Before Kyle got here, Jim had assembled the new molding machine, worked all the wood we bought at Yoder's in Millersburg to make it perfectly straight and gotten everything ready that they would need. I picked up Kyle at the bus station Saturday morning and they literally worked round the clock making these four frames - each one is made of 2 or 3 pieces of molding that had to be designed, molded, glued together, mitered into frames and on and on. Each frame is a different design to correspond with the renderings that ate going to be projected in each. The only real break they got was late Sunday night when we went to Outback for a belated birthday celebration and then to see the new Star Trek movie in 3D (awesome, by the way!). By the time I had to take Kyle back to the bus, they had just finished the last frame. They came out amazing!
But of course that wasn't the end of that story. All this week, Jim had to finish them. Sand, prime, and then spray paint gold. Jim's fingers will never be the same. They are so big that it's an enormous adventure. Then they have to lay somewhere to dry. He finished the last one last evening. But then they have to be taken to Chicago.
While Kyle was here, he did some (very late) investigating into shipping - if it was even possible, estimates were as high as $3000! And that didn't include packing, getting them somewhere, etc. Because they were so newly painted, they can't have anything touch them or they might mar.
So guess who's driving them in the truck to Chicago? That's right...May Trucking Company. I'm on my way now to pick up Kyle at the bus station. Jim is designing a way to fasten the frames to the bottom of the truck so that they don't touch each other or anything else. We'll drive them today, drop them off at the museum and head right back because Jim has to leave for NY on Monday. Crazy!!! Off we go!
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| Kyle with new molding machine and the start of the first frame |
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| Joining corners with biscuits! |
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| Making perfect corners! |
Screwing everything in place
Drying in the garage after painting
Fastening the finished frames to the bottom of the truck
Jim made a way to stack the frames without them touching each other or anything else
So we set off for Chicago after Jim and Kyle got the frames fastened to the truck. We didn't put anything else in the back (except for a box of tools to take things apart that was also fastened down) so that nothing could move around and damage the frames. Everytime we stopped for a drink or bathroom break, we checked the back of the truck to make sure all was fine.
The truck did really well. Jim had made a last minute repair to it before we left - installed the new clutch fan - so that was a relief. Unfortunately, we had horrible winds most of the way to Chicago - remnants of the Oklahoma storms that caused so much damage. We didn't have any problems except for lowered gas mileage. And no real rain to speak of until, of course, we are trying to find the museum in downtown Chicago - then it just dumped. In fact, this view from the truck shows the view totally obscured by clouds. And then there was that traffic to contend with, in the truck, in the rain, not knowing where we were going. Thank goodness for GPS and Jim's driving abilities!
When we got to the museum, Kyle went into the receiving area while we waited in the truck. Not sure you can really see it in this picture, but the sun started peeking out and we saw a pretty rainbow in the sky in front of us.
After talking with the security guard, they opened up the overhead doors and Jim had to back the truck into the dock.
The frames made the trip beautifully!
However, since nothing goes too easy, the security guard checked and said that she wasn't expecting any kind of shipment and we couldn't unload. Kyle showed her multiple emails from the curator of the exhibit saying that he was bringing them on Saturday and could unload. Kyle got on the phone and called the curator and explained the situation. But the security guard wouldn't budge. She finally called her supervisor. He came down and after talking with him, he finally agreed that the security guard could accompany us and we could take them to the packaging area and leave them outside the doors. So the unpacking of the frames started.
Unpacking the frames
The manager said we could put the frames in the elevator and take them down to the area. So Jim and Kyle got them out and carefully placed them in the elevator. Aren't they pretty?
After they were all out of the truck, the security guard comes over and said that the manager had called the curator and now she was saying that we couldn't take them into the museum. Kyle and Jim were fit to be tied. So after much back and forth and Kyle on the phone again, we finally had to leave them sitting on the loading dock and just prayed that they would be safe til Monday morning.
Leaning up against the walls - not the best situation
Finally they were all unloaded on the dock and there was nothing to do but leave them there and hope for the best. Thankfully, the rain had stopped and traffic was light getting out of the city. That was my first trip to Chicago - I can say I've been there but I didn't see anything and only got out of the truck long enough to watch the frames being unloaded!
Then we started back home. We had hoped to make it back to Toledo the same night so that we would only have a couple hour drive on Sunday. We stopped in South Bend, IN, to try and find something to eat - by the time we found Texas Roadhouse, it was close to 10:00 and we were starved! The burgers were amazing and we toasted to the frames being in Chicago!
By the time we were done eating and back on the road, we didn't make it to the hotel in Toledo until close to 2:00 in the morning. Poor Jim had done SO much driving in one day! In the morning, we got up, went to church, then hit Cracker Barrel for pancakes before heading back on the road. But it was good that we did that. We were able to get home in time to eat a quick bite of lunch and then Kyle helped Jim clean up from the frame-making and start loading up some of his tools into the truck for the next trip to NY.
A successful May Trucking Company adventure!!
Clearing out the workshop and moving tools onto the truck!
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