This is just a “stop by visit”. I’ll show you a few pics that may be interesting.

First ... it may have crossed your mind ... “Where’s that “Minuteman Die” you showed us nearly finished. That story took a couple turns. It’s coming back on track so it’s not a total wipe out that I tel you I made a couple rookie mistakes and ruined that die when it was nearly complete. Bear with me a minute please. I know you get tired of hearing that I hurt .... but here is a real result of that. There are many hours that I’m faithfully in the shop ... working ... but through significant pain. When that’s the case, it really beats me up. I want to be producing. I feel obligated to try. I work but I can’t cheat physics. The components of my back are compromised.

But here’s something I can do. I made another die. This time with larger lettering in Block Font so its more readable at a glance. And a younger Minuteman. My first Minuteman would have to sleep with his boots on. Cause there’d be a Minute (plus 20) man if they were coming over the wall and we had to wait for ole Zack to get his boots on!!! Haha. Our first guy just wasn’t on a Minute fuse.

Hope you enjoy the pics. The Skull Pirate is sporting a new die struck Bail.

The Turtle Rescue has a new Gift Center Manager and demand for product has increased about 500%. Yeah, I know that’s good news but I figured we were due. Hah

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2021 02:48PM by barnespneumatic.

Gary,
Glad to here that the Turtle center has worked out well for you. A steady income stream lets one sleep at night (if your other pains are not to great!)
Wishing a treatment for your pains but I know you have been trying many things. Only thing that works is if you find that Fountain of Youth that Florida is supposed to have.

Hope things get better, we all enjoy seeing your work. I do know what a steady pain does to a person. I keep putting off knee surgery until this covid thing is controlled. I do not want to be in a hospital right now. I am sure that you have the same feeling.
Keep posting as we are are reading (but not doing much else -pain,covid,age etc)

Gary L

Gary PS
Like the new bai on the skull, The new minute man looks good but hard for me (a non artist) to judge in negative image on die. See a lot of work for the Turtle Rescue group, looks good from the distance showing.

Gary L

Thank you Gary,

I’m glad you appreciate to work involved in the Sea Turtle Rescue Inventory. There are quite a lot of steps to their manufacture. The biggest advantage to having this kind of work to augment production is: if something goes wrong, you have a $75 product lost instead of a $7,500 product lost. (In the event one wondered why if I can make those parts why not any part. It’s a real bummer if a concentration lapse would cause the loss of say ... a custom barrel. I can more easily take a chance with a $20 Jewelry component like a cold forged bail. Hope that made sense. It’s never a question of quality. Every part I make must rise to my expectations. Some are components of a less intense set of requirements though.

I have some ideas for that Minuteman die. I hope l they succeed.

Gary

PPS Gary
Look at [www.shopsavethemanatee.org] maybe another outlet for your work.

Gary L
(Many of my visits are to water related sites or marine life)

Gary,
Glad to see your good work. Unfortunately I have been burning the candle at both ends, and haven't been around much. Also haven't goten to shoot much either.
I'm glad to see you've been productive, despite having to do do a "redo".

Scott