Nobody Knows the Trellis I'veSeen

Jim Cummings, a kindred spirit and fellow copper enthusiast, sent a photo of the fantastic trellis he's just created - it even has a Tree of Life and a shooting star - is this not the hottest copper garden art you've ever seen?  (Double click on photo to enlarge image)

Jim's letter is below - Check out the inspiring organisational nugget from his late Dad -- Rolodex-ing the names and locations of your entire inventory of tools and materials so you can always find what you're looking for.  Oh, baby!

Well,

It's finished, Mag. After a week's vacation from my office job, lots of sweat, lots of solder, lots of copper, it's done!

I didn't realize how long this would take but I soldered on, or is it soldiered on? Did both actually.

After I got used to the hot sticky weather, and watching the deluge of rain from inside my garage on June 24-27, I actually started to have fun doing this project.

The copper I used was brand new because I didn't feel I could find exactly the stuff I wanted to use in a junk yard. Copper's not cheap anyway these days in any conditions, so I went new.

My father was a handy guy, God rest his soul, and when I moved all his stuff from his basement workshop, amongst tons of tools etc., there was his old torch attachment, igniter, lots of old Sears flux tubes and low and behold, half a roll of 60/40 solder. Lead solder these days are collectors items, I think, and this roll probably went back to the 70s when my hair was much long than it is now!

So playing with his torch and solder brought back memories of Dad sweating fittings and the aroma of all that sent me back to those happy days.

The trellis is leaning against the back of the garage for now until I decide what method of attaching(wish I could find copper threaded stock to use) or just make a few brackets out of the scrape aluminum pieces my father collected from his workplace.

Mag, you would have enjoyed a tour of our basement with my father's tiny but cleverly organized working environment. It was cozy and unfinished and everything had a place and you could find anything you wanted by accessing it in his Rolodex. If I get a chance and you care to see them, I'll take some pics of what is left of his environ in my garage.

This turned out to be, not a home project but a work of art unexpectedly!

Regards,

Jim (Springville, Pennsylvania)