Untitled Page

My Pig Peg

I wanted to make a pig. So I devised a scheme to justify the activity: to create a display advertizement (a sign) for H.R. Electronics, inc., my wife's (former) Ham Radio dealership (get it? Ham.. Pig.. aaahhhh).

I wanted to use papier-mache because it's sloppy and simple. I taped two balloons nozzle to nozzle for a form. It took me three nights to produce the pig body, two more to put on the legs, ears and gaping smile. I should have taken some photos of it when it still looked like newsprint, but I didn't think of it. I covered the "sign" with several coats of dry-wall mud and sanded to glassy smoothness. Then I coated it with epoxy. This took quite a while and was difficult to justify to practical minded family members.

I worked up a stencil and printed it off on the desk-top laser printer, but I couldn't fit the paper to the curvacious piggy. I had to brush on a latex film, then patiently cut it away for a stencil.

So here it is, making the scene at the Dayton Ham-Vention. About 30,000 Hams from all over the world laid eyes on this pig. It was even televised on the local news. As you can see, a cellular telephone antenna seconds as the tail.

I grew a goatee to signify my temporary artisan status. My new friend and I pose in front of a real sign, and we celebrate our existence.

Back to Pig

N8PPQ

My Personal Site