Whats happening at Torchcraft....

The Circle B Ranch sign that is hanging in the shop area is a custom sign for a California customer who said his family was a five horse family.  Sign is cut from the typical 3/16" plate and painted black with the Rustoleum black hammered finish paint. 

Hog hunting has long been a South Texas sport whereby dogs are used to hunt, bay and catch wild hogs.  Can be a very rough sport as the hogs have sharp teeth and dogs do fall victim to the charge of the hog from time to time.  Most hog hunters are fair hands at stiching up cuts and some require vets for the job.  Good hog dogs are valued and well maintained.  Each dog may have a specialty job during the hunt but it is a team effort which includes the hunters. Most land owners are very happy to have the hogs removed as they cause a lot of damage to crops and land. 

Although it is not common for local cowboys to rope hogs/pigs, it has been done.  The problem occurs after you make the catch.  Now what to do with him?  This piece was created for the La Salle county fair and hog cookoff as an auction piece.  Withs a full belly of wild hog and a few cold beers, the piece may bring a fair amount.  Cut from the normal 3/16" plate and painted black. 

I am guessing that this is the 23rd year that Torchcraft has created the trophies for the hog cookoff in Cotulla, Texas.  There are some others but not included in this picture.  Each hog is set on a Texas base and a brass plaque will be added to each one representing the award given.  Some of the steady winners must have a collections of these by now but we keep making them each year. 

Coastal guide, Capt. Paul has his name cut into the body of the fish.  Cut from 3/16" plate and tempered for various colors.  Fish is clear coated and made to be displayed indoors. 

Cutest barn in South Texas.  Home to some cute ponies that pull carts, buggies and wagons.  Brand was a Christmas gift from the husband to the wife.  Cut from 1/8" plate and painted with Rustoleum hammered finish black paint. 

Company name but out of 3/16" plate steel and 1/4" studs welded to the back side for mounting on a decorative concrete wall. 
I am totally amazed that the customer could mount all of the pieces in such perfect fashion.  The iron was taken to a powder coating company for sand blasting and coating.  Should last a very long time and really looks nice.  I was honored to have a part in this project. 

A repeat customer built a beautiful outdoor fireplace for which he needed a screen for.  The opening is rather large, 44"x44".  The customers last name is Vrana and he informed me that he wanted a crow scene because crow in Czech is vrana!  I have a special love for crows as I actually had a crow for a pet at one time.  The crow is sitting on my shoulder in the picture below. 

Super neat job for a customer who wanted to give this to his friend who started his own brewing company.  The brewing company is Guadalupe Brewing Co. in New Braunfels, TX.  The logo is a cowboy riding/rowing a keg of beer down the Guadalupe River.  The brewing logo was cut from 3/16" plate steel, tempered and clear coated.

Customer designed his sign and it is one of my favorites.  I like the old cow head with turned down horns.  I also remember the K Bar pocket knives that were popular when I was young.  This piece was cut from 1/4" plate, painted black and has welding tabs on the back side for welding to the gate. 

A visitor from the coastal area, came to my store and requested a piece made to replicate the gold medallion that hung from his necklace.  The man is a towboat captian who pushes barges up and down the waterways.  Sometimes, these barges extend to 750 feet in length.  Definitely have to plan to drive that train.  The art piece that was made is 30" in diameter.  The Christ figure is a separate piece which is bolted onto the art with stainless hardware. It is to be mounted on their home where they have had lighting installed to highlight the art as a symbol of their Christain belief.

Well there have never been many elephants in South Texas but I liked the silhouette of this elephant and the typical African tree.  Made a nice lamp and it is a nice change from the many whitetail and domestic critters that usually get named on such projects.  The lamp shade is my wife's selection. 

Customer wanted some art on a gate he was building.  Old tractor, milo and his father in law's Piper Lance airplane.  That cold scene is in New Mexico.

Recent order for last name cut out of 3/16" plate to be mounted on the back of work truck.  Painted white to match the truck cab and looks very nice on the black headache frame.  Notice it was mounted high enough to not block the rearview of the driver. 

