What is the "COOLEST" thing you ever made?

This would qualify as unusual:

A young rancher came to me and asked if I would build him a Rodeo Clown Barrel for less than he could buy one in the US, and match the weight of the Aluminum ones with steel. I have been known to take a challenge now and then, when we were finished we had a barrel to his specs, only 12 lbs. heavier than the aluminum barrels and tough enough to take a tumble out of a 1/2 ton truck at 30-35 MPH with him in it.(He padded it first inside and out.).He told me that is about the same impact as a

1800-2500 lb. bull. I'll take his word for it!

Greg

Sorry guys try these links:

I threw that in because Hoover Dam was mentioned, not because it fit the original classification of a cool project, however, it might be the coolest job site I've ever wandered around in!

JTMcC.

Well, you do have to admit that wandering around down in the bowels of Hoover Dam is like being in the oxygen generators in "Total Recall". Other worldly and super cool.

Steve

I can take a picture or two. I don't have an easy way to upload them to the web. Can I email you 2 or 3 pictures? Is your e-mail address as printed below? It looks like it is oso_bob@....etc Eh? David Todtman

Please send me a couple pictures. Send them to:

bob AT warnerknives DOT com

Thanks, I would appreciate it.

Bob

Come on guys, there must be more than this. What about your fancy welding cart or the porch swing or even your SHOP? I really expected a long list of COOL things.

Let's hear them?

Looking for ideas are we?

Actually I am looking for inspiration. When I see something really cool, something that people really make a fuss over it gets me going. I tend to make something cool and then hit a creative wall and just dead end in my head. Then I see something someone else did and it seems to kickstart me.

I once made a fireplace set completely out of damascus, and the thing that got my creativity started was a very unique driveway gate. That gate just got my mind to started thinking and "wandering" and the fireplace set of damascus popped into my mind. So I made it.

I am not shy about asking for ideas, but I would rather get inspired.

Bob

I posted some photos of my shop and some of the cool things I have "fixed" I will be adding some of the tools that I have "made" in the future. I built the shop (30x42) and restored or repaired from totaled..the other "stuff" in the photos.

Bruce,

I like the shop, good job. You got some nice toys there also.

I would be interested (as others would be) to see the tools you've made. I like seeing home made tools and how problems are solved.

Okay, I am just getting into the welding thing, but I can tell you some of my inspirations.

We have two old sewing machine stands that expanded steel table top were made to fit on top. People have offered to buy them from us many time. NOT FOR SALE.

So, using the old wrought iron as an idea, I salvaged the ornate wrought iron off of the front porch of some property we sold. I knew it was to be bulldozed. I intend to make end tables out of them with either glass tops or have my wife mosaic tops for them. These will be for sale.

I have quite a few other artsy-fartsy ideas in my noggin. I just need time. Or perhaps one idea will make me enough money, so I can get the hell out of this big city! :P

Scott

P.S. Another inspiration. I really would like to make a trebuchet. One big enough to launch a water balloon or perhaps a pumpkin. :)

Ok, I wasn't going to mention it because it isn't precision, didn't require a high degree of craftsmanship, and only has a couple welds. It IS, however, kinda cool.

Even my cynical friends are impressed and amused when they see a bowling ball cresting a mountian ridge, half a mile away, by several hundred feet.

Pictures of the finished project are at

If you're so inclined, you can search WinMx and maybe come across the

300MB home movie of the project in action.

That is a cool project. Would you share any tips, ie. type of tubing/housing, charge weights, etc.?

Clif

Looks like the top end of an Oxy tank or something

Very cool...expensive ammo bowling balls I bet that guy who made bowling for columbine would have loved to put that in the movie. Have you ever tried setting up pins on the mountain? How much powder do you use?

Peter

I'm reluctant to admit or deny your keen observation, as the readily available components might encourage the ill prepared to engage in hazardous behavior. Let's just say that the guy who first thought to measure a gas bottle and a bowling ball really had too much time on his hands.

Two bucks for used ones at the bowling alley. That's nothing compared to $7 for a half pound of black powder. The expert who was reluctant to talk to me about his mortar finally admitted to using a quarter pound. That gives about a quarter mile distance. A half pound gets WELL over half a mile. Don't take my word for this, though. You've got to do your own math to figure out if it will work.

One tip, I was hasty in welding on the trunions and distorted the barrel. Some bowling balls will fit the muzzle but get hung up half way down. Bowling balls are different sizes, so some will work, and some won't even fit the muzzle.

If you do a web search, you'll find some folks who have done a similar project using a longer barrel, a clamp that fits around the circumference, and two legs that make a bipod. It eliminates welding, distortion, and weakening. It's a better way to go.

I always thought he was just a fat-assed moron. I didn't think he was smart enough to enjoy playing with fun toys.

Keen idea, but it doesn't work. Notice the elevation is set at 45 degrees. Half the recoil goes into the ground. If the barrel is moved down, the majority of the recoil goes to the rear. This causes the mortar, upon firing, to tumble end-over-end in a violent manor. The result is ugly scratches on the wood and metal.

Final suggestion, just use the above prose for entertainment purposes. Building artillery is not safe for the builder or anyone within a couple miles.

Yes very unsafe....but fun anyway. I won't go into details either. lets just leave it at a little bit of chemistry can get you into a lot of trouble!

Her is one for you, it's been posted before in stages. Here you can see it without interuption.

Challenge: Move 2000 lb lathe into my basement through the front door.

Solution: Got most of it with a two wheel cart except the bed. Build Gantry crane to make bed mobile and agile enough.

Look in the dropbox under Gantry_Crane for design and construction of the crane. Did that all by myself. Look under Lathe_Move to see the crane in use and how I managed to move a big chunk of cast iron through my front door and down my stairs into the basement. That one required two friends. Chances are pretty good you won't see this kind of thing anyplace else :0

Absolutely killer gates. Great original design.