It's getting interesting in here

Every time I walk into the shop my dad has just picked a new/old piece of machinery. He seems to find the people that are just basically giving the shit away. I don't know how he finds it but he seems to find a new sweet deal everyday. The other day he asked if he could barrow my truck to pick up some drills presses in towards the suburbs. He came back with two drill presses (one with a four chuck head) and some tool boxes. Then he says.... "Oh and I bought out a warehouse of Machining tools, drills, taps you name it". Went to buy a drill press and buys out the supply house. He brought back a four inch fine thread trap. The thing weighed about fifty pounds!



An early 40's Sheldon Lathe he just picked up for peanuts. It's in fine working order. It just needed little clean'n and it was good to go.  

I'm a lucky bastard!

Jesse Neuhaus' night

Jesse and Harlan
Harlans work on Jesse's deck
Kev and Donuts came down for the weekend

The worlds largest pizza showed up around 3am, literally wouldn't fit through the door. Great night, congrats jesse and nice work Harlan. Donuts and Kev I hope you didn't freeze on the way home today.

The Smoke out (4real)

So the rules for the 1st annual Peace Pipe build-off are as follows:

1. There are no rules
2. Pipes will be judged on Craftsmanship, creativity and function.
3. The deadline for the big pow wow will be Thanksgiving Day. In honor of all the brave souls who lost their lives and land to the scared and greedy white man.
4. There are no losers except for Mitch.

ps: Mitch I borrowed the neck of your stratocaster. Hope you don't mind.

Zac of Doom

Life is Fuct!

The Pink Taco

While we were in California we decided to take a ride over the Ortega to visit the Ballard family. We just had to check out Duane's new bike.

Watch out... Duane is known to have a short fuse..... Don't get stuck with his Dipstick!
















Before heading out Lisa hooked me up with a jug of Spectro to get me home. Lisa is the nicest women you'd ever get the chance to meet. She keeps the business end in check at the Ballard seat factory and does more than her fair share of work for the Cycle Source Magazine as well. 

Peace Pipe build-off

With Chicago Fall setting in full force there's a lot more time spent in the Lodge which has led Mitch to believe that a good old fashioned peace pipe build-off was in order for the changing seasons. Essentially we are building pipes for each other with the idea of blowing the others mind. The prize will be a peace pipe build-off inspired piece of artwork by none other than our pal Joe Suta. As construction begins we may post some progress pics in order to entice some voting on our final products. prepare to be bored reading this blog.

Mitch Cotie, I challenge you to out peace my pipe!

Cook Customs

While I was in Milwaukee I stopped in and said hi to my friend Dave Cook. He's one of those mad hatter genius types that you just never know what he will come up with next. He just won the AMD World Championship in bike building with his latest Build.... and it sickest Honda you will ever see. You wouldn't believe the amount of time he has invested in it. There are a shit ton of modifications you just don't notice. He cut off the trans, flipped it inline, mated a BMW shaft driven three speed trans with four speeds crammed in off the back and a custom made cam chest off the front. Model A updraft carb and the list goes on forever. He is currently working on another Norton project. It's always a trip to walk through his shop.

COOK CUSTOMS
























The New Norton Project







HARLEY.... The dog that hates you

The Jesse Neuhaus Revival

Uprise skate shop is throwing a board release party for my buddy Jesse Neuhaus celebrating his contributions to the skateboard industry and Chicago skateboarding. Jesse's one of the nicest and most unassuming guys you'll ever meet with lots of history. He joined the Alva team in '85 at thirteen years old with spnsorship from vans and thunder trucks, makes my youth seem very tired. Our mutual friend Harlan Thompson(country mile veteran twice) designed the deck for Jesse. Come out and support skateboarding and the people that made it what it is and check out some classic shit in honor of Jesse.

That is not dead which can eternal lie,

and with strange aeons even death may die.

H.P. Lovecraft

Milwaukee

I took a little trip up there today and hung out with Warren, Bacon and Cody.  

Randoms from the CA trip

I've been on vacation since we got back from vacation. Spent some time at a cabin in the woods by Michigan way, the last couple of days has been trying to get friends that work to not work and come play with me. Got a job starting Monday that runs through January then it's winter off for a few months of decompression and tanning. The last month or so has been a riot but now I'm really getting into the fall weather. Hoodies, hot coffee and slow jams. These are the last of the CA trip photos from me, I think. gotta turn the page and buckle up.
Josh needing a long bed
about 24 hours into the drive
Lazy Bastard
Wil's FXR that he won't sell me
the Lizard fitting a little young on the kid while Wil gets comfortable
Harpoon hides the magic
Made a stop out to see Duane Ballard and his Pink Taco
Still a lazy bastard.

'Who is here? Have you come to torture me again, Yara? Will you never be done? Oh, Yag-kosha, is there no end to agony?"

Tears rolled from the sightless eyes, and Conan's gaze strayed to the limbs stretched on the marble couch. And he knew the monster would not rise to attack him. He knew the marks of the rack, and the searing brand of the flame, and tough-souled as he was, he stood aghast at the ruined deformities which his reason told him had once been limbs as comely as his own. And suddenly all fear and repulsion went from him, to be replaced by a great pity. What this monster was, Conan could not know, but the evidences of its sufferings were so terrible and pathetic that a strange aching sadness came over the Cimmerian, he knew not why. He only felt that he was looking upon a cosmic tragedy, and he shrank with shame, as if the guilt of a whole race were laid upon him.

Tower of the Elephant

Robert E. Howard

Gnarly!

These guys most have large sacks!




Stolen from Belladonna-Trackers

Feature Shoots

It's been a tuff year for the the print magazines which in turn makes it tuff for the freelance photographers that shoot for the print mags.  While I was in california I did something I hadn't done in a long time...... I shot two bikes as features.  I'm sit'n on about 100 of these photoshoots I've shot over the last three or four years that will probably never even be seen.  I decided to slow down and restrict my shooting to my close friends I ride with or bikes I truly respect as either a well built machine or a well ridden machine.  Anyway it was refreshing to shoot Troy and Nikki's bikes.  It just felt right.... We rode together all weekend then pulled off to my favorite little spot in Huntington Beach.   

Check out their Blog.  Chicomoto



Troy on his Panhead





Nikki on her Kawasaki (The Lizard Bike) rocking the Chicago Patch

Wils project '69

Gonna be ooh so right.