Fishing, this is crazy

I'm not sure if these photos are for real, or if they have been photo-shopped. Basically, I think if you catch a marlin from one of these skids, you are going south (as in traveling very very far from home), and / or going down (as in I have a sinking feeling.....)!

I'm not too sure these are real....... Anyway, the photos were taken off-shore in the Richards Bay area.
Salagatle!

My latest creation

So, another day, another trophy. This one was a bit challenging, as I didn't have any guidance from the "client", and I didn't want to get caught up spending a wallet of money. However, as usual, my creativeness came through, and I am very happy with the end result.

So, at my local sports club (where I am a social member) there is a running section. Amongst all their miles spent on the road, training or competing, is the annual Comrades Marathon (LIU). And every year, there is the usual challenge between the runners around who's actually going to finish the race, who's coming into the finish before who. Some side bets are taken. I noticed, when they recently renewed their trophy cabinet, that there is no trophy for the winners (club in house challenge), so I decided to see if i could come up with something. Turns out this Saturday (9th Oct) is their annual prize giving dinner, so my creation is completed just in time. No one, other then the chairman of the running section, knows about this trophy, so it should be a welcome surprise. Oh, and as I type this, he hasn't seen it yet either, going to give it to him tonight!

So I started out with what do I have on hand I can use. A Nice piece of wood. OK. Take pencil, and sketch out something. Many reiterations later I had an idea of what I wanted to do.

Search the Internet for images. Blow up to required size, and print.
Next, mark out a piece of scrap wood, and test the theory of cutting a pattern, freehand, with the router. Success.
So, now do the same on the actual trophy piece. Right!1 So, what I did was cut out the profile of the race across the top of the board.

The marathon is run over 90 km. It alternates annually, one year down from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, the next year up from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.

Next was the staining of the wood. I had some stain left over from a project done when we built our home. 6 years ago! But, it works well. A few coats later I achieved the result I wanted. Understand, all of this is done in the evenings, a little at a time, over a period of weeks, if not months. (No pressure).

Then I struggled with the layout of annual winners, and decided that a "table" would work. So, I got some motorbike detailing tape, and sorted out that problem.

The next problem was the logo's. I wanted the Khosa logo, (club), and the Comrades logo. Easy to get these off of the Internet, but getting them made proved more challenging. So, Make them etched in glass? Couldn't find anyone who could. Laser cut out of Stainless steel? Very expensive, and long lead time for such a small order. Embroidered ? Well, this is the route I took eventually. ZAR 50.00 for both (they already had the logos' digitized, so no development cost there), done in 2 days, and they look fine!

The labels were the next challange. So, go down to the usual suspect, the Engraving store owned by a suspicious individual (I joke). Pricing high, and lead time too long (for me for this trophy anyway). So, a friend has recently bought his own, desktop label router.

So, he let me do a bit of test work on it, and I liked the results. Then I went down to the local seller of the required blanks, (sheets of plastic lamination's, of the color of your choice), and bought a half sheet of brushed silver. And they cut it up into the sizes I wanted as well!

Anyway, a few hours one afternoon spent trying different fonts, and sizes, and I managed to get all my labels done on one cut sheet. The cost therefore, is 1/12 of ZAR 170.00! Nothing.

I think you will all agree that the finished product looks damn fine. I finished the back off with a black material (same stuff used for pool tables).

I think the Roadrunners Club will like what they see. Now they can, on an annual basis, proudly display the best Comrades runners from their midst.

What do you all think?

Salagatle!

Airbrushing

So, I have a new toy need. As I am making these trophies, I have been using either varnish with a brush, or spray paint (in a can). However, this weekend I stained the wood I am using for my latest creation. When I'm done, I would like to "seal" it with a clear lacquer. Did some test work on a scrap piece of wood, and it looks fine, but not the finish I want. I'm looking for a "glass" finish. Saw some stuff done like this, and it looks almost like there is a 2mm glass pane over the wood. Makes it water and chip resistant, and looks very professional.

Spoke to a friend about it, and he's done some stuff like that before. He said he used an airbrush (for the fine finish) and reaction lacquer, (I think that's what he called it).

This is the entry level Airbrush, at ZAR 170.00 it fits my pocket - but don't think it's the goods I want.

So Sunday morning I take a drive down to Builders Warehouse (LIU). It's the Woolies (LIU) for men! Had a look around, hoping to find a complete set. One that has the airbrush, and compressor included. I know that you can get them, however this place didn't have. What I did find was the following:-

This 24 Ly compressor, of questionable make and quality, was on "special" for ZAR799.00

This is just overpriced, at about ZAR1700.00, and anyway, it looks exactly like my car wheel pump, how the hell can it work as a compressor (no tank)?

This one I like. It can also do sandblasting, which I could definitely use on the trophies from time to time. Costs ZAR600.00.....

Anyway, I didn't buy anything, as I got to look at the options first. Any of you have any thoughts / experience on this? I like the spray / sandblasting combination, just not sure what the life of the nozzle would be. And, what to do for a compressor?

Salagatle!

And the final trophy pics.

Herewith the final pics of the latest trophy. Took it to the club last night to show them, and they were chuffed.





The small plate at the bottom right reads - Trophy by Euroafrican - and my cell number.
I should be getting further interest from other sporting codes in the club for more trophies!

Salagatle!

My latest trophy

So, the local cricket team at the club I frequent, they go under the name "The Bar Fly's", are going on a cricket tour later this year. One of the players heard that I had made some trophies, and asked if I would make one for them.
No Problem I said, as I had some ideas, and the required stuff. So I got the goods ready in the garage (Read workshop), and for a few weeks just kept toying with various ideas. Saturday morning I got out the tools, and threw this together.


The bat I cut off about a third of the way up, at 45deg and mounted on the board. The ball I cut a piece off the bottom to give it a flat base, and the bottle (12 YR Old Glenfidich single malt) which I recently finished, I drilled a hole through the bottom.
Gave the wood work a few coats of Woodock and then screwed the whole lot together.
I will have a name plate made for the front of the bat, to be fitted across the top. It should read "Khosa Bar Flies Cricket, Nelspruit tour, 2010".
Then as the teams win it each year, they can have the plate set below this name plate.

What you all think?

Salagatle!

And finally, recognition

And this past weekend, I got my first official order for a trophy. We have a bunch of guys at the local sport club (of which I am a social member), who play cricket against other clubs - socially. they go by the name "The Bar Fly's"!

Anyway, they heard i was making trophies, and have asked me to make one for them, something different, I can use my imagination. It will be a floating trophy for their annual match against a team from Nelspruit!

He mentioned having a budget of ZAR500 for this - probably too much anyway, but I'll take it!

Will post pics here as the project progresses!

Salagatle!

Trophies

As per a previous post, we going to play cricket in the Kruger National Park this weekend. It's the 21st year that this game takes place!

So, as there has never been any trophies for the winners, we scrounged out an old trophy from the company cupboards. It was a running trophy. I removed the little runner statue off the lid, and replaced it with a cricket ball, shined up the silver, and resprayed the varnished base with matt black for a more modern finish / look. Came out ok. Some detail has been edited out for personal protection! :)


Then, last year when we went down (up?) there to play, during the practice session, one of our players managed to break his bat. And threw it into the bin! I immediately spotted an opportunity there, and removed the broken bat from the bin, made sure I got the match ball, and this is the final result.

It was not too difficult to make, but I must confess to not being much good at varnishing. It's a terrible product to have to work with. Maybe I should get Fishman to give me some tips.

Close up of the "middle". I cut off the ragged parts of the broken bat. Inserted two "wickets, and the match ball!

Comments?
Orders?

Salagatle!