Fun at work

[Sedgewood]

Here I go lending a little support to a blooming artist while the real world is raising its ugly head. To borrow a dumb cliche, "I feel your pain." Oh lawdy lawdy, did I really use that?!

<font color=red>I've just about decided that the best thing is for me to make something and if someone wants it then they buy it as is.</font color=red>

Yup, that's what starving artists do. But since one's gotta support the habit compromises get made, some bigger than others. But they all take a toll on the creative energy.

<font color=red>Because otherwise we end up with something that isn't just what they want and it sure as heck isn't what I want. So it ends up being closer to an off colored step child that stutters and walks with a gimp than family.</font color=red>

It's a sad state of affairs, but that's just how it is. Or is for me at least. I'd wager you get lots of well deserved compliments on your work but unfortunately the world doesn't "get" what this creative thing is really all about and just has to squash that big ol' creative bug before the big hairy scary thing grows any bigger. Creativity threatens the status quo and leads to a project at least a tad off center. Much as they may wish otherwise, not many people are comfortable with stuff that may cause them to be seen as a tad off center. It's a nice place to visit but living there is quite another thing altogether. What'll the neighbors think. So they get scared and squash that bug before it gets out of hand (their hand - not the artists). And before it can become truly great. Sad sad sad. At least the chickens let you be who you are.

 

[Kodiak]

You know Harv. I think I was that boy you weir talking about once. I spent two years at Nebraska Technical School trying to become a machinist. My first job taught me quickly that I didn't no squat. I then did a apprenticeship under a wonderful old Dutch shipwright. I'm sure that after one year under his tutalige that I still only new 1/10 of one % of what this man could do. But at least he expanded my horizons, and my confidence. And I still utilize those skills in almost everything I do.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I conned wannabesoninlaw to take some photos for me. I've got this supertrick new tool to bend heavy steel on edge.

Here's a before and after picture. The finished piece is in my left hand and another piece to be done is in my right.

If anyone asked you can tell them a finished piece starts out as half by one and a half bar stock.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This is the tool. It started out as a piece of two and a half round hot roll that was bent by an uh oh. The bend happened to look like what I wanted for a die.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This is that trick bender getting after it. Half inch by one and a half inch hot roll bar stock being bent on edge or as they say in France when it's spring and the grass is real green, the hard way.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Russ I've got a customer that I do work for every couple of years or so. He's Swiss and was trained to be a machinist from junior high school. He's told me about their first project being done with a hack saw and files to hundredths tolerance.

When I work for him it's by the hour. He's my helper. I can't buy such help. And what's really neat is he enjoys it more than I do which makes me both proud and jealous.

What I think is important about the bender I've got in the pictures above is that you don't absolutely have to have the latest and greatest and trickest and neatest equipment just to do something. Sometimes a little luck and a bit of effort will do just fine thank you.

Few things make me prouder than convincing a willing soul to jump in and use what's at hand to do what has to be done. I mean anyone can do it with the right tools right?

 

[Bird]

Pretty interesting tool, looks like the wannabesoninlaw is a pretty good photographer, and I think this is the first time I've seen what the old blacksmith looks like./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I demonstrated the bender to two different customers this morning. They were blown away that a little man with some kind of belly could move that much metal so easily.

For me it's still one of those things that is almost like magic. BTW I got the idea from a picture of two blacksmiths doing the same thing with a flypress. I don't know why but I figured if they could do it with the repeated applications of a couple ton of pressure I could do it with just more applications of a three pound French hammer./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

I don't forsee a reason for a haircut for another eight weeks so the appearance of the old man is gonna get interesting. In about three weeks the boss will start hinting that my appearance makes people nervous. A week or so after that she'll mention I'm scaring folks and should really consider a trim. Some time after that she'll tell me I'm starting to scare her. I'll go to the barber. We've got an understanding. It's sorta along the line of an understanding I have with the dentist if you know what I mean.

 

[Bird]

Well, Harv, maybe we have a little bit in common. I hated having to go to the barber, 50 mile round trip, sit and wait your turn, pay (I don't even remember how much), etc. But our solutions were at the opposite end of the spectrum./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif My wife bought some clippers and she keeps me sheared; very close all over./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I don't have to let my hair grow out to scare folks with my looks./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif And I even shave a couple of times a week; might do it more often if I ever get rid of the razor I have that is quite possibly the world's sorriest electric razor.

 

[MDNY]

Wroughtn Harv,

You have waaaaay to much fun at work. But you do it so well.