The Construction of "Sandy"
It was a monumental task but James Miller of Arena, N.D. was up to the challenge. James was the right man for the job since he had years of experience in the
metal business and built hundreds of ornamental mail box stands, trailers, and just about anything metal that customers requested.
metal business and built hundreds of ornamental mail box stands, trailers, and just about anything metal that customers requested.
| The first phase was to build an internal frame of tubing for structural support. |
| Phase four required a very long flatbed to transport the crane to its new home in Steele. |
| Phase two included attaching the sheet metal sections to the frame to create the body. |
| How's that for a huge drumstick? |
Photos - Page 2
| Painting body parts, including extremely long legs, and assembling them was phase three. |
| It made it without any casualties but what a site it was driving down the road! |
Click on any photo to enlarge it.
| Once in place, James and his crew secured it to the concrete pad that was prepared in advance. |
| Finished at last! Time to go home. |
| James enjoyed a little TV airtime as he was interviewed for the local news. |
There was a lot of trial and error in the beginning phases. Designing
and building a bird of this size took much planning and expertise. The
entire project took James many months to complete.
When the project was finally completed, someone asked James how
he felt. He said he didn't build it for the money but so that his
grandchildren could drive by and say, "My grandpa built Sandy."
Sadly, James Miller passed away October 7, 2002 but his giant crane
will stand tall for visitors to enjoy for many years to come. His family
donated several hundred dollars worth of flowers which were used to
create and dedicate a James Miller Memorial Flower Garden at the site.
| James Miller standing proud next to his creation. |
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