Category Archives: Tools

On the way back from the ACE Hardware in Harleysville (see below) Andy and I stopped at Isabelle’s Kitchen to grab this Big Whisk.  In truth, Deb spotted this earlier but I didn’t stop for the photo.

Isabelles’s Kitchen Whisk

While we were in Grand Rapids to see our niece Erica we followed up with time to get some Big Things.  This Big Trowel was a nice surprise.  It was in the Meijer Garden and Sculpture Park.  What a great place.  This trowel was, like all the sculpture installations, located outside and, in this case, a field of tall grass.  This Big Garden Trowel was created by Claes Oldenburg and his wife Coosje van Bruggen.  The Meijer web site states, “Plantoir is the first monumental sculpture created specifically for a garden context. It was sited specifically by the artists.”  I liked it a lot.

Claes Oldenburg Trowel

Also at the Home Show the CertaPro Painters had a booth. All the people visiting the model house saw this booth. Of course, I noticed the person inside this Big Paint Brush. My thanks to JJ Darr for allowing us to grab this image.

Home Show Brush

This Big Hammer sign was also outside the American Sign Museum. I think the museum could have yielded some other interesting objects but it cost $15 for admission. We didn’t think it was worth the time of money to enter so we left in search of other planned Big Things.

Sign Museum Hammer

A pitchfork like this is something you would expect to find in Iowa. And it’s a beauty. Created by Clarence Martin in 2003 it stands next to the Custom Steel Service building. If you look closely you can see the strings of lights wrapping about the sculpture. I was there in the daylight and don’t know if it is lit up at night or only for special occassions. If anyone from Ames,  Iowa knows, send me a note.

Iowa Pitchfork

We were on our way back from Terra Haute and Emily’s graduation party and just hit I-465. It was Sunday morning and we had a little free time when we spotted this wrench sign. We jumped off on the Executive Parkway (aka Sam Jones) and wound our way through the industrial park until we found the the sign. It was in front of the Allisonville Transmission facility next to the Comfort Suites. Also home to UAW Local 933. “Go Union” (I grew up in Detroit!)

I-465 Wrench

Deb and I were on our way home after a real nice stay in Louisville where we visited for our anniversary. We stayed in a downtown hotel suite with a tremendous view of the Ohio River. There are other images from this trip on the site. This one was taken at a lumberyard in Ohio. Not exactly easy to find but when you are after Big Things you have to persevere. Don’t wait for them to come to you, or you are in for disappointment.

Funky Scale

These two images were taken at the Sears HQ in Hoffman Estates, IL. We were there to meet with a buyer when we saw these advertising props set up in the lobby. Natch I had to get my photo taken but I only had an old film camera with me. After taking this photo Jai looked at the back of the camera and wondered where the image was. Like she had never seen a film camera before, right!

Sears Toolbox

Sears Mixer

On our way to drop Andy off at college last summer I was looking for a pair of Big Boots that I could have sworn was on US-31 north of Indianapolis. Well I didn’t find the boots but check out this trowel. Of course it was in a garden center.

Indianapolis Trowel