Hello all.  I haven't posted any pics of my stuff recently, so here's a few of my latest project, a dog kennel for my little truck, enjoy.

 

 

and some detail pics

 

So how does it feel, driving around a work of art?  This is a very well designed and executed piece of work. Wow. 

I love it Billy. How's it feel having everybody on the road staring at your truck?

 

Frosty The Lucky.

Great work. Hope the pooch appreciates the effort!

Wowsa. That must really get looks!

I guess that depends on the dogs; mine would have always managed to get their heads stuck in the artwork requiring me to stop and extricate them on a regular basis.  So I would probably have to put a some expanded metal behind it perhaps painted to keep up a pond motif...

Well done.  I like the shades put in to keep them cool.

that is fantastic, I love it

Thanks for the nice comments everyone.  It was a lot of fun.  Here are some updated pics of the (almost) finished piece.

 

I clearcoated everything and was surprised at how much it darkened the temper colors I drew on the seaweed.  More practice is definitely needed to keep the colors more uniform.  I left the 3-branched kelp unfinished to let it rust a bit before sealing it to give it even more of an 'organic' feel... (thus the 'almost finished' comment)

 

rockstar:  I should have added one more panel, and may do so in the future

 

ausfire: I hope they do too, but if not, that's OK too, had fun doing it.

 

Frosty:  Funny you mention that.  I also have a 3/4 ton diesel with another homemade kennel that's much bigger, made out of field fencing.  I've been rescuing Siberian huskies for years, and I can think of many a time when I've been at a stoplight, look in the rearview mirror and see someone behind me break into a huge smile and point to the truck to their passenger whenever one or more of my pups would get up to look around.  I have wondered if I'll notice any similar responses without the pups.  (Think the ladies will like the underwater scene?  Should I have put in a mermaid?)

 

beammeupscotty:  thanks, but that's what good camera angles will do, easy to edit out the flaws.  If I were to do another one, it'd be tighter from what I learned on this one.  I'd probably use all forged joinery instead of welds as well. 

 

I'll try to remember to post one last pic with the rusted kelp when finished.

Excellent!

this looks amazing. great job.

I am thinking I may need to make a kennel, I have only been using airline crates. This is pretty nice. Great idea.

I am thinking I may need to make a kennel, I have only been using airline crates. This is pretty nice. Great idea.

 

We're on the same page Mark, we have wire kennels all over the place and Deb is involved in a number of training classes. I'll bet if others involved in classes and competitions got a look at classy alternatives to wire kennels they'd sell. Hmmmm?

 

Frosty The Lucky.

Great work, love the detail!

   Frosty I was thinking for myself, most of my items to sell need to be easy to transport, and display without taking so much room as to crowd out other items.

making stuff for myself means I don't have to worry so much about the price point either.

   Frosty I was thinking for myself, most of my items to sell need to be easy to transport, and display without taking so much room as to crowd out other items.

making stuff for myself means I don't have to worry so much about the price point either.

 

Replacing some of our wire kennels was my first thought too, then about the time I was going to hit send their marketability hit me. We both have girls involved in dog training and it just seemed a natural.

 

They'd need to  knock down flat for storage and transport. They need an end door and usually a side or top door is good too.

 

Deb's been taming feral kittens and THAT makes me think a small hatch to get to feed/water bowls without taking a chance of letting a critter out or having one carve trenches up my arm would be really good.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

If I had one at a dog event and someone wanted to buy it I would sell it, just not something I would likely add to my current stock inventory.

I know, you have a pretty impressive inventory everywhere you go and proven product lines. I just got to thinking about kennels that didn't look like a shopping cart. I know I'm not going to start marketing products, regardless I can't help thinking about . . . things. <grin>

 

Frosty The Lucky.

 

 

I'll try to remember to post one last pic with the rusted kelp when finished.

Well, I managed to remember.  This week I decided that nature did her part on the final piece of seaweed so all is now clearcoated.  The color looks better in real life.  Almost like copper. 

I stand by my original question/opinion.  Every piece of work I have ever done, in any medium, has had flaws.  The trick is to get them to be so minimal that no one else even notices them.  A piece the size of this one really needs to be taken (visually) in, at least initially, from far enough away that your "flaws" probably wouldn't even be noticeable to you, never mind anyone else. They are always more significant to the person who made the piece than they are to the person appreciating the piece.