Winter

[evaldart]

Well, all the layers of snow have finally done it. Thwarted creation. Some materials that I needed desperately are so ice-bound that even Evaldart cant get at em. I had pick-axes and pipes and gigantic sledges and crowbars raging to no avail. I wasn't willing to lose an entire day getting these plates (4 x 8 1/4 in) out of the snow. I always store my big plates flat on the ground so the kids dont get crushed. But now I'm crushed. There will be no progress on David for some time now. Curses.

[outsider]

One word....racks
flat racks....plate racks....sheet racks...whatever you want to call them... store all your flats on edge in a rack....easy to build....easy to get to stock...build em safe step up to fab shop status.... rack it!

[GlennT]

Good plan, Outsider. Inotice that evaldarts list of tools for excavating the metal did not include dynamite. I think that might be the key missing ingredient for his success.

[evaldart]

I agree about the racks O, and I've had them. But I quit making them because I inevitably end up cutting them up in the heat of creation, the birthing of the sculpture at hand requiring exactly what the racks were made-of.

[GlennT]

Originally Posted by evaldart

I agree about the racks O, and I've had them. But I quit making them because I inevitably end up cutting them up in the heat of creation, the birthing of the sculpture at hand requiring exactly what the racks were made-of.

For your family's sake let's hope that you don't decide to make a sculpture out of the walls of your house!

[Mr. Malloy]

Eval, I am with you! I can't make tools/storage because I want to use half my supplies for art. Steel is getting harder to come by now. But this is why I never let go of any of it and I have a space problem that looks like "junk piles" to others. Even my wife complains about the yard because I quickly out grew my allotted area. And hey, I still grab what looks good that some one is throwing out.
Sometimes I even can't start with a treasured piece because I think it is so beautiful that I don't want to alter it. But that is another issue.

[Aaron Schroeder]

This winter has not disappointed at all. It's been harsh in the best/worst way.
Real cold, loads of snow, no money......what else could a guy ask for. I'm just dreading the heat wave slated for this weekend. Hopefully that'll be followed by another hellatious ice storm. If my luck holds, this will last until May. All the good stuff stands out in winter, that's why I love it so. Family, food, shelter, art, money......it all feels so much sweeter when subjected to natures cruelest season. Winter.

[Aaron Schroeder]

What a disappointing summer here in Ohio. It never got hot, heck I could have welded every day and not broken a sweat. No flies, only had to mow the lawn a few times, no serious thunderstorms, just plain nice. Foreshadowing of harsh conditions to come ?

We got our first stiff breeze from the north today, so I'm thinking about winter. It will be here soon. I spent most of this year making preparations ( skip sculpture, that can wait ).....working on the fire room/material storage/green house....with modest sheltered bone yard and chicken coop. As usual, many of my goals haven't been met. Still no snow plow or blower and the wood burning stove is a pile on the studio floor. Did get new tires and double paned windows for the house, that's good.

Now is the time to prepare for winter. Coming up with that extra energy to be a little less miserable than last year, that's what I'm talking about. Who else is getting ready.....for the ice storms, record snow falls, impassable roads, energy bills, power outages, frozen studio pipes, long dark nights and other depressing conditions ?

One of these years I'm going to have all my preparations done, I'll laugh at winter and work on my projects without a care in the world, that will be the day/s.

Maybe I should restart the " Denial Mode " thread.

[tonofelephant]

This year has been wonderful, weatherwise. I have been having those same thoughts myself about storing up the nuts for winter.

Last year got a stove that heats all 2800 square feet of our house. Also put a stove out in the studio. No more huffing kerosene fumes in the studio. The garden is very slow this year, the broccolli just came in. Still waiting on the cauliflower and the peppers.

Last year instead of running through 2 1/2 fillups of oil (we have 2 each 275 gal tanks), we ran through approx. 4 1/2 cords of wood and used just 5/8 of the two tanks of oil last year. A savings of approx. $1,200. Only downside to a stove is every 45 minutes to an hour have to go put in a little more wood in it. The studio stove eats it up every 25 minutes.

Just got our first load of wood - 2 1/2 cords. Got it all stacked and under tarps. Got to buy some more electrical wire to finish off the electrical work I did 5 years ago. Also need to do some minor window frame work - to keep the elements out of the walls.

Best of all, I think the recession is ebbing, see more and more signs that hope is returning to retail clients.

Good sculpting in Ohio.

Carl

ps. the trip to Illinois up route 30 was outstanding. Weather as usual was outstanding.

[StevenW]

Saw snow flakes last week in Denver, but nothing stuck and wed. looks like more snow is possible. I'll go through 2 cords of pine, stuff I get from the forestry dept @ $10.00 bucks/cord. I have an old cast iron Huntsman stove, 1950's jobbie that cooks my house and laughs at the coldest days, but come morning when it's all just ash and a few cinders it can get downright chilly. Interior of the house is finished and now it's time to hibernate for winter and come spring I'll build a good solid rock studio. Oh, and farmers almanac calling for a nasty winter. We're past due here so I'm gearing up.

