DOOR KNOBS AND GLUE STICKS

You may find it hard to believe, but it takes a couple of hours to put one of these blogs together.  But I find it somewhat relaxing and rewarding to do it.  I love to write.  My prayer is to one day do it full time, for a living.  Not just the blog but books and movies.  Here's a pic Robyn took of me writing last weeks blog.  If you compare this to the work I do at my job, you can see how this is relaxing.

maybe it's the wine that relaxes me

Monday, at my real job, I finished up the forms for the Iowa State University job.  When these bench seats are done they will match the trophy display case bases we installed a while ago.  We had the color to pour four of them, the rest of the color is being delivered.  

Held together with little more than hot glue

I was still a little tired from the camp out week end.  So I was kind of dragging at work.

a LITTLE tired?

Tuesday, after a night of rest, we demolded the four bench seats and Chris started processing them.  In the mean time I was asked to fabricate some plexiglass light covers.  I can offer you no more explanation than that but trust me, it was something I hadn't done before.  The covers were needed at a patio job another crew was prepping.  I was told to take the covers to the job site.  

working hard,..  no, seriously

I had to tend bar Tuesday night, and we were supposed to be able to see the transit of Venus.  That's when the planet Venus passes between Earth and the sun.  A once in a lifetime event.  So without looking directly at the sun I snapped this pic.  I couldn't see anything in the picture, maybe you can..

must have been rapid transit

Wednesday I was called over to the patio job to bring Jeremy some tools.  In this photo, Jeremy is staining the picture frame edge.

My boss doing all the work

When I got back to the shop, Chris had one of the benches done with the first polish.  They are slurried and polished three times. 

looking pretty

I spent the rest of the day getting the 12 piece bar job ready to pour.  They had finally settled on a color and we wanted to get it poured before they changed their minds, again.

I smelled something burning and went outside to find one of the guys trying to get his mixer clean by burning off the built up material.

S'mores anyone?

Thursday I went out a templated a new job.  It's a large covered out door patio bar.  Some of the pieces will be tough to install but we always make it happen.  The client is doing a remodel of her house and is in the final stages which include her patio.  The general contractor told me they need the bar in 10 days. I didn't tell him that wasn't going to happen.

going for a rustic look

When I got back to the shop Chris and I poured the dirty dozen.  That's what I was calling the 12 piece job when I had to clean the molds.  It is a large project and took a while to get it done.

Chris pours the hearth

the upper bar poured and capped

The lower bar, this is the biggest piece

Friday we spent the entire day getting all the pieces of the "12" demolded.  It is a long drawn out process.  We have to grind the backs or bottoms of the aprons while they are still on the form, then remove caps, braces, edge molding and debris from the pour.  They must then be broken free from the board they are poured on and flipped onto waiting carts with pre-cut supports.  Some of the pieces take more time than others.  Here are some pics of pieces fresh out of the molds...

Wine bar with temporary wine holder post

Lower bar with intregal drain board

Saturday was a day of door knobs.  I went to my sister Debbie's early in the morning.  I wanted to avoid the heat of the afternoon.  Debbie needed a new entry door on her garage.  The previous owner had put an interior door in and it was rotting away.  It should be an easy removal and replacement, but things never go that easy for me. (it's ok, I'm used to it)   I had to cut away some of her garage to make the door fit because the opening wasn't a standard size.   I also replaced the lock sets on both her house doors.  I had some difficulty there too, but only because of my lack of patience.

She gets real excited about new doors

Then I was asked to replace the lock sets on our shop and our warehouse.  I was going to build some forms for the covered patio job I just templated but the heat was making me a bit weary so I called it a day and went home.

Sunday the service was about the final days of the nation of Israel.  The story can be applied to us today.  The nation of Israel wouldn't listen to the warnings of the prophets when they said turn back to God or suffer the consequencies.  And they suffered.  Their country was attacked and taken over.  They were all taken prisioner and removed from their land.  They remained in exile for several hundred years.   Sometimes I look at the USA and wonder what we are thinking.  We didn't become this strong, wonderful country by our own hands, we have been very blessed by God.  Now we are trying to remove Him from everything, turning away and ignoring any warnings.   My prayers are that we turn back to God and asked for his continued blessings, as individules and as a nation.  

God bless America

Peace

Dan