Another Project for Gypsy Lea's

While the great color debate is in play I decided to work on a second piece to bring to Gypsy Lea's for the May sale. I bought this folding harvest table at a local auction last night. Some of the boards are a little punky and the folding brackets are nicely rusted. I decided that as long as I had the sander going, I might as well attack this table too.

The sanding revealed that the boards were a little punkier than anticipated. There is now an eight inch long hole near the center of the table. And there are gaps were the shoulder of the grooves on two of the boards have broken off.


I now will have to repair the hole and as long as that is being done I will probably attack the other problems too. There are 3 options for the hole (doing nothing not being one of those options). I can cut a Dutchman repair. It is a butterfly or bowtie shaped piece of wood that is set into an identical cutout made around the hole. I can fill the hole with an epoxy wood filler. Or I can cut off the bad boards and replace them with other tongue and groove boards. Mike has some similar old T&G boards that I hope will fit. So I now have a plan for repairing the hole and replacing the bad groove shoulders.

I am just going to lacquer the table after the repair. It should look great. More for Gypsy Lea's will be featured soon.

Mr. Flannery

PS.

I also have a couple of other interesting pieces ready for Gypsy Lea's.

This tulip pitcher is from the Pioneer Power flea market last Friday. It is Roseville Pottery from about 1916. My mother had a similar pitcher when I was growing up. I remember it as being used exclusively for Kool-Aid. I can see the grape Kool-Aid mix swirling in the pitcher as we mixed in cups of sugar.

This Ice Tea container was made by Watt Pottery in the 1950's. It will look great on the harvest table at someone's deck party.

And then there is this FIRE bucket. I think that it has a pointy bottom so people wouldn't take it to use elsewhere.

Help Please

Well it may cause global cooling, because hell will be freezing over, but I am going to attempt to paint this table and bench. I started out with the intention of sanding the top, staining and sealing it and then painting the base a dirty red. However after a little sanding it is apparent that it will be near impossible to remove all the finish off the table top. I have it all sanded and roughed up sufficiently to take a coat of paint. Now I need your help in choosing a saleable color. I have the matching bench which I will paint a sympathetic color and 3 chairs which will be offered for free to anyone who buys the table.

So what color do I use? Help me please.

Mr. Flannery

Treasures from the Valley

I started unloading my truck after our trip to the Valley of the Jolly Green Giant. Here are some shots of some of the treasures that I found there.

A great cast iron base lawn sprinkler, one of my many collections.

I really like this battered syrup jug. The spout is all crapped out, but the color and the shape are great. The fingerprints of the potter are registered on the base of the pot.

This small metal gauge wheel will end up embellishing some project.

This metal piece is about 3 feet long. It may have been the top off a juke box or similar machine.

A few number placards.

Another of my passions. Automobile lights. These red lens lights are great. The yellow lens below isn't as great but it only cost $2.

I really like this headlight housing from a 1930's automobile. Notice the turn signal lens on the top.

This piece of Congoleum, a brand name for one company's linoleum, is from an earlier auction, but it finally was warm enough to unroll it this week.

And George isn't buried here, but this headstone from an earlier auction is going to go into my garden. The chrome nose piece, not the hood ornament, from a 1948-9 Ford will be placed somewhere nice.

Mr. Flannery

Pioneer Power was a Dusty Good Time

Kris and Mike and I went to the Pioneer Power Swap Meet in Lesueur yesterday. I was ready to go at 5 AM but Kris and Mike were a few minutes late. There were excuses about alarms and make-up and hair, and then Kris added some of her excuses. We were off in good sted and good time.

We rented a golf cart this year, bad knees, heavy purchases and long distances in previous years made us realize that hoofing it though the huge display was no longer practicable. Kris' first purchase, a large steel drain cover dome. We strapped it to the cart and off we went.

The first of many flying pigs.

My favorite piece. A carved wood dudad from a summer cottage near Saratoga NY. Unfortunately at a sale price of $150, I only have a photo.

Ok is a group of flying pigs a herd or a flock? (Maybe because they are flying pigs they are a fantasy).

Kris bought a really crappy bicycle and the Gandy seeder.

We just dropped things off at the trailer as we filled the cart. We had to sort and properly pack before we hit the road home.

It has been so dry that it was very dusty at the Swap Meet this year. Two years ago it was torrential rain and then snow. Last year it was heat. This year it was dust. Next year it will be locust or frogs. (If we continue following the Biblical model). I had a good time. We found some interesting stuff. I'll be ready to face those frogs next year.

Mr. Flannery

To the Valley of the Jolly Green Giant

We are preparing for our annual trek to the Valley of the Jolly Green Giant. Early, 5 AM early, tomorrow, Kris and Mike and I will be heading south to the Pioneer Power Swap Meet near Le Sueur, Minnesota. LeSueur is the headquarters for Green Giant and in the heart of the Minnesota River Valley. The Giant used to be an independent company, but it has become part of General Mills. So the Green Giant, like many other siblings in America's blended families is now Betty Crocker's step brother. Ho-ho-ho.

The Pioneer Power Swap Meet is a flea market associated with an antique farm equipment show. There should be more than a 1000 vendors selling lots of good junk, much of it extremely heavy. Fortunately my "no tractor" rule will save me from much of the heaviest junk.

We've filled most of the trailer the past two years and are hoping for another bonanza this year.

Mr. Flannery

A Treasure Hunt

There was an added treat with the 8 locker units that I picked up on Monday. Some of the lockers still had their locks in place. Oh My! What hidden treasures will I find?

I stopped at Kris and Mike's after my paint run to St. Cloud yesterday to pick up some bolt cutters. Mike suggested that I use a side grinder instead. So this morning I took a grind at the lock on the locker right next to Billy's locker.

The sparks were flying, including a couple that land right on top of my recently shorn head. (When I was cutting some bolts for the trailer last Friday I didn't have this problem, but after my haircut yesterday most of my helmet was apparently absent). The hasp was cut. Now for the treasure.

Damn! Its empty. Oh well, I have 15 more to search. More sparks, more hasps rent asunder, more empty lockers.

Then I cut another. (The gloves really helped with the cascade of sparks.)

There was my treasure. A bag of stale pretzels, some empty Tupperware and a spoon. Oh well, maybe I'll find treasure somewhere else.

Mr. Flannery