4milegallery

Canoe retail displays

2012-01-31T17:03:00.000-08:00

Northbound outfitters in Grayling Mi.

had .me design and fabricate these custom displays for their canoes

Potpourri

2012-01-31T17:00:00.000-08:00

In between the custom fab jobs, is a healthy sprinkling of odd repairs.

A worn out shaft that needs to be welded up and turned on a lathe, and snow blower that has seen better days.

The drink rails for the Park Bar.

2012-01-31T16:56:00.000-08:00

Jerry is in dire need of these. There on their way to being finished soon.

Polishing stainless

2012-01-31T16:53:00.000-08:00

It's a thankless job.

This stuff doesn't polish itself.
These flat, gray and deeply marred pieces of stainless are going to be table legs for a dining room table to be fitted with an engineered quartz top.

My new favorite color

2011-11-28T08:39:00.000-08:00

I finally got the mill up and running. There will be no more relying on pencil marks.

The shop is up and running

2011-11-28T08:36:00.000-08:00

The shop is about 99% operational. I have a couple of pieces yet to purchase.

The stairs for Steve Nagy.

2011-09-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time coming, but the stairs are complete and installed. The details of this job were worked out and I received a deposit for the job just days before my shop caught fire and burned to the ground. Fortunately for me my client was patient and let me proceed. Aside from obvious set backs resulting from the fire, the outcome was nice.

Grass fed photos

2010-12-16T11:56:00.000-08:00

fossilized proof that practic makes perfect

explaining "Greener pastures" through diorama

bone vase

Life springs eternal from the bones of our backs

some day strange and tiny things will find you delicous

mental experiments concerning life death and the transmission of gasses

you shouldn't think on an empty stomach

bone yard

It's been a while, here are the photos from grass fed.
My daughter was the driving force behind these pieces. She had questions about what happens when you die. As a father I plan on doing my best not to lie to her, So I told her that when you die you go back to the Earth and become, air, water, dirt, worms, birds, and a little of everything else. with every breath you take you are literally breathing the bones of your ancestors. I want her to have a connection with her surroundings that is so intimate and innate that no matter where she is she is always
home, and always among the love of her family.

The pieces shown above are all made from left over bits and pieces of aluminum scrap I've collected over the last couple of years. Along with the bones from a cow that was raised locally and a small leg bone I found in the woods behind my house. I tried to illustrate the infinite web of connection between us and everything else alive and dead, in a way a 4 year old can understand.

Marathon week

2010-06-03T21:39:00.000-07:00

The show is going up next week, lots of details are being worked out.

I'll sleep after it's over.

so far things are looking good.

GRASS FED

2010-05-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

I have a small one man Sculpture show Going in at the Inside Out Gallery in Traverse City on 06/11/10.

The pieces in the show are answers to My daughters questions about what happens when you die.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERFECT STOOL FOR THE PARK BAR

2010-03-04T20:08:00.000-08:00

We recently Forced this one out. The bent wood back will be done soon.

Geometric Meets Organic

2010-02-23T18:56:00.000-08:00

Oops. This log isn't cut to fit.
No problem lets make some templates, do a little black magic (math), and Pow!!
Custom lugs to cover the ugly spots.
Now we need to disassemble them, add patina, and mount them in the house.
Finish photos will be posted later.

PARK BAR DETROIT.

2010-01-16T11:37:00.000-08:00

Work has begun on booths for the Park Bar in Detroit.

PEICES AND PARTS

2010-01-16T07:45:00.000-08:00

My foundry has, and will continue to get a workout over the next couple of months in preparation for an art show at the INSIDE OUT GALLERY in May.

Marble top

2010-01-16T07:42:00.000-08:00

The installation went on without a hitch. I wish I had day light for the photo.

TABLE FOR THE INMAN CO.

2009-12-29T05:27:00.000-08:00

Fabrication of the base is complete, on to the finish and the marble top.

Lightning rod for church

2009-10-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

We recently helped out a local Farm park in the reconstruction of an old church.
It seems they needed a lightning rod.
4Mile Welding jumped in to save the day.

SIMPLE RAILING FOR THE FOSTERS

2009-07-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

We recently built a simple railing for the Foster residence in Grayling, had it powder coated a really cool burgundy, and installed it. Here are some pics.

