Jayman17
Well-known member
Wow, impressive work there Scott! 
Puget Dude’s creations and fabrications (Random project thread.)
- Thread starter PugetDude
- Start date
Ordered a couple of pairs of gloves with Kevlar stitching, should be here Monday on the blue truck. I never thought about the nylon thread melting on my leather work gloves....but I was using them as empirical evidence of how hard I have been working... Might be time for a new plan.
Got another community bench fabricated, powder coated and installled, this one is in the cul de sac island in front of a friend's house that spent 50+ years in the drilling business. Thought an old-school oil derrick would be appropriate for this location. I sneaked around behind his back and got his business partner to send me a real tri-cone drill bit out of his inventory in Oklahoma.. 
The derrick is all square tube, 1/2"-3/4"-1"-1-1/4" and 1-1/2" for the base. The bench is 1-1/2' and 3" square tube (with diamond plate caps
) with Trex seating.
Local landscaper cleaned up the island,added a few cactus plants and installed some big sandstone slabs I had left over from my 2023 landscape project as a path and a base for the bench.
I had it powder coated in BR47 textured brown rust; that's been my go to for all of these bench projects.
This is now a great spot for the walkers to sit and contemplate the view.
The derrick was a lot of work with all the angles, I enjoyed doing it but I am really glad it's done.
2 more to go....
The derrick is all square tube, 1/2"-3/4"-1"-1-1/4" and 1-1/2" for the base. The bench is 1-1/2' and 3" square tube (with diamond plate caps
) with Trex seating.Local landscaper cleaned up the island,added a few cactus plants and installed some big sandstone slabs I had left over from my 2023 landscape project as a path and a base for the bench.
I had it powder coated in BR47 textured brown rust; that's been my go to for all of these bench projects.
This is now a great spot for the walkers to sit and contemplate the view.
The derrick was a lot of work with all the angles, I enjoyed doing it but I am really glad it's done.
2 more to go....
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WoodsTruck
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2013
- Messages
- 1,024
Again, a nice job.
You must have some pleasant looking walkers that you want to linger longer on your benches.
You must have some pleasant looking walkers that you want to linger longer on your benches.
Actually I am building these as an incentive to get the island landscaping cleaned up. Previous HOA president dumped a bunch of blasting spoils from a home excavation and some free rip-rap in them and declared them "landscaped". They looked like a bad attempt at lunar landscaping when he was done. Then he moved out and left his mess for us to clean up.... No one was happy with the appearance, this is a small custom home community and the island landscaping didn't even meet the basic community design standards. So... I drafted an agreement that if the adjoining homeowners are willing to pay to remove the ugly moon rock, bring in some new desert plants and landscape gravel that I would donate a bench. All custom, all different, and I get to take artistic liberties with the designs. Many of the neighbors have stepped up and agreed to significant personal investments in the community to address a hot-button issue without raising our dues. Three out of the five islands have been addressed and another one is in the works. The kid whose dump trailer I did the welding on is doing all the work. It's been a win-win for all concerned.
And, as Paul Harvey used to say... "Now you know the....rest of the story..."
When I get them all done I will post photos of all of them installed in one post. I have the miners bench complete, sitting in my garage, waiting on the landscaper to get finished up so we can install it.
Already thinking about the next two... I have some 1-1/4" rebar that might factor in somewhere...
readhead
Well-known member
I supplied gloves for my guys and when the salesman saw how many pairs I was going through he suggested that I try the Kevlar stitching. Fifty percent more expensive but lasted three times longer. They had to trade the old ones to get some new ones.
M.Brane
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Living in oil country I can say that derrick bench is awesome! Nice work!
@PugetDude - I love how the good deed you did for that kid with his trailer is being paid forward on this endeavor. I remember when you posted about that. That's really awesome.
You're like the neighborhood guy fixing the kids bicycles....Which one? I actually ended up repairing 4 different landscape trailers in the last year... Those guys are really rough on them, especially the dump trailers,
Hope I beefed them up enough that they won't be back anytime soon...
his HOA prohibits such behavior let alone child rearing.You're like the neighborhood guy fixing the kids bicycles....
