Welcome to Westwood Metalworks, What is he building in there?

[Dan Dubeau]

As an homage to Mcgyvers reference to A Tom Waits song in my Smithy build thread, I figure it was a fitting title for a catch all thread for all the little projects I work on that aren't really worthy of their own threads. As it turns out too, the Neighbors ARE curious about what I'm building over here lol. Been meaning to do this for a while now, just never got around to it yet.....

Sometimes I take lots of pics along the way, sometimes I don't take any till it's over. Might be metalwork, might be wood work, might be some food pics, or even some golf ones, who knows. We'll see where this goes.....

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Last weekend I picked up this heavily built steel bench off market place. 3/16" plate tops, with heavy angle legs. It held a welding power supply and wire feeder and was very solidly welded together. All I was was two cheap heavy duty workbenches with some assembly required....



I dropped them off the trailer in the backyard and went at it. Portaband didn't quite make it all the way through.....



Time to bust out the big guy, and have some fun.


I flipped them over and welded some feet on the legs so they wouldn't sink in the dirt floor of the smithy. I'll stick some wood scraps under as well.


The hand truck I made steel wheels for a few weeks ago came in really handy to move these around. Man I missed that thing.... WAY more stable with the steel wheels vs pneumatic ones.


They will be going along the back wall, and the Shorter one will hold a toolbox on top. Haven't really had time to rip out the old stuff yet, but I did get to use one in a temporary spot today to clean up a bunch of mill scale from another project on the go. It's awesome having a dirty spot to do this work now that is out of the rain......No more grinding in the garage shop or bench behind the garage.


Nice stout benches that'll serve me well for the rest of my life. I may end up raising that shorter one, or doing something else with it. Lift table perhaps?.........That would be handy.....

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Took a break today from cleaning up that steel and whipped up this little shelf for press accessories. I'm always chipping away at little shop organization projects like this, and finding homes for stuff. Much easier to keep things neat and orderly if you can put stuff back when you're done with it. I wasn't always this way, I'm not naturally this way and it's a constant battle, but I am WAY more productive this way. It's not even close, and that's enough motivation to keep moving forward.....enough yapping, pic....



Nothing fancy 1.5x1.5x0.125" angle. I milled slots for the cross pins on the mill though. I have casters on the way for the press. It's the only thing in here not on wheels, or pallet jack ready. It was skating by under the radar but having to snake that steel around it/through it to get to the saw finally pushed me over the edge lol.

Pic from the open door through the shop at my long stock breakdown setup. I can back up the trailer in the driveway with a full stick, and feed it through, but I usually just get 10's, and 12's from the walk in side now.


The saw in it's normal resting spot will take material in between my drill press table, and surface grinder.


Yes, an adjustable saw stand is on the list too.....It's been on the list for a while.....Might just make a top hat for the toe jack, and have one less thing to trip over.....

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Made this quick and dirty eye bending jig last week too.


1/2" eye, for a 1/4" rod. Made specifically for a blacksmithing project, but already came in handy making a new hook latch for the chicken coop door . Made it the old fashioned way by trial and error. I think this was iteration 4 or 5. Eye still not as tight as I want, but it's more than good enough for this project. Tried rollers, various stops, etc..fun times.....

 

[Dan Dubeau]

It's not all metal and wood..... Sometimes you have to make something tasty to eat too.

Smoked pork belly and homemade steamed bao buns, and garden fresh quickled veg.





I dislocated my shoulder patting myself on the back for that one. They were tasty......

 

[DavidR8]

Looks delish!

 

[Dan Dubeau]

They were. Family loved them so much the first time, I had to make them again lol. That was the 2nd go round, and I got the dough to rise better that time. They're going in the meal rotation.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Made a jig this morning to weld on the flanges for posts all nice and square. Made from random scrap/offcuts sitting on my welding table without having to cut anything, just had to bend those vertical legs in the press a bit. I have the most fun on little projects like this. Picking stuff up, flipping it around, and asking it what it wants to be . Reminds me of playing with lego/meccano as a kid. These chunks were asking to be a welding jig .




Besides allowing me to tack all four corners in one clamping, I kind of future proofed it for as many other possible uses and sizes I could think I might need. It'll do up to 6" flange on a 2" post (round or square), and anything smaller. Shown is a 4" flange on 1.5" tube. Plus it's portable.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

It's not all metal and wood..... Sometimes you have to make something tasty to eat too.

Smoked pork belly and homemade steamed bao buns, and garden fresh quickled veg.
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I dislocated my shoulder patting myself on the back for that one. They were tasty......

I do a version of the serious eats 36 hour sous vide pork belly that it finished by deep frying... I bet an hour on the smoker sitting on a wood plank before the deep frying would make an excellent bao bun addition. Smoky crisp exterior melt in your mouth succulent interior in a nice bun.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I always forget I have an Immersion Circulator. Used it a bunch when I first got it about 7-8 years ago, then the novelty wore off. It was brand new, found for $20 in value village . Wifi model too. I'm going to have to dig it out again and try the next belly like that.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

After lunch I welded up the legs. Jig worked great

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Then it was time to make another jig, and clean off my table.....



Worked great, and was quick to put together. Will also work on the topside when I start welding it to the top rail.