The gate that I built for display out in front of the store, kept having a problem with the color of the saddle for being visable from the interstate highway. First, I painted the saddle red like the lettering and it just didn't contrast with the background.   Secondly, I painted the saddle silver to see if I could get a better contrast.  Still didn't have the "Pop" that I needed.  Well, guess what, YELLOW seems to bring out the look that is well displayed and visible.  The saddle and lettering is cut from 1/8" plate to keep the weight down on the gate. 

Well, the photographer came forward with a much better picture of his rig.  This truck can go anywhere and look good doing it.  Torchcraft art welded on the back of his headache rack as well as the custom tailgate.  Not only can this guy shoot a camera but he can fabricate too.   Again, I am honored that he has chosen to display my art in such a unique way.  Thanks Eddie

Here is the The Hopper sign mounted and I sure do like the way it turned out.  What a neat way to display your sign. The name sign is a perfect display in front of the home.  Hung by chains from a stand that once held a flag pole.

Well, if you need to put a name and put two cats but have limited room, let one cat hold the O!  Works for me and the customer liked it too.

When this little girl came to Torchcraft, I thought of a lot of things that she can proclaim.  When momma aint happy.....ain't nobody happy!   Welcome but Behave!  Go Away.   Howdy seemed to be a good one.  You can order this little darling and say whatever you decide.   Cut from 3/16" plate and painted for outdoors. 

One of my favorite things to do is combine tempering of the steel for colors and adding brass for added color and dimension.   I found this design while looking through a magazine many years ago.  It was actually hanging on African queen's necklace and made of gold.  I guess brass is a poor man's gold but it gives a nice look to the sun's face.  

Custom brand made for customer who's initials are LV but his wife's name starts with a G so he modified he brand to accomodate the G with the number 6.  This brand is made with 1/4" x 1" strap steel. 

Well, this is brotherly love in true fashion.  A fellow in Washington state wanted to give his brother in Memphis, Tennessee a sign for his new farm.  The brother favors the image on the sign......a chichen playing a guitar.  This may have something to do with the fact that the Tennessee brother is involved in music.  The font used is IRON MAIDEN for you that are young enough to recognize that name.  It was explained to me.  The sign is shown in raw steel prior to painted black. 

Over the years, Torchcraft has made many pieces for gates made by other fabricators and Torchcraft makes gates from time to time.  I recently made a gate to display in front of my store to show the public that I welcome gates and always ready to place names and art on them.  The gate shown here is a 13 foot gate with a 2" outside frame and 3/4" pickets.  Heigth is approximately 72" at the top of the arch and had 60" sides. 

This is a repeat on an original order from Incarnate Word.  The picture shown is of the crown after it is primed with etching primer and before the top coat of black paint.  The metal this is cut from is 1/4".

In a previous post, my South Texas photographer friend had installed the headache rack art to his pickup.  Now after fabricating his own tail gate, he included a Bobwhite quail and dog scene. 

Customer furnished his own art of a really nice howling wolf.  Cut from heavy 1/4" plate and incorporated the address numbers to new home. 

This order is for two ovals to be inserted in custom made gates.  Cut from 3/16" plate.  The two Fords are copied from photos that the customer sent of his project pets.  The tree is inspired from a painting the wife has of their relationship.

Here is the real deal.   Someone, who we won't name, looked at the new ranch and said "mejor que nada" which translate to better than nothing!  So that became the name of the ranch.  Now that is original and unique. 

Not a brand, but in this case the person's initials are welded onto a Texas plaque.  The plaque is tempered and the 1/4" thick initials are welding on to the plaque from the back side, then they are polished to a silver finish.  The entire piece is clear coated and a hanger in the back for wall display. 

Moore Boys Farm.....This is a sign that was made for a customer in Arkansas.  Actually, I recieved an order for a gate and wings from a lady and this
is from a family member.  The top picture shows the gate topper in my shop after it was primed.  The overhead art was mounted and later I received
the order for the gate and wings.  I like this job and the folks were fun to deal with. 

