This is my son riding my neighbor's horse, Buddy, with the neighbor girl clinging to him.



This led to me getting some of Buddy's horseshoes from the farrier and making a wine rack as a gift for letting my son go riding. That led to people wanting stuff made out of horseshoes.

I made enough at my first craft fair/art show to buy a plasma cutter and bigger air compressor.

I never thought of "welding art" as a thing until that moment.

Now, I usually make 5-7k profit a year screwing around in my shop making stuff. It keeps my CPA spouse mostly off my back when I buy crap.

Anyone else look at a picture and think "damn, that was THE moment?"

Let's see some pics of some of your stuff.

Heck, someone might want to buy.

goalie (and DD)

cool stuff

this could turn into a way cool thread.

Golfer:



Dog:



Skier:



And for Dan, a few seconds after my first shots fired in anger:

LOL

had a buddy back in high school who welded up nice belt buckles, scorpions, longhorns, etc.

My welds look like that dude from Goonies.

He's a fanboy for sure.

I was going to post a pic of Kingstons colored boyfriend but I don't want to ruin this thread.

Damn, goalie, those are nice!!!

Holy SCHITT DD ! Were you flying that one ?

Snowman for the electrophysiology nurses:



Melee weapons:



Boot rack:



Owl:

The grinder makes you the welder you're not......

My son making a cat:

Cool stuff Goalie!!!

goilie, you are a very talented guy. Very nice stuff in those pics! Never tried to weld, but always swore that someday, I would learn. Hope I can find someone as good as you for my mentor.

Wow man

Just keeps coming with cool metalwork talent.

This is the one that paid off:



Lady at work has a daughter that rides horses. She wanted something cool to hang in the stable.

I wrote down the sizes/where to cut the shoes, and now I can crank one out in about an hour.

No finish work, it's supposed to rust.

And horse people around the Twin Cities apparently have more money than brains......

That's good stuff Goalie, very nice!

Way cool metal work.

Awesome stuff goalie.

He looks happy 😃

Enlisting in the USN. By the time I was done there 25 years had passed and I had visited 51 countries

Not to dampen the fun, but seeing the second jet hit the WTC.

Horse people in general have more money than brains. But that’s a very cool decoration. Were I still married to the crazy horse broad, I’d probably be having you ship one of those to me.

Great work goalie, especially like the MC !

Thanks. The first one took a lot of trial, error and time, but it really turned out to be something I didn't feel was half-assed, and I've had 8 or 9 referrals just by word of mouth.

Meeting my war brother Jim Martin aka ET at the airport for the first time since our paths crossed in SEA so many years ago.. how lucky we were to have survived to finally hug and shed a tear.

Certainly changed our lives forever,bonded our families and made us realize how fragile we are and to be thankful for every sunrise..

Cool stuff, goalie.

Awesome pic, Woody!

Can't top that one!

When I found out my dog liked her, and she absolutely knew how to fish...

It's good to get together with the men you served with once in a while!

Glad you got the chance

Touching scotch tape with my finger.

No, I was the bait. He was my savior.

I'll bet the Cobra did work better than an ARA....

Probably changed the boy’s life too- bet he will always have a thing for cowgirls

Pure awesomeness.

Dan I'm guessing you were more maneuverable but could you outrun a Snake ?

Goalie
You gots an artistic/creative side. Good stuff. Really like that skier.

I'll take one of these.

Nothing like having a Snake on station when you need one. I can still pick a Cobra out just from the rotor sound. Nothing else sounds as good as a Cobra when it's coming to save your ass!

Thanks.

It's something I never thought of until the wine rack. Other neighbors saw it and asked for one, "but a little different" and it snowballed (in a good way).

The original:



A different wine rack, among other things:

Awesome Woody. Thanks both of y'all for your service, and appreciation for your shared brotherhood....

Easily the Greatest story ever told on the Fire.

Real men.

You don't see any White Claw in that picture!!!

🇺🇸

Some great pics!

Goalie- are those all original designs?

Me too ! Exceptional skills evident ...

About 50-50.

I've had a lot of people show me a picture of what they want, and a lot of "stealing" an idea, but going another direction.

The owls were mine, and now lots of people are selling them or something close on e tsy.

The first wine rack was from a picture, the one with a railroad spike base was my adaption.

Skiing figures were me, and I've done cross country skiers as well.

Aaaaaand I have a weekend project.

Metal bender: check
Rebar: check
Welder: check

😁

Kool, I often wonder what would have happened if I had stayed in. My senior chief wanted me to re enlist and go Radioman in planes but I had other ideas of going to college. I did the later and everything worked out but I'll never not wonder.

Where is OLD COOT in this thread?????

These are all originals:

Flower my son and I did for mother's day. It was a success



Another dog, because dogs are fuucking awesome:



Drums. I've played since 1980



For a friend, "the dude"

Self explanatory



For the garden



My wife likes snowflakes. It's the size of a Christmas wreath



For a co worker with chickens who gives me eggs

That doesn't look like a good outcome

War buddies no wife could be as close

Winner!

Oh, Thank you both.

I get dibbs.

I sincerely hope not.

You only wake up if you're alive.

Good commies and all.....

What an outstanding and amazing talent you have. Love the owls.

Good for you dude. Welding art is hot right now. I like it too, but nowhere near talented.

This turned into four deployments for me.

Light hearted moment if you will. Shortly before the end of my first tour I flew front seat (gunner) in Snakes for about 2 weeks. Different perspective for sure. We were on a mission in support of our infantry platoon that was doing a recon in force in what I recall was known as Elephant Valley, to the west of Quang Tri. The valley was west of the first high ridge that separated the coastal lowlands from the high mountains.

