I KNOW the youth camp I'll be teaching at does not have any sort of proper pounding slab, because I saw kids pounding on picnic table tops in years past...

Tandy currently has both 12"x12" quartz slabs and 12"x12" granite slabs on sale for $27.99

Last night, while in that funny state between wake and sleep, I dreamed up a box-frame for it that could be filled with a few inches of sand or stone dust and then the slab set down into the frame.

I still can't get the idea of filling the box with sakrete, flaot the creme up for a nice surface, and then glue down a commercial grade 12" square Vinyl Composition Tile to it....

It's CHEAP, heavy, solid, and with the VCT tile for work surface, I don't need to worry about damaging the stone top, tools, or have chips flying into little eyes.

Either way I fill the frame, sakrete or sand and slab, it has side handles let into the frame for carrying, and holes along the back side to hold the stamps and mallet. It's pretty cool looking in my minds-eye.

Once I get to the maintenance shop I can start working on making a prototype and see if it really works.

On my way to Tandy I'm going to hit up the memorial place on Broad Ave... the place you can see on the right, near the end of Sam Cooper Blvd. It's in one of the worst sections of town, an area called Binghampton (frequently misspelled "Binghamton"), made Nationally infamous between August and October of 2004 by 13 shootings of cars driving traveling on Sam Cooper Boulevard. I don't even drive through the area without my 1911 .45ACP cocked and locked.

I'm really looking for _small_ pieces, 12"x12" x2" would be about perfect, but if they have a tombstone or two for a decent price ....

OK back from the excursion. Stopped by the monument maker on the way to Tandy.

At first they were like;

"Sorry, we don't have anything good to give away."

I said:

"I'm sorry I think you misunderstood me, I have CASH, and my 501c3 and TN Tax Exempt Cert." and showed them all three.

"And I want to BUY YOUR SCRAP. And you can write it off on your taxes for _full_retail_value."

He disappeared into the office and the Business Manager came out and said:

"You want to my scrap, for cash and I can write it off?"

"Yes Ma'am!" and I handed her my $65.00 and 501c3 and TN Tax Exempt Cert.

She said "come with me out back."

We did some digging to find pieces that were good and flat on the back side

Came up with 6 pieces all together.

Three of them look like:

I have three more waiting for me to go back and pick up that are just like the bottom pink slab. I think she called the "pedestal bases"

I think I'll like the pre-drilled holes because I can run a power cord up it. or use it to put a gooseneck lamp into, or a dowel in the bottom of my wooden stamp rack to keep it from walking away while pounding.

I stopped by my friemd and Leather-Working Mentors house and gave him his pick of the litter and he chose one of the two nice rectangular squares and was very happy.

I was very happy to be able provide him with something in return for his kindness, patience, and generosity and taking me under his wing and showing me the secrets of the Masters.