HELLGATE CYCLERY

2009-07-09T05:09:00.000-07:00

A few months back a really good friend of mine told me he was going to open a bike shop in Montana. The shop is strictly dedicated to repairs and used bikes, a perfect fit with our current economic situation. They needed a logo and I volunteered. The shop is in Missoula not far from the mouth of the Hell Gate canyon. I did some research and found that the name Missoula is abbreviated form of a native american word, (Ne-missoolatakoo) meaning a place of fear next to the water. French fur traders called it Port d'Enfere, the gate of hell.

Old Harley tank

2009-06-09T16:18:00.000-07:00

I recently was asked to rebuild a tank for an old Italian built Harley Davidson.

Sure, no problem.

The tank, as you can see from the pictures was in rough shape, and wouldn't
hold gas. After a few hours of banging and some steel reclaimed from an old refrigerator, I have something that closely resembles the original tank. It actually holds fluid, now all I have to do is install the petcock.

HOOD ORNAMENT FOR THE NUGE

2009-05-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

So a while back I built a small foundry. I then proceeded to destroy it with excess heat.
The second edition foundry is soon to be up and running. The last project I poured was this aluminum antler. I liked the idea of taking an object that you would normally see in some rustic cabin in the woods and give it a new spin. When removed from the normal context, the result is something a little more streamlined. Less "Field and Stream" , more "Popular Science".

The antler is cast from recycled aluminum, the streamlined form it is attached to is fabricated from an old aluminum road sign.

No Fossil fuels were burned in the casting process. This foundry runs on vegetable oil.

SMALL RAILING AND GATE FOR THE COMMONS

2009-02-22T09:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I installed the first of what I hope to be many jobs for The Inman Company.
This job was pretty straight forward, fabricate and install a handrail and safety gate for the residence of Karla Herbold.

Karla owns a space on the newly renovated Grand Traverse Commons. I have yet to meet Karla, but judging from the fit and finish of her stylish loft space, she's probably quite cool.
Many thanks to Karla for letting me add to her space.
Thaks to Shane Inman of The Inman Company as well, for the referral.
.

FIREPLACE

2009-01-14T08:05:00.000-08:00

The doors are done and installed. Now on to the railings

THE FOUNDRY

2009-01-12T17:35:00.000-08:00

The foundry is rolling. I just poured some custom handles for a fireplace surround.
I'm pretty happy with the results.

Signs

2008-09-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

This is a project I did years ago for a take out Mexican place in in Royal Oak. The hanging panels
on the building are lit from behind. It's been a long time. I think eight or nine years since this was done. The surrounding area is almost unrecognizable.

TOP OF THE HILL RUN, AND THE IRON LUNG.

2008-05-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

For the past 4 years I've had the opportunity to make trophies for the first run of the year at my local recreation area. Hanson Hills , Graylings' head quarters for outdoor athletic activities, and the only place in the area for kids of all ages to participate in everything from t-ball, softball, soccer, football, hiking, running, downhill skiing, cross country skiing, and mountain biking.

I'm fortunate to have all of this in my back yard. I have my very own single track trail from my yard that links into one of the most fun uncrowded mountain bike trails in Michigan. I use the trails as much if not more than most people in the area. Donations like this are my way of saying thanks for the sweet trails.

The trophy that is pictured below was created using an ancient Chinese secret developed in the ghettos of Detroit. I Believe this ancient process dates back as far as 10 years and originated in the shady corners of the little aluminum casting company. I witnessed the process and never experimented with it until last year. Then by a simple twist of fate, my friend Dan Ryniak discoverd the same process and rekindled my inspiration regaurding the dark art of pressure forming.

2008-02-17T06:56:00.001-08:00

Large fabrication projects

2008-02-17T06:29:00.000-08:00

I Worked as a lab tech in the art department of Oakland Community College. During that time I
Helped Sculptor Ray Katz Fabricate this piece. The piece is entirely constructed out of aluminum sheet, with the exception of the large spring form. the spring was cast from aluminum segments then welded together. All elements of this piece are bolted together to aid in transport and assembly.

Mural

2008-02-17T06:11:00.001-08:00

These are photos of a mural of the inside of Ford field, for Robert Porcher. This was the last painting job I had before leaving Detroit.

Many thanks to Shirley Maddalena.

http://www.maddalenadesign.com

stairs

2008-02-17T06:08:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of a stainless steel stair stringer that was designed by my friend Ed Sykes. I spent weeks fabricating it, and a 36 hour day installing it in an architects office in Royal Oak.

http://www.hfarchitecture.com

Furniture

2008-02-17T05:56:00.000-08:00

sculpture

2008-02-16T14:08:00.001-08:00