Art & Inspiration It is official I am no longer a "Backyard Mechanic"

Yeah, real work for money is terribly overrated. I've just gotten so I hate working for money. Its a real luxury to be retired. I still like to help people out, but its on my schedule and done my way.
Years ago I made this "Strange Days" sign for the shop. It used to hang outside, but now it's on an inside wall.
It's carved from signfoam, a dense plastic foam that carves like wood. The original design of the sign was done by John Detrich.

 

The "Dorman's Speed Shop" sign was leaning up against a tree for a long time after Jim p***ed. I can still see him, wearing white coveralls, smoking a cigar, stepping out of his light blue '56 Ford PU, at the parts house.

 

"Hell No" votes lead by a narrow margin...

 

He arranged for me to have my first account at the autoparts, gave me my first set of jack stands and most generally treated me real well. Our house was catty corner from his shop. I wonder if he ever stuffed that merc motor in his '56, it never happened while I was still around.

he had an old Hudson Hornet out front while I was still there, it was Betsy Brown, he was always going to sell it to me for 250.00 and for whatever reason I could never seem to come up with the cash. I went to tell him good-bye when I was leaving and he said, "Well your Hudson will still be here when you come back." He never said good-bye though.

 

here's my new fav-o-rite

 

Good luck with your new ***le. At work, I have a ***le....... "Son of a *****". They won't let me wear the shirts I had made.

 

One of my "regulars" was here one day when a guy came and said he couldn't find my building because there wasn't a sign out front. The next day I came back from lunch and this was on my front door. That was about a year ago --------------- still haven't decided whether to s****e it off or leave it. I made it over 30 years without one.

 

Made this one as a tribute to my cousin! RIP Midnight Joe.

 

This sign hung at my granddad's station. HRP



Mark,ct1932ford, made this one and gave it to me when he came to S.C. for a visit.

 

I made this one for myself.

 

I was wondering where that went!

 

Just because there is no house between you and the road you are still a backyard mechanic. Lol
But it's still nice signwork.
And I used to work at a shop in a backyard, and my boss told me: rarther a backyard mechanic, then a high street hack!

What is SSD? I know what a STD is, is a SSD where you get it?

 

Social Security Disability.HRP

 

Nice job @Tim! I had a friend of mine paint this one for my new digs.

 

Yes... SSDI, if I go out at work, that pays me $2350 a month (just got my SS readout). My full pull SS at age 66.67 (in 5 years) pays me $2430 a month.

 

LOL I have a friend who had a sign on his box that said, "Nobody uses my tools" He was working in a local shop and I needed a tool so I just went in and got in his box. he hollers from across the shop, "hey nobody uses my tools," so I hollered back, "Well I'm nobody." he said, "Well put 'em back when you're done."

I wasn't given an option at the place I was working, they just told me one day, " Go home and go on disability." I didn't really argue working made me hurt really bad. I only wish I was one of those people who are gaming the system.

Disability ****s, well at least if you are legitimately disabled. I have not opened a business, I just got a sign so that I would not be a backyard mechanic any more.

 

I brought this home with me five and a half decades ago. Between then and now i stuck the FAA certificate up there. They don't go together.

 

Good to see brush painted signs. That is a dying art. They did everything from billboards to grocery store window signs advertising specials back in the day.

 

You better keep that active. You're probably the first one in the phone book.

 

Glad you guys like ******s new sign, I painted it quick while working on something that needed "wait time" between steps.

Didn't take long to do but I also didn't want it to look to nice/new as it wouldn't fit in.

 

Whatever you are ******, you are an original, and one of a kind..

 

A friend of mine is a wood carver, I helped him out with some parts and he made this for me.

 

Well there is a reason for that. I squirted out of the mold, someone said, 'Well now that's messed up" and they took a hammer to it and made a new one.

@Tim the sign is perfect, it looks like it belongs at my place.

 

If you are going to post that at the new place, you'll need to plant some trees so that you will have shade to work under...
r

 

As a sign painter I think that's horribly awesome. ( compliment). Some of my favorite signs are on the sides of taco trucks and mom and pop restaurants. Welcome to the big leagues. Your legit!

 

That's great.

 

Just to keep up with the ******, now I need to get me a sign. Looks good. My daughter-in-law is an art major, if I ask her to make a sign, she would do it. But, it would be perfect and would take her 3 months.
Hey richfox, I have several of those same type of certificates, mainly bronze.

 

Looks like I hit it on the head then thanks I totally get the compliment

 

Hey my sweet gum is going great guns. It got mowed the summer before last and took off like a rocket.

 

Did a few favors for a friend and he thought I needed a sign, so he had a mutual friend sign painter whip this up for me. It's supposed to be outside I just haven't been able to put it out there as yet. Joe