Color Consultation Please!

I bought this cool 6 drawer metal file cabinet. It is a modular design, much like the lawyer's bookcases, there is a top piece and a pull out writing shelf section that fits on top of this section. It was primed gray and painted black over the original wood grained painted metal. The paint is failing so I need to redo it before it can go to the shop.

This is the carcass piece with the drawers removed. (I also bought the fossil fish sitting next to the carcass on the tail gate.)

The drawers have heavy brass handles that have also been painted black. I intend to strip them and put them back in place in their original brass coloring.

Now here's the question. I have sanded the paint off of the drawer faces. The original black is now bare metal gray steel. I painted one drawer face ceramic brake caliper red. I really like the bare metal look. Should I leave the cabinet bare metal steel gray or paint it? If paint, is red the right color or is some other color better?

I am really interested in your input. Please give me your ideas about this project.

Mr. Flannery

Beautiful - But Not to Be

I went to another auction today, but I only went there after the first three hours were over. I was interested in one item. And she was beautiful, a 1955 Chev 3800 pick-up. Fully restored with a candy apple red dress. She had won a number of beauty contests in her day and was on the market only because her owner had died.

I bid her up to $10K but wasn't ever really in the running. She finally sold for $12,500. I guess that it was just not to be. But she sure would have been fun with my Flannery Bay logo on the door at the next auction that I attend late and leave early.

Mr. Flannery

It Was a Shame

We went to the Twins game last night. The new stadium is great. The Twins got trounced, 11-0. And it was over by the end of the 1st inning. "And if they don't win its a shame." Well it was a shame.

We had seats in the mezzanine right behind home plate. They were great seats. It was fun and interesting. I will go again.

I drove in on I-94 and entered the parking ramp right from the freeway exit. Parked on the same level as the skyway to the field. As I entered the skyway there was a 8 y.o. kid with his Dad. He was so excited. He talked to me immediately telling me that he wanted to see the Twins. Now talking to eight year olds is one of my primary skills (comes from many years of working with county commissioners) so we chatted all the way to the field. He even invited me to sit with him in the stands so we could continue our discussion. He was so enthused and so excited it just made me smile. Lot's of people, lots of energy and lots of fun.

Mr. Flannery

A Favorite Tractor - MM UDLX Comfortractor

Meet the 1938 Minneapolis-Moline Comfortractor. She is a beauty, even with her yellow-orange dress and red (or orange) shoes.

The farmer could work in the fields all week, then drive to town in comfort on the weekends. The UDLX was equipped with all the modern amenities - a fully enclosed, heated cabin with windows that open, cigarette lighter, a second seat for your tractor dog during the week, or the little lady on the weekend. You get a glove box, rear opening door, full raft of gauges, and slick coupe-like styling — well, as close as a tractor can get to a sedan. The top speed of this beast was rated at 45 mph so a bit slow, but definitely usable on rural roads. (jalopnik.com)



I would really like to own one of these babies. I'd be the big hit at the Legion Club uptown on Saturday night. Only 150 or so were made and they are highly coveted by collectors.

Mr. Flannery

We're Talkin' Baseball

Tomorrow I will go to the new Target Field in downtown Minneapolis for the first time. The Twins will be playing the hated Chicago White Sox for first place in the American League Central Division. I am psyched to see the new field and to watch a major league baseball game outside. (Something that I haven't done since I watched the Twins play Detroit in old Tiger Stadium in the late 1980's).



The Twins TC logo has always been interesting. Its identical to the logo used on Twin City tractors (which ultimately ended up as part of Minneapolis-Moline).

Here's hoping for good weather. And if they don't win its a shame.

Mr. Flannery

So Are These Cute?

I've been trying to stay away from auctions in an effort to reduce the rate of accumulation. Of course I went to an auction today. BUT, it was only a mile from my house and I got there 2 hours after it started. It was a strange auction. There were a few nice looking pieces of furniture, BUT they all had big piles of mouse nest and poop and urine in the drawers. It was disgusting. I bought a few uninfected pieces. A painted antique drop leaf table, a folding table, a chair and a large tin with a tight cover. I sold the chair and the folding table for 3X what I paid to other people who were at the auction. (Explain that please). Then I unpacked the tin.

I bought the tin because there was a nice spatterware advertising pitcher inside. BUT at the bottom of the tin I found this box. A super 1950's shoe box with a pair of kids cowboy boots inside. I showed them to others, mostly women, who confirmed that the boots, in their box, were hopelessly cute.






Mr. Flannery

PS - Here is another photo that was requested

A Very Good Meal

I live on a beautiful cold, clear lake here on the tundra. This morning my neighbor brought me a milk carton half full of freshly caught and cleaned Crappie fish fillets. No bones, no skin, just clean fresh fillets about the size of the palm of my hand. I put them in the frig and drove down the highway to the nearby city of Kimball (pop. 900+/-). On the highway the farm kids had their little booth selling sweet corn. Picked this morning in the field next to the highway and $3 per dozen.

I am now making lunch. Can it get any better? Fish caught this morning and fresh sweet corn grown within 1 mile of here and picked less than 4 hours ago. YUMMMMMM, a gourmet meal at a bargain price. Wonderful!!!!!!!

Mr. Flannery

Its Hot at Gypsy Lea's

Its still untundra-like hot. My friend is now a week late in returning the "borrowed" camera. I'm still way behind in getting my shabotaged pieces into the shop. But it is HOT in a very good way at Gypsy Lea's in Sauk Rapids. Our monthly sale started this morning and things are HOT. There may even be room as early as Thursday evening to herd a few hogs into the shop. Oh boy!

Kris sent me a few photos that she took at Gypsy Lea's. It looked great. (And has already had a major reset and still looks great in a different way).

This recycle bin is a large mailbox repurposed.

I hope to see you at Gypsy Lea's sometime this weekend. I'll be with a couple of the Hogs hiding amongst the roses.

Mr. Flannery

I'm Meltinnnnnnnnn'

I live on the tundra, right near the face of the continental glaciers. This week has been unbelievably hot by Minnesota standards. We are running about 90* and 110% humidity and much like the Wicked Witch of the West under the bucket of water, I am melting. My camera is on loan to a friend who promised it back last week. So no pictures for the blog. My real job is exerting real pressure on my time. And the heat is oppressive as possible. Oh and BTW I don't have AC. My house has in floor hot water heat. Therefore no ducts and no central air.

We are getting ready for the monthly sale at Gypsy Lea's, but that too has been hindered by the heat. I have some pieces ready, but nothing like I anticipated at the end of the July sale. It looks great, but seems to be relatively short of hogs. Other, more industrious (and heat tolerant) dealers have more than filled my void, so the shoppers won't notice the lack of porcine inclusions. But I will when the check shows up a week from now.

Mr. Flannery