Scott NC

"Once you "stop looking" and "start seeing", the door to another world opens up." - Glenn

Too bad the AquaTrain is no longer in operation. You could enjoy the view from the Dome car, bobbing along....

Trailer houses too. Plenty of unheated storage underneath though. I had one on the farm and the floors were made of partical board and you had to watch how much weight you piled in it. I had a bad spot by the front door and an "overweight" fellow visiting me put his foot through the floor. Btw, if you store stuff under the bed, there's nowhere to hide when the lights do go out... That is a nice collection, Randy.

It's great to see you post, Thomas... It's a good thing to see your avatar!

We have a fireplace but I haven't had it inspected yet so I am leery of firing it up. Never had one before. Better safe than sorry. I already miss a real furnace, I don't trust heat pump.

Wow Billy, that's fantastic. I bet Max was thrilled. That brings out the kid in me, even! I didn't even know that existed actually, I don't think the UP has one (the line that served the area back home), I may be wrong about that though. It makes me think of the movie "Polar Express", which I really enjoy. I bet he loved those layouts inside.... That passeger train IS cool. Thanks for sharing.

I may have plugged too much stuff into that generator, when I turned on the coffee pot it tripped the circuit breaker. Next time I'll get out the calculator.... I agree blacksmithing and DIY attitude helps to adapt and deal with things.

I feel bad for the folks that don't.

I know somebody that could help you in a pinch if you have a problem Aric. He comes highly recommended! Jeff, it is too late when the lights go out.

I was prepared back on the farm but now I am urban. One thing I am glad for is the city kept the water and sewage on generators. VERY thankful. It makes me wonder though....

A lot of it all just boils down to organization if you can manage it.... You can fit many tons in a basement. How many depends on the size of it.

Recently we suffered an electrical blackout that affected our entire county because some maniacs decided to shoot up 2 electrical substations. 40k households. For us, it lasted 4 days. We were lucky as I have a generator and had gas. Others weren't so blessed... A good thing it didn't happen in freezing cold, though there are colder places. A lot of helpless people suffered. It doesn't take long to start feeling it. Please be prepared. Not trying to be chicken little or anything.

It is ok to have differing viewpoints but I don't think we are that far apart. I agree with what you say. For many years we sold vegetables at a local farmers market and I let someone else do the selling for the most part. I pretty much just helped out in the background. Set up and teardown and growing. It was a weekend thing and I tended the garden after working my "regular" job so it worked out quite well. Anyway, we had great produce and it mostly sold itself, people just gravitated to our stall because of quality at a fair price. I just never applied it to the things I make. Or just never tried hard enough. When I first started making metal art I went to craft shows and the like and did ok but it just never clicked. I was to busy on other fronts, I guess. As soon as I get set up here (it's taking a little longer than I wish) I may give selling my wares a shot, they have some pretty big festivals and different venues I could try. I might have to partner up with someone who has the gift of gab though. Oh, and do some reading on The Business Side of Blacksmithing.....

I am not a very good salesman and I don't really give all my art away because I am finacially secure. Far from it at this point. Once I make something it is done. I give it away. Sometimes I take a photo if I like it but that's it. I have kept some things I like and sold a few things over the years but not much.

Not to long ago I was close to buying a broken railcar wheel with half the axle still attached for a lawn ornament but it was gone when I got there. I would like a concrete chicken.

I suppose tick sculptures wouldn't sell to well.

One mans trash..... The future homeowner may find a small treasure. I say when you run low on money, storage space or interest it's time to slow down, at least. I filled a rolloff when I moved recently but I'm back at it.

I find those hands on Jack interesting. One looks like it's pointing and the other looks like it's beckoning. What did you make them out of? Baling wire?

Or a well fed wood tick made out of an old 20 lb propane tank? Lot's of grisly detail posibilities I'll not mention...... Jacobs Ladder on a bugs antennaes would be cool. I have plans for a Wimshurst machine I'll probably never build but I have ideas how to adapt it to a sculpture. The big ones shoot 3" sparks. Just like my tired out old portable generator.

Jerry, you are a curling mochine! Billy, I think you need some elves to help with all those Christmas cards.... You could makem tote catalogs too. Hope you got one of those el grande mailboxes....

I had a cheapo bench top when I started out years ago and just learned to peck drill my way through.

This topic is probably on it's last leg but what do you mean exactly by antenna? Just for my own curiosity. In stead of a spring for more flying around motion? Antenna's on its head? I write all these ideas that come and go in my journal for future reference...

A file card and proper storage are important as said above. You can rub them with chalk or better still, soapstone before use to keep from clogging up the teeth before use, particularly on soft metals, but I use it for everything I file. It makes them easier to clean as well. However in humid environments this can actually cause them to rust faster. You got a nice selection there in one fell swoop...

I'm going by memory, I'm too tired to look it up, but it seems there was a marvelous mouse in a sculpture titled "Circus Friends"....