Mr. Crankypants out in public

Well, he did it. The second rolling ball sculpture to come out of Fossil Forge Metalworks made its public debut this past weekend at Lee's Summit Downtown Days. This one is called 'Mister Crankypants'...named for the bicycle crank attached to its right side. Four separate tracks carry marbles throughtout the twisting turning maze.

Water streams from the mouth of Mr. Crankypants, ready to douse any marble that misses a jump.

Down below, goldfish dart through a tank filled with the carcasses of lost marbles. A pleasant trickle of water captures the attention of viewers. A chrome bicycle fender creates a pendulum effect as the marbles teeter totter their way back to the bottom.

Young and old played with and watched this interactive rolling ball machine.

The clanking and clanging of dozens of marbles captured the attention of the public, even during a noisy and hectic festival.

Mister Crankypants was joined by Roly-Poly. The beetle-shaped rolling ball sculpture was making its second appearance at the festival.

Roly-Poly was looking fine with its colorful coat of paint.

Yard ornament looks right at home

Thanks to Gary for sending me this photo of his 'Jumping Boy' garden stake sculpture. His friends asked me to make this as a retirement gift. Gary works in occupational and physical therapy, and the logo he uses shows this little boy jumping on a trampoline. I made the logo out of 3/8 inch steel rod. The outline is welded to a simple background shape. A hand-forged curly top adds a nice accent. This sculpture will eventually turn a beautiful rust color. Perfect for its garden setting.

Steampunk birdhouse? Maybe

Just finished this funked-out metal birdhouse. The house is bristling with all kinds of found objects and castoffs. A big pressure gauge perches on the roof. Bright orange glass marbles form the eyes. This is the 7th in a series of birdhouses to come out of Fossil Forge Metalworks. There will be more!

I nicknamed this one 'PegLeg'. A portion of one of the legs is a old cobblers shoe form.

The back of each of these birdhouses has a hatch for access to the interior.

A colorful brass faucet creates a perfect nose.

Metal deck posts are perfect for plants, lights

These metal deck posts are a perfect accent for a deck. They provide a tall place to hang flower baskets, windchimes or other decorations. Plus, handy steel loops offer a great place to string party lights...which illuminate the deck space beautifully. These posts are four feet tall and are attached to the top of the cedar deck posts. I can design and build these to fit any type of deck or setting.

Plenty of ways to hang things.

Little Free Library ready to share

We dedicated our Little Free Library today. What a wonderful program to be a part of. This library is made from steel and colored with enamel paint...a very durable solution. It is mounted on a 4x4 steel post for added sturdiness. We hope all of our neighbors and friends will stop by to 'Take a book'.

The library can hold a bunch of books, visible behind a piece of Lexan acrylic.

Hopefully, this spot by the intersection and the sidewalk will bring in the readers.