Dad's creations

[OccupantRJ]

My Dad was a weekend alcoholic when I was growing up, until I was about 20 years old or so. One day he quit drinking, cold turkey, and suddenly got creative making things. Unusual things. Strange things. I'll start this thread off with a couple of the less unusual items he made, then as I get time, I will add pics of some of his other creations to this work in progress.

The first is a couple of cars he made from scraps of wood, with opening doors and trunks, along with brake and clutch pedals. You can see that he took a little artistic license with details, but he was doing this as therapy, and to please himself. He was in charge of a litter team in WW2, in Africa, Italy and France, picking up dead and injured off the battlefields, so I guess that would make most people drink. Hope you enjpy this thread as it progresses.

 

[David79z28]

WOW your Dad was very talented.

 

[jhn9840]

Those are very nice. Your Dad must have put a lot of time and effort in his project. Look forward to seeing more.

jhn9840
John

 

[JustBob]

Very creative, he has quite a talent!

 

[scooterseats]

I just love those wooden hinges.

 

[MartyO]

Unusual things. Strange things. I'll start this thread off with a couple of the less unusual items he made, then as I get time, I will add pics of some of his other creations to this work in progress.

This is Garage Journal.

We like strange and unusual.

Post up more!

 

[Amitygravel]

RJ
Those are really incredible ! Thanks for showing them and shariing the personal story that goes with them. Look forward to seeing more.

Craig.

 

[OccupantRJ]

My Dad grew up in the country on a farm, so tonight's post is of some folk art he created of a farmer plowing the field with his old faithful mule. Note the detail he went into on the plow.

 

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

very cool

 

[NASTYZEN]

Your Dad was very talented.What tools did he use to make these?

 

[OccupantRJ]

Your Dad was very talented.What tools did he use to make these?

Table saw, bandsaw, sander, drill press, drum sanders, hacksaw, knives, and sandpaper. Each figure is in two halves laminated together to get the legs shifted in proper position to represent walking. That way he could rough out halves on the band saw then glue them together to save on carving. I got to watch him make almost everything he built as it progressed. All my friends just loved to visit my house so they could see what he was up to next. He passed away in 1991 of emphyzema from smoking.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Next up is a suit of armor Dad made from a mannequin and sheet metal salvaged from one of my old VW beetles. He came out to my shop one day and wanted to know what I was going to do with the old car sitting out back. I told him he could do as he wished with it, as I knew it would be worth it for the entertainment. He returned with a drop cord, drill, and jigsaw, and commenced to feeling of the curvature of the beetle, looking for just the right shapes. When he found the areas he was looking for, he cut out sections and took back to his workshop. Next day, he showed up in his Buick and drug a woman mannequin out of the back seat. I just had to follow along on this one. He had acquired the Ms. from the back room of my older sister's beauty shop. He sawed the breasts off the mannequin while we both chuckled and grinned, then sawed and reshaped one of the arms to hold the broadaxe. The mannequin was used for a mandrel to attach the sheetmetal to with various fasteners, and he just HAD to have a face inside when you were to raise the visor, as he delighted in screwing with people's heads. The "skirt" area of the suit is an inverted metal trash can. My son has this piece and another I'll introduce later displayed in his home.

 

[MartyO]

Your dad has talent!

 

[bluebolt]

Your dad was an artist. Cool stuff please keep posting!

 

[Vettman]

Skils! Very nice work!

 

[johno]

Very nice I'm likeing his work a lot.
Waiting to see whats next.
Thanks for posting these.

 

[rocklobster]

I like the story that goes along with these creations as well!

 

[reedwesd]

That stuff is pretty awesome.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Tonight's selection is one of Dad's more unusual pieces. He was watching a program on TV about Egypt and the time of the Pharoahs. After the program ended, he stated that he had always liked Egyptian history, and that he just might have to make himself one of those mummy cases like King Tut had.

Oh boy, here we go! He wandered around my shop and scrap metal pile for a while the next day, and eventually asked if I was planning to use a small cast iron storm drain I had acquired. The drain was donated, and project "Mummy Case" began in earnest. I could hear him in his workshop near mine sawing, banging, drilling, sanding and who knows what else for several months. What finally emerged is in the pictures below, including a replica of a wrapped mummy inside.

