Distressed Lighted Metal Letter T and Star Sign

I built these lighted signs for City Antiques in Grand Rapids.

Light Up Letter Signs For City Antiques

My nose was firmly against the grindstone at work on a monday when I received a call from Sherri, the owner of City Antiques of Grand Rapids, Michigan.  She was shopping at Bungalow 47 in Williamston, Mi (Owned by my Mother-in-Law Chantelle) and saw one of my signs for sale and inquired about me.

We had soon agreed I would fabricate a letter A, C, and S for Sherri to sell in her store  The kicker was she wanted them by saturday morning.  I had done bigger projects in the same amount of time so I wasn't worried. 

The only speed bump was that my plasma cutter is currently on the fritz so I had to complete these letters with stone age tools, electric shears and an angle grinder.

Here is the A with sides welded on.

The font of this C was the first letter C I found in the closest magazine and put it under my small projector then traced it on the sheet metal.  From there it is cutting and grinding.

I found this block letter S online somewhere and used my projector again to transfer it.  Having my plasma cutter working would have saved me some time with the grinder getting those inside radiuses and curves smooth.

I use a sheetmetal stepped drill bit to drill the holes for the bulb lights.

Sherri requested flat black for color and "beat up/distressed" as a finish.  It is a funny feeling creating something then intentionally beating it up.  Being a CNC machinist I strive to make parts that measure precisely and also look good.  However the customer is always right.

For the A and the C Sherri requested a flat rustic red also distressed to look old.

Once I got used to dulling and beating up my work it became kind of fun.

This was fun project, I am glad that Sherri found me through her shopping trip at Bungalow 47.  Look up City Antiques and Bungalow 47 on Facebook they have some cool items for sale.

Saturn Truck Hauls Camper Up North

This is my brother Jordan's Saturn Truck.  It is a modified SL2.  Jordan and I and some friends modified the Saturn for more cargo room and versatility.  We installed a Reese Hitch so we could haul our pop up and boat.  This weekend we are headed 2 hours North to Reedsburg Dam Campground.  A successful trip will prove the Saturn Truck is extremely versatile and stone cold reliable.

Homemade Aluminum Longboard

This is the 1/4" thick aluminum plate longboard I finished recently.  I think I got the idea when I stumbled across a  youtube video of someone riding one that they had made.  It looked like a fun project wasn't too hard and maybe I could get some exercise of of it when I was done.  I bought the aluminum plate from the scrap yard for about $15.  Actually all I could find was 3 pieces that were too short.  So I bought those three pieces and had them butt welded together by my friend at work.  You can see the weld seams in the second picture. 

 I looked around online at pictures in order to make a template to cut it out.  I went for a semi classic cruising style longboard.  The way I did it was only make one half of the template (the long way) and lay it on the centerline of the longboard blank, trace the template and then flip it to the other side.  That way it will be symmetrical.  The overall dimensions are 9" wide, 41" long, and about a 33" wheelbase.  I then cut along the lines I traced with the vertical bandsaw at work.  After that I put the kick tail in with a hydraulic press.  The saw had left some rough edges so i cleaned it up with a right angle grinder and a sanding pad.  

The longboard wheels and trucks package (Core Brand) I ordered from Amazon.com were $45.  They are 7" trucks and 76mm wheels.  I laid out the holes on the aluminum with a transfer punch and drilled them with a hand drill.  Once they were bolted up I took it for a test ride around the block.  I don't claim to be a longboarding expert but it felt great.  Especially since I only had about $60 into the project.  A lot of the entry level longboards start around 100 bucks.  For me it is always extremely satisfying to build a fun project for cheaper than buying it already made.  This past week I have been riding it after work and my wife rides her bike with our dog on a leash. Our dog Junior runs the whole time trying to catch me.

Custom Rusty D

This rusty but trusty letter D was ordered by a woman who saw some of my other work at Chantelle's store Bungalow 47.  She picked the font and wanted the natural rusted finish.  I completed this order a week ago or so, but today is friday and I'm feeling really lazy so the rest of this post is like a picture book.  Its self explanatory anyway!

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.