Sparkles for S'Barkles!

So as everyone in the greater Pikes’ Peak region knows, last week we got news of an “Albuquerque Low” (and I don’t mean the punk rock song by Elway). For those outside the region, this means a low pressure system working its way north through New Mexico, gathering moisture, and then resulting in a potentially massive dump of snow in southern Colorado. Anyway, I’m not a meteorologist. Suffice to say that while weather is always a bit of a coin flip here, I wanted to be prepared. So we hear of this coming…and I do my usual checklist to make sure I’m prepared for un-drivable conditions for a day or two.

That checklist includes things like making sure I don’t have any installations planned (and rescheduling them if needed), getting products to powder coating prior to the expected snowfall (trust me, driving a 17’ trailer with a ton of steel on it is unpleasant in a blizzard and I will not do it…for my safety and everyone else’s!), picking up steel for any in-process projects so I can work (yay onsite shop!!), etc. I thought I was all prepared. And then I got an unexpected phone call.

Have you heard of S’Barkles dog grooming salon in Paintbrush Hills (near Falcon Middle School)? This recently-opened dog grooming salon had a need for a dog washing station. Not a regular one either, but a low one that large breeds like Great Pyrenees could step onto, eliminating the need to pick up large heavy breeds to get them into the sink. The original request was for a custom ground-level washing station out of stainless steel, with lockable wheels.

Now here’s the problem with stainless steel. It’s expensive. Like really expensive. And, it’s not always on hand at my supplier which means we have to wait for it to come in. And, I have to purchase special wire to weld it, which I generally don’t keep on hand since…you guessed it, it’s expensive! I made sure the owner knew all this, and she decided to move forward anyway. But it rankled me to know how much the materials were going to cost her, especially since I could not commit to a timeframe since I would have to wait for the supplier to get the materials. So I brainstormed a bit…and came up with a way to use regular 14-gauge steel sheets instead. To protect it from dog claws/scratches, and any resultant rust, I recommended a powder coat with a zinc undercoat. This is a more expensive powder coat but really helps with any future rust issues. Now here’s the kicker - using these materials instead, I was able to fabricate the washing station AND a custom sign, powder coated in two separate colors, for cheaper than the stainless materials would have cost! Win win!!!

So I had to update my “preparing for potentially lots of snow” checklist to pick up some additional materials for this project. And that blizzard-y day, the wife worked on the design for the custom sign while I got to work on the washing station. All in all, we had a much more productive day than expected, and a lot of fun creating this one. Best news is, S’Barkles is happy. And that is what matters most!

Make sure you check out S'Barkles! https://sbarklesgrooming.wixsite.com/s-barkles-grooming