This Way Silver Arrow

This is my lovely wife Alexis playing Vanna White for this glavanized finish metal sign.  This is the second arrow that I have built and it sold about 6 months ago at my mother-in-law's store in Williamston, Michigan, Bungalow 47.

The Green W

This green W is a project I built probably 4 months ago and is STILL currently for sale at Bungalow 47 in Williamston, Michigan.  I was hoping someone with Williamston school spirit would snatch it up quick but that has not been the case.  Well, if someone reads this and wants it, go in to Bungalow 47 and tell them I sent you.  You can buy it with 20% OFF!

Knife Sharpening

Today after work I sat down and decided to sharpen two knifes that belonged to my late grandfather.  My mom, Julie asked me to sharpen them so she could enjoy using them while camping where my grandfather grew up, Warner Lake.  My grandpa is actually the one who taught me how to sharpen knives by hand.  He also handed down a good part of his knife collection to me.  I like collecting knives because they are an infinitely useful tool but also can be artistic.  I am currently in the research and developement phase of making knives by hand in my workshop.  It is something I have wanted to take up for sometime now.

Back to the sharpening . . . .
Knowing how to sharpen a knife by hand is a skill all men should know.  People come and go and may let you down, however a sharp knife always cuts.  I have always sharpened with a whetstone but this past Christmas my wife Alexis gave me an excellent and affordable knife sharpening system.  It is a Lanksy Deluxe 5 Stone kit.  It works very well and allows you to sharpen at four different angles.  The angles range from 30 degrees to 17 degrees.  A 30 degree angle is good for pocket knives that cut a lot of cardboard and the like.  A 17 degree angle is meant for razors with a sharp but delicate edge.  Running each stone over the full length of the blade on each side of the blade will create a good even edge.  The sharpening fixture is symmetrical, the part I am holding onto is the same as the part that has the stone's guide rod through it.  I usually do one side of the blade about ten times then switch.

The two knives that belonged to my grandfather are fairly old.  The larger one has a large Q stamp on the base of the blade and on the sheath.  I worked all five stones over the Q knife on the 30 degree setting, moving from coarse to fine, of course.  The resulting edge is very sharp.  The smaller one is a Kabar and the blade is very worn.  I have the Kabar almost finished but the tip was broken off somewhere in its long life of service.  I am debating whether or not I should reshape the tip to a point.  Either way the knife is not short on character.  The handle has great color and is composed of at least 6 different materials.

Hart Davidson Design

Here is the run down of a project I just recently finished for Leslie Hart Davidson of Hart Davidson Design.  She is an interior designer based in Williamston, Michigan.  My mother-in-law, Chantelle, landed me the contract to build the HDD logo as a metal light up sign through her store which is also in Williamston, Bungalow 47.  With the help of Brian and Chantelle the order was completed in one week.  Just in time for the Lansing Women's Expo.  

www.designisademocracy.com

www.bungalow47.com

First step: Make a cardboard template of the face of the letter.

Second step: Cut out the letter by tracing the template with a plasma cutter.  The metal I am using here is a galvanized sheet of mild steel.  I believe its 20 gauge.  I am not sure who is responsible, but every few weeks a couple of pallets of it shows up at Padnos scrap yard.  At Padnos its better to be lucky than good.

Third step:  Cut four inch strips to be tack welded to the faces of the letter making them three dimensional.  This is the step of the process where careful fitting and patience is important.  Producing straight cuts with good edges makes this step easier.

Fourth step:  If the customer requests, construct stands for the letters to be displayed on.  These stands were made from threaded conduit from Home Depot and heavy steel plate that was purchased from Padnos, where I love to shop for metal stock of all kinds.

Fifth step:  This is the home stretch, if requested drill evenly spaced holes for the light bulbs in the face of the letter.  I use a sheet metal drill bit in my Milwaukee cordless drill.  Depending on where the letter or group of letters is going I wire up plugs and/or extension cords.

This particular logo has a dragonfly postitioned behind the letters.  The construction of this masterpiece was handled by my father-in-law Brian.  It was built with MDF and white oak.  For travel it unbolts in manageable sections.  Chantelle painted it to match the logo.

My favorite part of a job like this is standing back and ENJOYING THE GLOW!

First Post

Hi my name is Jesse Schneider, by day I am a CNC machinist in Lansing, Michigan.  By night and weekend I work on a wide variety of projects.  I enjoy artistic/industrial projects and ones that involve all types of vehicles.  Projects that involve cutting, shaping, welding and finishing metal are a fun challenge for me.  My first art/industrial project was my last name spelled out in light up metal letters for my wedding which was October 1, 2011.  The idea was dreamed up by my wife Alexis and her mother Chantelle.  The entire project took about a month of weeknights off and on and a couple late nights right before the wedding.  To finish the project I had help from my dad Jeff and father in law Brian.  The finished product really became the focal point of our unique vintage style wedding.