Fun with rocks

[wroughtn_harv]

Sometimes a man just has to get away from it all and have some fun.

Today was one of those days. I took the day off and had some fun at a bud's rock store, er, uh, stone sales yard.

We'd talked awhile back about how to make somethings different customers had asked about. I told him I had some ideas and if'n I got a chance we could destroy some of his inventory tryin'.

I made two tables and a bench today. Everything is put together with steel dowels with a little hydraulic cement for leveling.

Here's a coffee table I made for the office. No sooner got it inside and stuff jumped on it. Stuff does that when women are around.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Here's another view.

It's kinda funny how you can go through a pile of stones and one or three will just jump up and demand you make them do something special.

The stone with the leg was in a pile of stones cut for making walls. That leg would have been amputated if we hadn't had our little meet up. As it was that leg was the most perfect thing for making a table special.

The round one, well, it was just easy, wanted to have fun.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Yup, table's heavy, about four hundred and sixty pounds worth of heavy. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

But then being heavy ain't always a bad thing. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

He had some Colorado boulders that weren't the cream of the crop. In fact you might say these puppies were what was left after the cream along with the rest of the crop found homes.

One of them was laying in the mud and it looked like it'd had a bad life, not just a week or a month or even a year, a bad life. There were chunks missing. Sorta kinda like a pear shaped rock that had been in a wreck or two, maybe three.

I felt sorry for it.

Joel works for bud. Joel thinks I'm about seventeen hundred pounds short of a ton when it comes to being like other folks.

You shoulda seen the look on his face when I asked him what the rock wanted to be. I think his first impression was that he didn't know ingles near as well as he thought.

But he stood there beside me and pretended along with me that we were listening for the rock to tell us what it wanted to be. After a minute or two of looking a little more than a lot foolish we decide our original idea was the correct one. I guess the rock agreed being part of table could be kewl.

This is table under construction. It still needs some detail and we've got to do a footing for it. Best guess is this lil monster will weigh out about seven hundred or so. A concrete footing is definately a must.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

OOPS!!!

 

[wroughtn_harv]

The bench to the left of the table we also did today.

I don't know why more folks don't do more with rocks and dowels. It's a good method of making connections. It's strong.

The rocks seem to like it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Tomorrow afternoon I'll stop back by buds and we'll finish the table out.

It'll look good, different, but good.

His wife is supposed to get me an umbrella for it. Just to give it a special one of a kind touch.

I mean heck, anyone can make a stone table, but hanging an umbrella on it too?

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I know one man should have so much fun. A heckuva cross, but a man has to do what a man has to do. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[sassafraspete]

Harv, where are Barney and Fred? Great job. I love rustic furniture. My tables are out of wood though....walnut root slabs, and what else....sassafras legs.

sassafras

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I just like to make things.

I love working with wood too.

One of these days I'll develop the whatevers to attempt making my own furniture.

What I like about stone is it leads instead of follows. Of course one can say the same thing about rustic'ing wood. :grin

Today I got to play with some tools I haven't got to use in awhile. I had both Hilti's out, TE15C and the TE75. The Stihl 570 quick saw with it's diamond blade, the Dewalt worm drive with it's diamond blade, and of course the Dewalt angle grinder with the rock for getting those final touches that makes things fit.

What always surprises me is how things just come together. You start off with a vague concept and then one thing leads to another and before you know it, you got something to take your smile from a grin to an ear to ear full bore happy face.

There are things more important than making fun stuff with the tools at hand. But there are few things more rewarding.

 

[JazzDad]

Harv, you are a hoot!
The last time I listened to a rock it said "leave me alone".