Who says Flamingos are always pink? This funked-out garden stake shows off this well-known bird. I bet the neighborhood won't mind this version standing tall in your yard. On the other hand, the pink plastic ones have their charms, also.

A friend of mine ask me to make the stucture for this neat container garden that portrays a balanced tower of flowers. Everything about this metal project is hidden, but it works. I used a four-foot piece of 1/2 inch round bar welded to a metal base. The base is the same diameter as the bottom pot, so it is not visible. I added a couple of stabilizer fins also. The pots are installed by sliding them over the rod. The drainage hole in each pot keeps them centered nicely. The last step is to add soil and plants.

The last couple of days I have been making some components for an outdoor fireplace. The fireplace is massive, made of limestone blocks and slabs. The first thing out of the shop is this sturdy fire grate. It is made of 3/4 inch round bar. I heated the pieces in the forge and then bent them on the anvil or vise.

Here it is, ready for action. Where's a match?

Finally took some photos of a fence project I worked on a while ago. The fence surrounds a traditional English garden, complete with a fountain in the center. I used sections of older fencing I had in the shop. I cut down each section to about 24 inches tall. I then repositioned the steel rails, added some simple posts and finials, welded it together and there it is.

Time to load up the SunBot. The SunBot will be part of an auction to help a colleague with some tough medical bills (Get Well Soon, Tim). I took a few shots of the robot in front of the shop. I also brought out the PressBot robot for company. These two steel hulks look like bodyguards. The SunBot stands about 4.5 feet tall. The PressBot is more than six feet tall. I don't want to even guess what they weigh. Heavy.