In the midst of all this fun we were in contact with a multi unit team of long range patrol (LRPs) and they had a radio relay on top of one of the peaks nearby. Common construct intended to maintain radio contact with all units. Another ace up the sleeve were a series of sensors previously put in place by the Air Force. They were typically delivered is a style one would expect such as acoustic sensors on or near trails, seismic sensors adjacent to roads etc. They were delivered much in the same way as bombs and initial appearance was quite similar, but after deployment they would typically embed the nose section and deploy an antenna that looked a bit like a bush w/o leaves. Olive drab in color they were not that easy to spot. And we had 10 digit coordinates on their location, meaning we could place them within about 10 meters with use of a tactical map. On this occasion the radio relay team was wired into several of the acoustic sensors and they had a Vietnamese on the team who could translate dink-speak.

So, were were keeping an eye on things when we got a call that the dinks near sensor X were discussing the set up of an ambush on our troops, and the sensor ID was passed along. Took a few moments for me to locate it on the map, then the terrain and finally to brief the back seat boss where it was. Mission control told us to whack their butts and as we rolled in the relay team called to advise the ambush had been canceled because the dinks only had SKS guns, not AKs. Seconds after that call this was my view from the front seat.



The next call from the relay team...laughing hysterically....we were on target. In the background we could faintly hear screaming and such. I might have smiled for a day or two afterwards.

If there were any film or photo that absolutely with no doubt warped my mind forever and changed my life while instilling in me a lifelong infatuation with things of Braintan buckskin, tomahawks, forged knives, animal skins, wool and linen handsewn clothes, powderhorns, hunting pouches, flintlocks, and campfires, it was that fella back in the 50’s responsible for this.

Winning!!!!!

Neat pic, always liked to see 2.75's [ if that's what those were ] deployed in salvo mode, a few always had minds of their own just wondered how many bad guys thought they were safe and ate em outside the 10 ring

Still have violent survivors guilt dreams to this day.
Subconscious mind schit.
Last night.
Not frequent, I think looking at this thread yesterday did a jedi mind fugg on me in a way.
Bare my soul a little.
Lots of you will know the feelings.
And IDGAF what anyone thinks.
Those that have walked the walk know...


I got 3 philipino privates fresh outta Benning in July of 01.
Cockblocked the schitt outta the other 2 PSG,s with my 1sg to get all 3 of em in my platoon.
My experience with philippino soldiers as a tm ldr, and Sqd ldr in my past was they dont quit ever, they have a inner desire to excell.
Ravago is pictured mid june 03.
The "lull" before mout insurgent warfare ramped up late july aug 03.
My 1st soldier KIA ever...
Then Casica KIA ...
Then Sanchez Wia...
All over the period of 4 months.
We got payback for you guys but nearly not enough .
We wanted more.
Waay more but we had to rotate out and go home.
I'm sorry...
Gawdddddammit......
As long as the 502nd exist.
So will you guys......




I will see you hard SOB,s again when my time comes.

Desert storm was a 4 day cake walk for the 101st.
Was a line dog sqd ldr e6 in A co 2/327th.

Fired 4 shots the morning of FOB Cobra .

OIF 1
Desert and mout warfare.
Insurgent mout warfare.

The American Infantryman Army and Marine did their part.
Nuff said.

Jimmy Grace,

You humble me!

Thanks.

ford explorer sport 2013 0 to 60

Yep, 2.75” FFAR. 17# HE Quick was 80% of what we carried. Balance was flechette rkts.

HAHA

Goalie:

A skilled creative eye there. Local artist lady moved away from here years back with the talent to work and create in any medium. I don't think she was ever on vacation as she'd be gathering rocks, sticks, bones, or whatever and putting things together.

Not very artistic here, but do have some flint knapping abilities I've considered capitalizing on. Fifty or 60 lbs of points around just taking up space.

Just do it.

I never would have gotten a table at an art show, but a secretary in my department makes really nice mittens and goes to shows. She talked me into making some Christmas stuff so she'd have more at her table.

It was well worth it.

Here's another pic I had stashed.

Dam that's nice! Sir you have a Great Talent!

Thank you sir!

New version of the horseshoe horse

Great stuff Goalie !!

I'm super impressed. Wow. can you make a jackrabbit?

Challenge accepted

What happened to the pics?
I do not see any of the welded Art now.

I just looked - they took a bit to load for some reason but they are there.

Cool stuff Goalie, looking forward to seeing your jackrabbit.

Going to work on a jackrabbit this weekend.

My son needs to make some fire pokers to sell as well.

Should be a fun shop weekend

My golfer got a kayaker buddy

Thank you for your service!

This pic here really changed my way of thinking. When we were allowed in we rode down to somerset county to where flight 93 crashed. No one said a word.

High Brass' first deer.

Goalie, your skill is welding, your art is being able to see something in a piece of scrap steel that doesn't exist yet....great looking stuff!

For me, it was a picture of a Seguine custom hunting knife in a Gun Digest somewhere around 1967. I knew that I wanted to be able to make a custom knife. Never had dreams of being good enough to earn a membership in the Knifemaker's Guild, much less be asked to be a member of the Technical Committee. I love making a variety of different styles and can go from making a knapped flint blade to carving a stag handle in the same morning...

I would love to build a forge, but my shop is attached to my house, and the insurance would be ridiculous. 😟