This, that, and the other

[jinman]

We are starting off flying this morning, first with the cardinal.

Don, I think you have reached the size limit for that stock. If you decide to do a hummingbird, I think you'll have to find some smaller metal.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

We've got the gate in place and operating. It's been a long day and between Don and myself we have almost ninety pictures taken today. It's late and we'll post a bunch of pictures tomorrow.

It was a great day.

 

[txdon]

Harvey will leave tomorrow, we just have a few odds and ends to wrap up in the morning. Today was the hottest day of the year topping out at 98 degrees. The metal was burning our hands, but we still had loads of fun.

Jim I think you are right about the bird. It is about as small as I can build with that metal. We put it in the tree but it kept jumping back to the seat of the buckboard as you can see in Harvey's pictures. It is really looking good!

 

[MF1455v]

Wow, that look good Don. I am playing catch up tonight. Been to busy to see straight. Sure wish I could have made it out and get in on the fun.

I have about 5 road runners around my place. Did you and Harvey think about adding one?

James

 

[EddieWalker]

Don,

The gate looks like a work of art!!!!!!!!!

I'm sure it was hard to decide what to put into it and what to leave out. There's never enough room for everything, but with the length of your entrance, are you going to fabricate more animals and put them there?

What happened to adding rock to the entrance? What about cedar posts and a bar across the top? Still in the works?

Eddie

 

[txdon]

James, we thought about adding a lot of animals but time and space was running out and we had to start the hanging process. I can always add animals latter now that I know how to bend metal.

Eddie, the length of the entrance made it impractical to do anything else than what we did and finish in a week. We have some rock and will use it on the ground. We never wanted a overhead with the cattle guard. The metal turned sideways is almost invisible from the road and the closer to the gate you get the bolder the lines become, and things start appearing on the gate, it is a neat effect.

 

[jinman]

Snazzy-pizzazzy! Woohoo! Dang! That looks nice. Now you just need to ask anyone who comes to visit to bring an iron animal to add to your gate, like a house warming gift. You could end up with an owl, a horned toad, lizards, snakes, and no tellin' what else, maybe even a coyote or a big bass. The choices of wildlife are endless and you have lots of "canvas" to display them. When the gate gets full, you could just put them on the fence.

Okay, I'll shut up and quit planning your gate for you. I have a tendency to get carried away when I see something like that.

 

[txdon]

Good idea Jim, we just might do it. Each wagon wheel belonged to one of my grandfathers and we found some old metal things from Karen's grandparent's families to make and put on the gate also. I am going to buy a metal bender and the other family members and guest can get a quick lesson in art and bending and start having fun with the end result of a wild life or a wildscape thing that can be added to the entrance.

Harvey will get the final pictures later this morning, unpainted of course, but you will get the total picture.

 

[silverdollar6]

I thought for sure that there would be a longhorn in there somewhere. The gate looks great!

 

[patrick_g]

I am going to buy a metal bender.

If by chance you get one of the floor mounted metal benders from Harbor Freight would you mind sharing how to operate the dang thing?

There are at least three of us here who have them and can't figure it out by the truly lame instructions that come with the unit. It looks to be a really solid and well made tool but the manual is virtually worthless to me and I have received similar comments from others. You have the advantage of having been under the guiding hand of an expert and may be able to clear up the mystery for us.

Pat

 

[3RRL]

The gate looks great and makes me envious. It's quite a work of art.
Is that a sliding gate or a swinging gate?
Do you have any concerns about it keeping its form without bending? That is ... the upright ends staying upright without losing the 90 degree angle between it and the bottom. Are there gussets at the bottom I missed?
Thanks,

 

[jinman]

Don, I didn't mention it before, but maybe behind the cactus in that open area you could add a few strands of rusty barbed wire. You need barbed wire and a post for a crow to sit on, and you don't want a cow trying to stick their head thru there. Although, I guess you don't have to worry about that since the gate is in the middle of the cattleguard.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

There have been some changes. We've decided to stay over one more day. Glenda's class isn't until tomorrow night and it's only a five hour drive from Don's house Texas to Harvey's house Texas, nothing but a morning thing.

Last night we were talking about how it was almost unfair that there were two wheels from Don's granddads in the gate and nothing from Karen's grandparents.

Don mentioned one her granddads had left them a box of tools. I asked if there by any chance a hoof file farriers use in those tools. There was.

So this morning, well, pictures talk better than we can.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This morning we noticed we have a fan. No. Not the air moving kind of fan, a fan fan, you know like this.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I know this had nothing to do with his curiosity about my welding.

 

[YM-135trac]

This morning we noticed we have a fan. No. Not the air moving kind of fan, a fan fan, you know like this.

Bet you do feel like a star? better not get too many Fans hanging around

 

[Bird]

So Don wanted to make sure Eddie didn't come visiting?

 

[pennwalk]

Don and Harv that gate is amazing. Who would have thought that tractor guys have so much creative talent. Beautiful work!

Don if you ever need some lunch money I'll bet you could sell those cool critters. Put then on a stake and people would put them in their gardens. Maybe make critter wind chimes. How about critter gates for the walk into the garden. I bet there are people who would like to give them as gifts. TXDON Inc.

Chris

 

[wroughtn_harv]

So Don wanted to make sure Eddie didn't come visiting?

We had the coach whip in the cattle guard. But it was Raspy the gate serpent that got Don twice this afternoon. Not once. Twice, Don yelled about that snake almost getting him as we working at the gate operator.

It's all up and working like it's supposed to work. Life is good.

 

[scott_vt]

So Don wanted to make sure Eddie didn't come visiting?

Good Evenin Bird,
Very observant on your part !