Bunn Orthodontics in San Antonio - has an established logo that was designed to simulate teeth with braces.  The sun flower was an addon and the peace symbol was added after the flower.  Asked me to make it out of metal.  The circle of teeth is cut from 3/16" plate, while the flower is brazed with brass.  The peace symbol is tempered like the teeth.  A coat of automotive clear coat was sprayed over the entire piece.  Lettering is tempered and clear coated as well.

I recently made the sign for the luxury chicken coop and I borrowed one of the hen designs to create a key holder.  The large horseshoe nails are great for hanging keys, pot holders, ribbons and such.  The hen is heated to give the colors and a clear coat is applied.  This hen is getting ready to scratch the ground and look for whatever she turns up.  

I had the pleasure of hunting on the Kenedy Ranch down at Sarita, Texas for a number of years.  The division we hunted is called La Parra, which means the grape vine.  The size of La Parra is somewhere around 26,000 acres and it is loaded with game.  The recent pieces I just cut and painted for a gate in Giddens, Texas are hanging in my shop and it reminded me of going to the coolers at La Parra and seeing all of the game that had been harvested.  This particular gate will sport  buck, doe, hog, turkey tom, cactus with quail, ducks and flying doves.  I hope the gate owner will send a picture of the finished product.

This order came from a customer who's great great great great grandfather was quite a piece of Texas history.  I looked up Jose Antonio Navarro and there is too much to list here.   He was a statesman, rancher, politician, revolutionary and merchant.  Also, he was one of the original signers of the Texas Declaration of Indepence.  If you like Texas history, look up Jose Antonio Navarro and read about this Texas patriot.  This brand was his.   I like the old brands as they have a style of their own.  This is all cut from 3/16" plate and has 1/4" round rod for hangers.  Painted flat black and holes for mounting on the wall. 

It is a good day when the Cajun girls come through my area.  One of them has a husband that works on the Texas coast and they like to make the trip to visit.  They bring one husband for changing flats and picking up the meal tickets.   It seems that they like Texas Bar B Que.  Well, the cajun queen ordered a sign for her husband.  I could listen to her accent all day.  They are all fun people and I hope they continue to stop by. 

Had an order for two of these for custom gates.  Each oval is 48" wide and cut from 3/16" thick plate steel.  These will be welded in the gate and then the gate will be sand blasted and powder coated. 

A fellow artist, wildlife and life photographer jazzed up his rack with some metal art.  This is a good as I have seen.  He painted the art a nice hammered brown to contrast with the black rack.  I am very proud to see this. 

This cap/hat rack has turkeys.  Four of them.  Two in flight and two on the ground.  Lots of turkeys around this new home and now it sports a Torchcraft fireplace screen and a cap/hat rack.  The rack has 410 gauge shotgun shells for hangers. 

Well, I am in full agreement.   When you need to show your appreciation to a friend, what better way than to call up Torchcraft and have a custom made wall art to express that gratitude.  This one is cut out of 3/16" plate and shown after it was primed.  Finish color was black. 

This sign represents the Texas bluebonnets and Florida's state wild flower, the coreopsis.  Hummingbird is local South Carolinan????   Cut from 3/16" plate and shown after a coat of primer was applied.  The top coat will be black. 

This fireplace found it's home and looks really good on the rock .  A fairly large fireplace, the screen is not light weight but presents the ranch brand and the game that the owners like. 

Large fireplace screen ordered with wildlife scene and ranch brand included.   Scene is cut from 10 gauge steel.  Heavy screen woven wire and framed on the back side with 1.5"x1.5"x.125" angle.  Will add the two feet in the front and one in the back, along with the two handles and paint with high temp black paint. 

Long before the land men, working in the Eagle Ford Shale came to this country, the Mexican vaquero rode his caballo out of Mexico, across the "wild horse desert" and on to Mission San Antonio.   I am fairly sure that the dinner plate size saddle horn on those Mexican saddles had a GPS mounted in it for directions.   Or,,,, maybe not.  Either way, that style of cowboy,  horse and tack is not to be mistaken.  It is puro Vaquero.   A real horseman and cowboy.  This particular one is named  "El Bigoton"  for the big bigote, (mustache). 

This piece is 28" tall and 53" wide.  Hand cut from 10 gauge steel so it can be hung on a sheetrock wall. 