The face is an old wig display, the serpent is a notched fan belt, there's the handle off a coffee pot in there somewhere, and you'll just have to figure out the rest. The storm drain was used as a foot platform, with the weight keeping the case from tipping over when displayed. After my Dad died, my youngest son showed some interest in his Grandad's things, so I gave it to him to keep in the family. He proudly kept it in his room as a teenager, and had fun watching the expression of his visiting friends when they saw it.

My Dad's greatest pleasure came on Halloween when he would give out candy at the front door, with the sarcophagus displayed right behind him. He would lure kids and their parents inside, then dare them to open the case. He even had it where the hinges would squeek when the front was opened. He had a giant rubber spider attached to the mummy inside, and all of it together usually sent the victims out screaming and squealing.

 

[tonydanzah]

that coffin is beatiful and the computer background is pretty good

 

[johno]

That's the best one yet.I really like the use of all the found materials.
I hope you've got some of this stuff on display at home.
It shouldn't all be locked up in the attic.
Thanks for showing us this stuff.

 

[Mike14k]

This is about the most unique use of a "garage fabrication" I've seen in a while. your dad was a cool guy to creat these things.

 

[Jack Olsen]

That guy has skills.

Sorry to hear about the job he got stuck with in the war -- no one should be exposed to that sort of thing. And sorry to hear he self-medicated for all those years.

But wow -- he's an artist.

 

[colt zantop]

very cool stuff...a TRUE artist!

 

[jtbinvalrico]

Seeing his work is reminding me to exercise patience and perseverance in my own projects. I appreciate the reminder to bring that spirit into my own shop.

 

[Lomotil]

Whoa! That's incredible! Didn't really get a feel for the sheer size of it until it was shown propped up against the wall behind the computer...

 

[OccupantRJ]

Here's a hall seat with mirror, along with a side table that Dad made during his creative period. Solid black walnut construction. He also made the 2 small rocking chairs displayed on it.

 

[joeswamp]

I had a relative like your father that had seen a lot of horrifying stuff during the war and became an alcoholic for decades afterwards -- I think this happened to a large number of people actually. He only talked about his war experiences in the last couple years of his life. Your father was extremely talented and creative, it's really interesting how these inherent traits emerged after he stopped drinking.

 

[CaptainRay]

I sure do miss my Dad...

 

[wornoutoldman]

Incredible stuff. Thanks for sharing.

 

[toytech40]

Incredible talent, eye for detail and patience went into these items. You and your family will treasure these items for generations to come, and you should write down the stories behind them like you did here with us so future generations will know details.

 

[madmikeee]

Your dad was a VERY creative man, My dad was a creative guy as well from what I am told, sadly alcohol killed him at 46 years old and I missed out on things like you are showing here. I am glad to see you realize just how special these items are and are keeping them in the family.

Awesome work!

 

[48James]

Your dad was a very good craftsmen. I'm happy your keeping it all in the family!

 

[YZ Rider]

These pieces are amazing, Thank you for showing them!

 

[balane]

I love his variety. I could look at your pop's stuff all day long.

 

[onemore]

Very nice unique stuff.

 

[flatlander42]

Subscribed!

 

[hdpusher]

What an amazing talent.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I ran across something interesting yesterday. Since my workplace is shut down due to no electric power available, I spent part of the day in my shop cleaning up and organizing those things that we are all going to get to someday. I ran across one of my Dad's Exacto knife kits that he had used along with others to create some of his work shown in this thread. He had marked it for the job, but the most interesting surprise when I opened it was the Native American arrowhead that he had placed in the box for some unknown reason. I guess he had the arrowhead in there for inspiration on his next unknown to me project. He died in 1991, and this was the first time I remember opening this particular box. The experience brought a smile to my face, for sure.

 

[knotheads]

god bless your dad. the dad of a friend of mine while growing up had the same job as your dad during ww2. he never recovered from the bottle or the memorys of that job.