Quill and Blade Gazette Picture Edition

No riveting news in this edition, just pictures of things I’ve encountered in my daily travels. First is a van I saw parked behind a car wash. Does this have something to do with pressure washing poochy in bay 1?

Foaming Flea Wand?

Next is a railroad car with scrap metal in it. this is what your old car looks like after it’s scrapped.

“needs a little work”

Here’s a boiler I’m painting on a steam locomotive. The first coat is black, the second coat is silver. It’s not required that I do it that way, it just makes it easier to not miss spots. This will be covered by insulation, then a sheet metal jacket, which will be high gloss black.

When men were men and rivets were from battleships.

Speaking of railroad equipment, here’s a section of a passenger coach which was getting some light colored moss growing on it. Other methods of removal barely worked. I was talking to a friend about it, and she suggested I try white vinegar. It worked really well, didn’t damage the paint at all. this is the same gal that sent me the CoEnzyme Q10 that I mentioned in the last edition. She needs to write a book about natural remedies, or have a web site. I’ll let you know if she does.

Only grows on one side.
Nice!

Next is a little butterfly that landed on my hand while I was putting lettering on a truck. It stayed there about ten minutes.

Like the salt?

Below is the full moon showing through a Walnut tree.

Here’s the final plane work on a panel made from wood reclaimed out of a barn made in the 1700s.

The old ways still work.

Another little butterfly; this one got caught in my van while I was driving down a highway. He was a little stunned at first, but seemed to recover.

Lift, drag, STALL!

Lastly, a portable table saw I got for Christmas. I’ve included it because every time I use it, I’m still impressed by its performance. It’s not big, and must have some aluminum parts; because it’s lightweight. But man does it CUT!

Restoration Brush #1

I was restoring a small steam locomotive, and needed a wire brush to get in hard to reach places. I tried different things, and finally used a piece of steel cable, also known as wire rope. It worked well, so I decided to make and sell them. Here’s a link to one for sale on Ebay:

Restoration Brush #1

#toolsintn #restoration #jdpaintslinger #wirebrush #equipmentpainting

The Warehouse is Painted White

In the middle of the Bible, in the book of Proverbs, it says “The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul”. So it is with painting the warehouse white. I’ve waited several years to get to this point.

The wood was old and dried, so it soaked up the first coat. The second coat looks terrific though. We’re in the process of painting a Betsy Ross flag on one side, that will be seen from the street. A friend gave me a very nice and sturdy set of entrance steps, they will be installed soon.

Making a Brass Punch

When you need to hit a steel part, to move it a little, a steel hammer can leave marks on it. It’s best to use a punch made of brass or hard wood, between the hammer and the part.

I needed to adjust the position of a small part, so I made a brass punch. I started with rounds brass bar stock I had, and cut it to length with a hack saw. Then I tapered the end with a bench sander. Next, I sanded it with 150, 320, and 400 grit sandpaper. It still wasn’t polished, and I didn’t want to set up the polishing wheel on my bench grinder, so I found some more sandpaper. These were 800, 1500, and 2000 grit papers. The brass has a better luster than the picture shows.

I Start With a Pencil Sketch

I can make ideas in my mind, but it’s usually easier to refine and revise them on paper. After that, I make a scale drawing on the computer, to see the size of individual parts. Here’s the process in regards to a large steam bender I want to make.

I start with light pencil lines, when I’m sure where I want a line, I make it darker. The scale computer drawing not only shows the size of pieces, it also helps me decide the height above the ground. The whole box needs to be angled, so that steam rises to the end opposite the steam inlet. But I had to be sure that a twelve foot long board wouldn’t hit the ground when removed.

I need this box not only for bending wood, but also for heating it, to kill parasites that might be living in it. I will sell not only finished wood items, but wood blanks for DIY guys to make their own.