Here is the cradle. It belonged to Maurice Ottmar. You would have to know him and how much he hated farming to appreciate the cradle. Roger Kehr and I were talking about it on the phone today. A lot of the equipment in the shop was fabricated from old farm equipment. Roger remembers free standing upright supports that were build from plow discs and I remember some in fact I own one of his that was built from a tractor steering wheel. He told me if his using the wheel made it so no kid had to drive the damn thing all day then he had done well.

Notice the use of mauser bolt knobs as part of the lucking nuts and the mauser trigger on the left hand side braised to a nut to lock the threaded shaft from moving. The pivot is an old tractor hitch and the ball is a trailer ball in a pipe bushing.The wood uprights are oak. It is very flexible but I actually like checkering standing up. Right now after 12 hours today, my back is killing me. Now just 2 more days of it and I should be done.

The rust bluing is done. I have about 1 to 2 hours tomorrow to deepen the fore arm and it will be done. I have to finish a leather covered pad for it and put the metal back on, probably buggering up a screw head in the process. Jeff's new Leupold VX III in 2.5 to 8 should have been here today so hopefully on Monday or Tuesday. It is gong in Talley rings.

Chic,

Beautiful work as usual. Skibum is gonna be one happy guy. I'm green with envy!

Joe

Well, it ain't fiberglass but it'll have to do!

Outstanding Chic... what a gorgeous piece of wood.

Gorgeous. Wish I had that kind of talent and could be in Reno this year.