We Have A New Pipe!
It’s now officially the Pope Pipe Sign Pole
Two seconds after I got off my last meeting of what has been a back to back week of meetings, I was one the road headed to Farham Virginia to get an old sign pole we found a bit ago. This will be at HQ, I just have zero idea where or how. I suppose thats part of the fun. Figuring it out as you go. I just know I would have regretted not getting it.
mmmm, lets first try and unscrew the bolts.
One big ass pipe wrench
It did kinda work, but!
Get out the torch and some buckets of water..in case
Jimmy sure can work a torch, and yes… lots of nuts jokes. Come on, 4 guys all standing around. What else is there..
Hammer time! U cant touch this, no really, you will fry your hands. And yes, we all noted Dan Dan’s safety shoes.
Wayne and Da making sure the tractor and pole are strapped together. What could possibly go wrong
The rope is to pull it if it gets funky. But nope. The tractor lifted in and was able to maneuver it. The base is where the weight is.
To be honest, the most fun part was hanging around with good friends that I am 100% confident that this could be figured out. Jimmy, Wayne Bomb and Dan Dan the Mechanic Man who has been a pal for close to 30 years. YIKES! How does time go like that?
We loaded it on WECATCHEM’s trailer. And dang it looks like a might have boom boomed in my pants.
Pulling it forward
Trying to undo a strap to adjust it. Dan giving me crap. I hate those straps. But they do come in handy, and worked great
Anyway, of course cameras where all clicking away, and it was kinda a scene. And a reminder that in fact we are all still 12 and like adventures like this.
Now the real question. What to do with it? Install it?
It’s such a pleasure watching journeyman millwrights at work!
Can you tell me who the person in this photo is? Thank you.
Lunch at some greasy spoon old diner on the way home would’ve been the perfect end to this adventure.
I have a feeling you already know exactly where and what you’re doing with that sign.
Oh I do. Gonna milk it for all its worth. HA The real issue is I dont want to use an org porclean sign and ruin it. Here is just one of the ideas.
Or go big. It’s already big. I mean creative big. There has to be some inspiration in Howe Marine’s old sign. Add your boat names in their original font and color? The brand names of your boats listed in their font like you’re a dealer.
Wow! If they don’t have it, you don’t need it! That’s an impressive lineup available brands!
I am looking forward to seeing where this lands at WBGHQ.
BTW: I have also added some new comments to yesterday’s story.
Pickle pic is just because yesterdays story is connected to the Sweet 16.
I bet there was a big discussion on how to keep that arm from the sign from flopping over and taking out a car in the next lane. By the way, I see people struggling with ratchet straps trying to “undo” what has rolled up on the take up reel. You just need to “open up” the handle all the way and there is a built in “offset” in that handle that releases the ratchet “pawl” so you can easily release the strap. Some dufusses don’t have a clue, like my friend, a double major Phd engineer that couldn’t figure this out and just cut my strap with a box cutter.
It’s amazing how reading a story on Woodyboater can turn into a project on this end. After reading todays installment, I walked out into the yard to check on my flagpole that I had removed from a friend’s yard in Minneapolis prior to him bulldozing and starting over. I had wanted to save the original stone work, so we moved the 25′ iron pole with a ton of concrete and stone to my cabin (all by hand, no tractor assistance). Today I cleaned off the concrete that we had added and have it looking shipshape again. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hang ’em from the yardarm!
It’s a dream… 😉