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
That's not true, Cam. We do have one child in the community. She's about six years old. Her mom is in her early 30's, her dad is in his late 70's...
That's not true, Cam. We do have one child in the community. She's about six years old. Her mom is in her early 30's, her dad is in his late 70's...
Nothing to scratch your head about Dan. Apparently he was grandfathered in
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Got the patio furniture back from powder coat yesterday. Really happy with his work.
Now just waiting on the upholstery shop for the remaining cushions and Amazon for the foam tape that goes under the 1" thick porcelain table inserts.
We swapped the bottom cushions from the dining chairs to these sofas, need two more 6" sofa cushions and six new 4" dining cushions.
Now just waiting on the upholstery shop for the remaining cushions and Amazon for the foam tape that goes under the 1" thick porcelain table inserts.
We swapped the bottom cushions from the dining chairs to these sofas, need two more 6" sofa cushions and six new 4" dining cushions.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
You're work is amazing Scott. Love the patio set, but I'm really impressed with the derrick seat for your neighbor. Not only does it have drilling memorabilia incorporated into the design, but it's also the thought and consideration that you put into it. I'm sure your neighbors love having your in their neighborhood. 
Ready to go to war with the construction crews who can't seem to pull an equipment trailer and keep it on the roads...
Looks like I need to put in a couple of big boulders,. . If these assholes are going to drive on the landscaped islands they need to feel it.
Rant over.
Looks like I need to put in a couple of big boulders,. . If these assholes are going to drive on the landscaped islands they need to feel it.
Rant over.
Started a little welding project for my dentist neighbor...
Ooooh. The mythical "extra hard" toothbrush.
When I was a kid we walked.....up hill both ways....snow.....bitter cold....no shoes....brushed our teeth with a re-bar tooth brush.....Started a little welding project for my dentist neighbor...
I decided the last bench I built needed an armrest. This one fit perfectly. Krylon Hammered Cocoa Brown is almost a exact match to the textured rust powder coat. The risers were threaded aluminum down rods that were leftover from the Big *** Fan patio heaters I installed a few weeks ago. Cut them to length and threaded the cut end with an 1/2-13 tap. Drilled two 1/2" holes and bolted them in from the bottom side. (The toothbrush got 1/2" rivnuts for mounting studs threaded into the other end.)
As you can see, I already had already incorporated a bit of diamond plate into this design; the toothbrush gave me the opportunity to add some rebar as well. Balance has been restored. I'm in a zen-like state of equilibrium now.
As you can see, I already had already incorporated a bit of diamond plate into this design; the toothbrush gave me the opportunity to add some rebar as well. Balance has been restored. I'm in a zen-like state of equilibrium now.
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Old Man Roger
Well-known member
Honda Rod.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Exterior Design Extraordinaire
Thanks, Tony. PugetDude was the unfortunate user name I used when I first registered here; during our honeymoon phase of living out on the Olympic Peninsula.Trying to come up with a new Garage Journal user name for Scott
The bench man.
The diamond plate man.
The rebar man.
The Superstition Mountain man.
The desert fabricator.
We moved back to AZ but the damn name stayed.
When I first started to follow your follies, I thought you were pungent dude!
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
larry4406
Well-known member
Free range pork?!Speaking of pungent... These destructive little bastards paid us a visit yesterday. Javelina.
Delivered no less.
Less lead, DIY kit.
Speaking of pungent... These destructive little bastards paid us a visit yesterday. Javelina.
How often do you receive "visits"? Will they run if harassed?
mattthemuppet
Well-known member
Now if you can only get them to hop up onto the grill you'll have breakfast
They're here every couple of days. Usually just pass through, but for some reason this year they have taken a liking to one particular Red Yucca bush and won't leave it alone. I opened the garage door to take pictures, they moved away slowly after giving me the finger and taking a dump in the driveway.