I got 2 welded, and a 3rd jigged up ready to go before the dinner bell rang. Nothing fancy, noodles and sauce, and vegetarian Cauliflower "meatballs". 2 veggie meals in a row. I think the Wife is trying to convert me.......

I'm hoping I get them all tacked up before I run out of gas. I'm riding empty and have been for a while...........

 

[Dan Dubeau]

All four all tacked up. I'll weld them out when they're all together with the entire railing. Too much movement....

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Had a bit more time before I like to shut down welding for the day, so I figured I could get the toprail end caps done.

Found some pipe, and cut some filler pieces.


Traced it out


Did some cutting and grinding


Did some welding


Did some more grinding.....


Should come out nice with a DA. Need to cap the other end too, but it'll just be flat. Tomorrow's job..... Golfing tomorrow afternoon, so we'll see how much I get done in the morning. If I get these rails capped and cleaned up I'll be happy with that.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

I always forget I have an Immersion Circulator. Used it a bunch when I first got it about 7-8 years ago, then the novelty wore off. It was brand new, found for $20 in value village . Wifi model too. I'm going to have to dig it out again and try the next belly like that.

There are some foods that benefit greatly. Chicken is one of them, and I feed my dogs homemade meals with sous vide chicken as the main protein.

I debone chicken thighs, season them and then roll them tightly. Sous vide for 3 hours at 150F. Chill in ice water bath and freeze. Then when I want an easy meal I defrost and then either broil them for 6 minutes to crisp the skin or deep fry them like we had tonight.

They're the fattest juiciest crispy skin chicken wings on earth because the sous vide breaks down the skin and any cartilage and renders all the fat so the skin can crisp very fast and the meat just rewarms. I use the broiled versions sliced after cooking to top ramen when I am out of pork belly.

But the very very best is to sous vide brisket and then ice chill and refrigerate, then come bbq day you only need cook it long enough to get a crust and warm though, and get a nice smoke as well. I'm a smoking fanatic, and would gladly get up at 3am to start a brisket, but now I dont have to and I get the best brisket ever. Serious eats has a good treatise on options to use as a starting point for experimentation.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Top rails capped and finished ground. Everything else all tacked up, still haven't run out of gas yet lol.


One down, another one to go. Had to move it out of the shop, just no room to work on the other one with both in there. Ship in a bottle.....I need a bigger shop.....

 

[Dan Dubeau]

One of my other hobbies is golf, and building/repairing golf clubs. This was a repair for a friend to his 3 Iron. Not sure how it bent this time, but this is the 2nd time I've repaired this club. I had to reshaft it a couple years ago after he snapped the head off, and this time it was close again. I think it might be getting slammed against his tailgate when he throws his clubs in the box....


A little heat to the hozzle to break the epoxy bond.


Some cleanup....


I needed to cut an inch off of this, and stick an extension in the butt end to get the length back, so the grip had to come off. A few years ago I made this grip saver tool. Just some 1/2"x1/8" steel with a bent handle and ground to a smooth point. A tiny bit of grip solvent under the grip, and work this tool around a bit and it'll slide right off ready to be used again. Easy way to save a $10 grip.




Extension, and shaft all glued up, and ready to go in 24hours.


I'll regrip it in the morning, but he won't be able to play it for our tomorrow afternoon round.

For those curious....yes the extension will make a swing weight difference, maybe a few points. I could have added some weight to the head to counteract that, but i'll see how he feels with it. I have a home built swing weight scale I made a few years ago, and can match this to his set, but TBH he's an anomaly and will just adjust to whatever I give him, and then beat me by a few strokes with it lol. If he complains, I'll pull it apart again, and add some head weight.....I'll bring the lead tape tomorrow in case he starts complaining.....

 

[JustaDB]

I think it might be getting slammed against his tailgate when he throws his clubs in the box...

Or against the ground in frustration...

Paradise Canyon is a golf course on the west side of Lethbridge. The Oldman river borders a portion of the course. More than once a buddy of mine & I have pulled a golf club out of the water while canoeing the river.

Whack!! FuXX!!! Splash!!

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I thought and teased him about that too, but he's a pretty chill golfer. About an 8hcp and only plays irons. Doesn't own any woods/driver, and only plays 3-p with a 56* wedge. Me on the other hand.....an 11.5hcp now, with D, 3w, 4hy, 2-p, 52, 56, 60 (in and out of the bag depending on course, of course) and he's still better than me by a few strokes every round. I only beat him about once every 8-10 rounds, and have for the past almost 30 years. Can't say I've ever seen him slam or toss a club in anger. The only other option is his Wife breaking them which is entirely possible...... lol.

I have found quite a few broken and tossed clubs on the course over the years though. It's a poor tradesman that blames his tools.......

Me a forever tinkerer just finished swapping out a driver shaft in mine. I've not been able to swing as fast as normal the past few rounds due to some back pain, so I swapped out to a 6o gram Stiff shaft from my 70gram Xtra stiff. Hit a few in the back yard, and was able to bring them back into the fairway with a baby draw, so that's a plus. Hopefully today will be one of those rounds I get the better of him.....We've been pretty even lately.

 

[Tom O]

At a Company golf tournament we had a good laugh Buddy was bragging about a Ping driver he borrowed from a friend about 1/2 way through the game he winds up and the head went further than the ball.
PS, No golf carts ended up in the water hazard although we did have to drag one out of the swamp.