank.