WARM LEATHERETTE…………….

The coolest version I’ve ever heard!!! 

Hope yours was great. Mine was tooooo short and it looks like October will be too.

This is how I feel today and just about every day:   

This doesn’t have much to do with the making of studio furniture, but without boots, I can’t do to much in the studio.

Earlier in my life I had the pleasure of being in the US Army. This was the culmination of my upbringing so to speak. My father was a pretty strict guy and I guess I owe it to him that my experience in the Army and basic training(BT) in particular wasn’t very traumatic. That and the fact that it was well, peace time. My time in the Army was actually kind of fun. The time I spent there was kind of like a spinning wheel; like spinning raw wool, it kind of brought all the things I had learned up to that point, which were kind of just flying about uncontrolled, into one tight directed fiber. I did learn a lot of things in BT that I still use today. One of those things is breaking in boots.

Sergeant Ball was a reserve Drill Sergeant. I sometimes think he did things the easy way instead of the normal Army way. He taught us how to clean an M-16 receiver with boiling hot water. He also taught us how to break in boots by soaking them. The whole platoon was marched through  buckets of water.

My wife figured that for 35 bucks, I could use a new pair of boots. She saw these Doc Martens on sale and scooped them up. I’ve never liked Doc Martens because they really aren’t work boots. The soles are some kind of soft jelly rubber. I work with hot stuff so I know these things won’t last. Also, inside there’s like almost no padding. I wear my boots all the time. They are part of my “Uniform.” But now I have a pair of these things and they too will get the proper breaking in treatment

These had to be the stiffest boots I’ve ever put my feet into. Most boots I get, including my Army issue boots could have been worn straight away. Not these things. The stiff leather cut into the tops of my feet and they didn’t bend at all. Now even though all my boots before had fit properly, I wanted them to mold to my feet. So, ALL my boots have gotten the water treatment, even a pair of $200.00 Herman Survivors that I wore throughout my military career. These Doc Martens would be no different.

Lacing up the lightweight Frankenstein boots.

Using the garden hose to fill the boots. They sure didn’t hold the water in like some boots I’ve done this to. Water even squirted out between the sole and the upper shank!

Now one thing I’ve learned from experience is; make sure you’re going to be doing something outside for a while in order to give the boots a chance to be at least a little drier before going inside. Remember you’re going to be wearing them the whole day. They will slosh around for a little while and your feet might be cold in the beginning, but soon enough you can get on to other things.

My wife has a different way of breaking in her boots, but it’s not quite as successful as the old water trick.

Thanks for stopping in. Maybe you learned something you can use.

Cheers

5 May 09……………………. Thought I’d update this thing since not to many people believed it was so! So………… today my new Thorogood Boots arrived. These are REAL boots too, not 35 dollar Doc Martens!!

And yes, they did get the “Water Treatment.” I’m sitting here at the computer with soggy boots on.

I’ll let you know if there are any ill effects.

Cheers,

Paul

 I’ve gotten several questions about the Thorogood boots.

This is them as of today the 5th of July. They even have the same laces. I know the boots look like hell, but I really did mink oil them about a month ago and did polish them once or twice I think. Oiling them is the most important thing in my book. Dry leather falls part pretty quick. I mentioned the lace thing because having the same laces means that the eyelets and hooks are a very good quality and aren’t wearing out the lace. I weld, so I’m really surprised I haven’t burned up the laces.

Well these ones are about to get a break and get put on part time duty as I’m considering getting a new pair. Those ought to last twice as long as these things.

 Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers,

Paul

Jerry Blohm came by tonight. He’d been at the studio today while the first of the two commercials was getting shot. He told me he’d posted some stuff on his site.

Anyway, I guess in the world of film, getting in the door can be a tricky thing. I feel rather fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with the guys I did last week. Rarely have I worked with such a good natured bunch of great guys. 

Paul(Rex), Mark, Dave, Jerry, Paul, Paul and (bending) Roger. Can you see the one that doesn’t belong??

I can’t believe it’s been a year since I headed out to work in the studio full time. It all started with a trip to the Boca Raton Museum of Art in …… Boca Raton. I saw a piece there that inspired the long process of putting together the things I needed to go solo. In the West African collection I saw a tribal bench. This is what that chance encounter produced:

I love this thing. I could sleep for days on it, but use it only now and again to catch a nap. Not sure what I’ll do if someone decides to buy it out from under me.

I still see the piece in terrazzo, a material that I’m still learning about and getting the feel of.

The new year is going to see the terrazzo piece and a whole bunch of new stuff.

Cheers and Happy Holidays,

Paul 

At Milan’s circa 1999

Photos: Paul McClelland

One thing I’ve always liked doing is shooting B&W photos. I’ve owned a 23 C Beseler enlarger for over 20 years. It’s moved from one place to another.

I’ve also always enjoyed  hanging out or working in a machine shop. When I got discharged from the Army, my first job was apprenticing at Cato Machine Works in Miami on North River Drive. I was in heaven. Trains across the street, cranes in junk yards down the road, airplanes from MIA flying overhead and ships crawling up the river. We worked on everything in that dirty, greasy place.

I didn’t get to many pictures there. These I got 15 years later. 

I only wish that I’d combined those interests on more occasions.

I’ll post these pics and more in the Objects section. Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers,

Paul 

Photographer Markus Haugg is working on getting some professional shots of my things. This is what Markus sees:

Today (Sat, the 16th), I went with Markus Haugg to photograph an istallation by Ara Peterson. Very cool stuff:

Right now I’m trying to get some pedestal tops going; some are concrete, some straight cement, some are terrazzo things. Just waiting for the curing to happen so I can grind them down. Can’t wait. It’s incredible watching as the glass or stones appear when the thin top layer is slowly ground away.  

This is the latest black pigmented top in the new mold.

Just leave a comment here.Thanks a bunch, Paul

This thing is going to be sitting around awhile until I can figure out how I’m going to finish it. It’s top is 4 inch thick South Florida mahogany. As it sits, it’s slowly getting darker and darker. Eventually it will be almost black.