I love making customers happy, however, I believe these two are happy with or without my metal art.  The wife wanted to surprise her husband with a sign to mount on the storage building of their new RV spot on the Texas Coast.  Well, it looks like it worked and it was a joy to make the metal art  and working with them.

Just cut and waiting for the clean up and painting.  This sign will be hung at the entrance of the ranch by chains.  Two chain links will be welded to the top arch for hanging.  Metal is 3/16" thick. 

We have a sign for a customer who has recently aquired an interest in going to the coast with her husband in their RV.  Needed a name on the storage shed.  This sign is regular steel but is primed, painted and clear coated for extra protection against the coastal environment. 

Had a really interesting order for a 48" tall heart.  Iniitals to represent the husband and the wife's names and the reverse cut letters of "I LOVE YOU" in the middle of the heart.  This heart was going to be hung 40 feet high in the fork of a tall tree outside their home.  An LED light would be on the back side of the heart and the small holes drilled around the border would highlight the shape of the heart at night.   The initials painted a light color to show up at night on the brown base.

The heart was a birthday gift for the wife and after getting to know the husband, I believe it was true love.  But it is certainly good insurance, anyway. 

Horseshoes bookends with names have been a long time gift item.  It's a great gift that is personalized with the person's name, brand or initials. This set is an order from a long standing customer that always orders these for wedding gifts.  They can be made with two horseshoes to serve as a letter holder.

Gate is located near Three Rivers, Texas.  I get to enjoy looking at my work when I go to Choke Canyon to fish.

Near Lampasas Texas I recently noticed a sign that I created many years ago. Spanish wording for Flying Diamond Ranch.

When this sign was ordered last year, I thought it was for British Petroleum but it turns out to be the owners initials.  Either way, it was mounted in their gate and looks very nice.  It nicely represents the state of South Texas at this time with the oil boom in full swing.

This is a great gift idea for anyone with a brand or someone who wants a brand. The brand is created and mounted on a base.  In this case the base is the state of Texas and tempered with heat to give it the colors.  A wall hanger is mounted on the back side for hanging on a wall.  A great Christmas gift for the person that is hard to buy for?

Durango sign was hung and I am most proud of having a part in it.  Looks really like a Colorado sign should look like.  Cut from the 3/16" plate and braced in the back with 1/8" by 2" strap steel. 

Last year I was pleased to create a ranch sign for the Vera Cruz Mountain Ranch. This year, a sign was needed to direct the visitors to the ranch headquarters. Painted in colors that would show well at night with headlights.

Pipeline company has a yard in South Texas has brought class to Encinal Texas. Somewhere in there, there is an Aggie influence.

Looks very good and a great entrance presentation. 

Really have enjoyed creating the Colorado scene.  Not all my doing on the design.  The owner and his family had he concept and with a lot of pushing and pulling, they finally got me on board as to what they had in mind.  Will paint black and ship out soon.

Above is the metal silhouette of Joe Joe, the beloved horse who has gone on but will be remembered.

Joe Joe was the beloved horse and long time friend of a girl in Illinois.  After Joe Joe passed away, she wanted to remember him in a metal silhouette on her barn.  The next blog posting will show the barn with a silhouette created from this photograph.

Other side of the entrance with wing art.  Ovals cut from 4' x 8' x 3/16" plate.

My blog will only allow one picture per posting, so here is the wing art to the Alemana Ranch. See next posting for other side.  These are ovals cut from a 4' x 8' x 3/16" plate. 

One of my favorite places!  15" tall letters above the entrance to the establishment. 

A great Place to Shoot. 

New home with rock wall winged entrance is graced with the name of the place. Cut from 3/16" place and mounted with anchors so that it can be removed (much later) for repainting. 

Ranch entrance design that is clean and impressive.  Near San Diego, Texas.  This is one of my all time favorites. 

Recently I posted a picture of the Rancho Consuelo sign in raw steel before painting. The customer was kind enough to send a picture of the sign mounted at his ranch in Rock Springs, Tx.  Great presentation.  Very different and a wonderful way to display his sign. 