[evaldart]

Saw my first little snow this morning. To-do list:

more insulation in barn

cherry pick the boneyards for the next run of sculpture before everything gets buried til march

prime and ready snowblowing machine

new boots (varmints and vermin have moved in to the old ones)

Sweatshirt shopping at the Salvation Army Thrift store

beard

unplug beer fridge

gas-powered welding rigs go inside

Knut Hamsen, Gorgoroth, Njals Saga and Magnus Magnussen for amusement during long dark nights of recovery and refueling.

[GlennT]

Much shorter winter to-do list:

Hibernate!

[obseq]

Originally Posted by StevenW

Interior of the house is finished and now it's time to hibernate for winter and come spring I'll build a good solid rock studio.

Did you give up on the pre-fab plans for a studio?

[StevenW]

Hey Obseq,

Ya I'm going to go with something along these lines and just DIY..

Still some things undecided, but the goal is a rock carving "booth" (wet or dry) with high power air filtration (got that) and lots of natural light (have that too with some rather large Milgard windows I snatched up for next to nothing).

Things I am undecided about are the door style and whether or not I want to dig out a pit for larger blocks to drop in to and do some hydraulic lift or I-Beam hoist system of some sort and then little details.

Oh, these are a couple quick 3d illustrations I did the other day.. I hope to get on it sooner rather than later, but cash is tight right now after just finishing the basement out..

[tonofelephant]

Steven, plan for bigger than you need. Once you move all your stuff in your new studio it will shrink very quickly. I would also sugget that you make enough room for an overhead hoist. Don't need to install immeadiately, but need to have the headroom and left to right dimensions thought out.

I would literally kill for an overhead hoist, on a girder, that moves from front to back of the studio and right to left. Unfortunately, to get one in would be a major undertaking. Rip off roof, put in 4 courses of cinderblock, reroof, install new taller garage doors and I am done. That is assuming that the poured concrete floor could support the hoist - that might be iffy.

Also, think about pouring a larger concrete pad say about 6' x 8' to store rock on the outside of studio. Make sure that the pad connects to ramp into studio. If you get flush, you can always expand the building to cover the pad.

Always exciting to build.

Carl

[ibmainer]

Originally Posted by GlennT

Much shorter winter to-do list:

Hibernate!

Yeah, winter is coming faster here than anticipated....we even have seen our first signs of snow now....
Winter is my time to hibernate too. Time to plan out new forms to weld in the spring, and expand ideas.
The veggies from the garden are jarred and the turkeys are about to hit the freezer.
Got to finish the hay barn for his highness the horse (aka Jasper) and the sheep (Zelda the magnificient).
Lots of firewood so should be warm and dry.

[StevenW]

I'll get an I-beam for it no doubt. Maybe not the biggest one, but big enough to hang a couple of tons. Anything more and I'll end up renting a fork lift anyway.

There's 1 ft of snow headed my way tonight and tomorrow I may play hookey.

[craigktx]

Those fronts that you have been dropping your temps have finally made their
presents here.

50+ winds with guest to 80mph, and buckets of rain.
the free standing deck swing was blown over a 3'+ railing and block the door, somehow the swing survived with out damage.
The boat had its canvas top ripped off but the top was getting old and needed to be replaced.

[grommet]

okay, halloween's over, it can snow now. it has my permission.

[evaldart]

I know Thors all nordic and everything...but he dont like the snow.

[StevenW]

Hah! Sissies.. Bring it on, had 2 feet last week already.
I'm counting on the super-dumper if i ever want to get a "vacation" this year..

[Duck]

Jamaica munn…have some Rum

[Aaron Schroeder]

If Thor were on shed runners, it would laugh at the snow. A lot of stuff heavy stuff is best moved when the ground is frozen and slick with snow and ice.

[evaldart]

I installed the Sins on the snow. It was amazing how easy that went. 2000 lbs a piece gliding into place on a sheet of 1/2 plywood; pulled just by lil ol me. Yeah, I gotta make some alterations on Thor..

Damn SW, we had 60 today. I'm still dealin with leaves...but I'll get my turn, dont worry. I'm already thinking about the flatties that might get done during the blizzards.

[CroftonGraphics]

I am the minority but I like the winter,
the mid summer here, it doesnt really get dark.
There is a condition that is the opposite of SAD,
where people dont like too much sun.

I can relate to that, I spent 6 weeks in La Palma in the Canaries, the mostly sunny days and the surrealist light got to me after a while.
Dont get me wrong, sun is nice but not loads.
Was out in the sea today here, amazing winter skies rain clouds rising high with sunset colours.