If I "ever" do any more yard "art" (except a pukey giant duck) in
this lifetime, it will be because I did something really, really, wrong,
and that is my punishment. I'm on the final stages of the painting, and
should be finished with everything, including gluing on pieces on the
backs so a stake can hold them up. There's nothing complicated about
any of it, just one major PITA. Usually I enjoy painting, relaxing.
Not these. Anyone else planning on making any, I'd say use plywood
instead of OSB, easier to draw on, easier to cut, easier to apply a
decent coat of paint.

However, all said and done, they're looking pretty good. Mostly
better than the examples I got my inspiration from. One Grim Reaper,
one fierce pumpkin, one stupid pumpkin, two devils, or imps - one
setting the other's butt on fire, and one tombstone, with a ghost
peeking around the edge, and a skull in front. Used good quality
exterior latex paint, easy water cleanup, no bad smell, and dries
quickly. Mixed a few custom colors too, which is easy enough to do. I
must have ****ed the Woodworking Gods off somehow, or more likely, their
idea of a joke. *******s. LMAO



JOAT
"I'm an Igor, thur. We don't athk quethtionth."
"Really? Why not?"
"I don't know, thur. I didn't athk."

Good news, and bad news. Good news first. Made some brackets, or
whatever you want to call 'em, to fit over a stake to hold these things
upright. Took 4 pieces of leftover OSB, cut into small squares, glued 2
together, then the same, an inch apart, then bridged by a thin piece of
wood. Made 12 of these, 2 to each pece of "art". Got those glued on
tonight. Also, got them all painted, except for a bit of detailing.
Should take care of that in maybe an hour or so. The latex dries fast,
so they should be delivered tomorrow. At last, what a PITA.

The bad news. I've been trying to get my mother to move down here.
She wants me to move up there. Well, that sure isn't happining. So,
the dau-in-law wrote her a letter, telling her about a nice place her
grandmother is in, and likes a lot. That all is not the bad news part.
The bad news part is, now the dau-in-law wants 2 Reindeer yard art
pieces, the 2 white ones, one with it's head up, the with the head down.
Crap. So, now I owe here, and looks like this is gonna be payment. No
doubt about it, I'me shafted. Anyway, not about to buy plans for crap
like that, they're $19.95 EACH. No biggie tho, I've found some
pictures, and I'll be able to make similar patterns. Be plenty easy to
paint too, being just one color, can use a roller, or just slop it on
with a big brush. The dau-in-law thinks I should mak a batch of them,
says they sell for $50 each. Hard to believe that people will pay that
kind of money for something like that. Obviously a case of more money
than brains or taste. I may make an extra, as a pattern, and save it,
just in case they actually do sell for that much. Gods above, I feel so
shamed.



JOAT
"I'm an Igor, thur. We don't athk quethtionth."
"Really? Why not?"
"I don't know, thur. I didn't athk."

J T wrote:

doubt about it, I'me shafted. Anyway, not about to buy plans for crap
like that, they're $19.95 EACH.

How about foam? Used it for my seven headstones and only cost $13.99.
While a single headstone at a halloween store cost the same price.
One headstone $14.00 x 7 = $98.00
One sheet of 2" foam = 7 headstones = $14.00
Left over 3/4" sprinkler pipe cut into 16" pieces = free (drill 3/4"
hole into bottom for pipe) in your case into each leg of deer.
[Example: http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/d.../HPIM0484.jpg]
Two cans of spraypaint = $8.00
Having your shop looking like it just snowed after cutting foam with
hole saw = Free

Just a thought, Dave FL

Mon, Oct 22, 2007, 11:35am (EDT-3) (Dave) doth query:
How about foam? snip

Foam? Gods above, no. I figure that would drive the Woodworking
Gods bonkers. Don't need that much extra stress in my life. I'll just
use sheathing plywood. Or maybe OSB again, but give it a couple or
three coats of paint. No prob.

No, my real bitch, besides doing pukey yard "art", is the price
they want for the patterns. $19.95 for ONE set of plans. So if I
bought a pattern for one reindeer, head up; then one with head down;
that's $39.90, not including tax and shipping. No way. Hell, for a lot
less $, I can get "real" woodworking plans for something a lot more
complicated and a whole lot nicer. I even got a book full of plans for
building working model marine steam engines, for a lot less than that.
Besides being what I consider vastly overpriced for almost any plans or
patterns, I can make my own patterns in less time than it'd take me to
get some mailed. It ain't rocket science after all. I've printed out a
couple of pictures of the patterns concerned, and eventually I'll get
around to laying them out with a small grid. Then I'll eventually get a
sheet of plywood, lay out a grid on that, and lay out the patterns on
that. I haven't bothered figuring it out yet, but may even be able to
get it all on one 4X8 sheet. If not, I'll get another. I figure total
cost, less el cheapo white latex paint, will be somewhere between about
$12 to $20 using plywood; and $6 to $12 if I opt for OSB. That's for
two reindeer.



JOAT
"I'm an Igor, thur. We don't athk quethtionth."
"Really? Why not?"
"I don't know, thur. I didn't athk."