In the mid-80s, I was stationed at Tyndall AFB. My workshop was on the patio behind our home. I would drag my Shopsmith out and run a power cord through the window. My workbench was made of rickety sawhorses and 2x4s. For an assembly table, I sometimes used the kids' trampoline. It wasn't the best, but it was huge and didn't need to be put away if it rained.
Dealing with the weather was a daily consideration in this setup. We lived less than a mile from the Gulf of America. Even during droughts, storms formed over the Gulf. Rain was a constant threat, so I avoided leaving things outside. Usually, I had plenty of warning, so I rarely got wet. The sun was another issue. Cast-iron tables got dangerously hot, but the Shopsmith's aluminum tables didn't.
Despite these challenges, I made many small projects in this makeshift shop, including the pull trains that became central to my banner story. My daughters each got one; the rest were given as gifts. Later, when setting up Odin's Toy Factory Etsy store, I needed a banner that reflected my work with wooden toys. Searching through photos of my past projects, I was reminded of the pull trains. Instantly, I knew they had to be featured in the banner. Today, that image still represents my Etsy shop, tying back to where it all started.
Explore my Etsy shop.
No comments:
Post a Comment