1/4" plate steel and a trip to the store for rings, votives and candles.   Not painted, natural steel with a clear coat sprayed on. 

When you build a pation/bbq/pool where the old dog pen used to be, you name it THE DOG PEN.  Pictured in the sign is a copy of a family lab that is well missed. 

Great way to get your address on the gate and advertise your business as well. 

Customer in New Jersey ordered two like signs for her dad's farm.  Shown with primer paint and was later top coated with Deep Rubbed Bronze.  

Ranch owner's family has special feelings about the little angles in the state outline. 

I always like windmills and the horseback rider reminds me of my day and his favorite

saddle horse, Joe. 

I liked the little boy and little girl angels in the State outline.  This was something special that has meaning to the land owners.  And, I always like windmills.  The cowboy is of a different generation and reminds me of my dad when he was horseback.

Grand Dad built his grand children a playground and needed a sign to grace the entrance. Special times with special people.  Go Grand Dad!

American Shooting Center in Houston wanted to create a place for the photos of the shooting event winners.  They prepared a concrete pad and a nice setting with the pond in the back ground.  The metal pieces were taken to a sand blaster in Boerne and powder coated to combat the Houston elements. 

We had the sad occasion of making a grave marker for a great Lab a few years back and now the son of that dog was lost also.  People who appreciate dogs in this way have a lot of heart.   Great dogs are never forgotten. 

Everyone knows that New Mexico is an art state.  This is what happens when Texans go to their Ruidoso ranch and get creative with their black silhouette ranch sign.  This sign came "ALIVE" with colors!   Very nice.  

Had the opportunity to creat a sign for a good friend who purchased a ranch out of Ruidoso, New Mexico.  The ranch is among the Vera Cruz Mountain range and the sign reflects that range in it's design.   Also reflected is all of the critters that live on that range and of course the famous Kokopelli doing all of the Kokopelli things that they do on that ranch.  It is a beautiful area and I got the pleasure of going there and seeing the sign grace the ranch headquarters.  

How to have a bang with your target shooting.   This is an elephant cut out of AR plate.  There is a quarter size hole for a target bulls eye.  Behind the hole on the back side is a tub of Tannerite exploding target material.  When a bullet of 223 size or larger is placed in the target hole and the Tannerite is exploded, it is a real thrill.  Maybe not as much as a real hunt but very impressive.  The animal is mounted on springs to allow it to reposition itself after normal hits but you need to really anchor it down for the explosion to hold it in place.  I haven't marketed these but made it for personal use. 

It is a great way to GET A BANG OUT OF TARGET SHOOTING.

House/farm gate with owners passion and name attached. 

This young Seabee was given a boot filled with concrete.  Apparently the Seabees have a since of humor.  He needed a handle for the ceremonial boot.  Since he was stationed in South Texas, he chose the state of Texas with the Seabees logo attached to the state.  The logo is welded on from the back side of the state and the logo is ground down to a shinny finish.   A top coat of clear coat protects the finish. 

The customer requested a gang of horseback riders.  Twenty seven riders to be exact.  This is going on their new home's exterior with lighting behind to show case the art.  Cut from 3/16" plate and has brackets to set it away from the wall approx 3 inches.  Picture shown is after the primer was sprayed on.  Top coat will be black.

Business in Pennsylvania wanted their company name and logo for the office wall. Cut from 3/16" plate and tempered with heat for the "hot iron colors", then clear coated to preserve the finish. 

A local merchant wanted to put her store name / logo on the front of her very old and unique store.  The store is one of the oldest building in down town Pleasanton.   A worth while stop and shop if you are in the area. 

Customer has a new gate being made and requested an insert to display his name, brand and reflection of their interests.  Gate builder will place this in the center section of new gate.  Hopefully, we will receive a picture back of the finished product. 

I made one of these several years ago for Incarnate Word in Brownsville.  This time it was ordered by a group of individuals as a donation.  This will be placed indoors. Cut from 3/16" plate steel.  Painted in copper and red colors. 

American Shooting Center in Houston is putting up an arch for photos to be taken by the winners of the shooting competition.   Arch is 12 feet wide.