I gave them an overnight soak in Simple Green to see if I could clean them up but that turned out to be a real bad idea…
The entire paint layer peeled off in one piece! So I shifted to Illinois Land of Lincoln… found a eBay listing for a 35-piece lot. 
The dark red letters matched the Arizona plates really well but there was too much blue on the bottom half to use as the white stripes. Ended up hitting them with a thin coat of gloss white and then using a Q-tip dipped in paint thinner to clean the white off the dark red letters.
The backing is just 1x cedar fence boards from HD. I used them because they are lightweight and should be able to handle limited weather exposure. Hit them with a coat of White primer and then painted the color where appropriate to eliminate the white shining through between the plates. 
All I could find were dog eared boards so I trimmed them to 71” to square them up.
Not even a leg hump?? Man are you boring
Jay, the lockers were a fun project but I failed on the mobility issue. Used 13” diameter run flat tires (same diameter as the depth of the HF storage boxes, that way I could still open the locker doors). They worked fine until I loaded it up, compressed overnight too much to even turn.
Two coats of Rustoleum Safety Yellow. Put a splash of Penetrol in the paint to help it flow out better. Used a foam roller and a cheapie disposable paint brush where the roller didn’t go. Touch up was with an aerosol can of Safety Yellow. In hindsight I would have added a bit of hardener to the paint; but after two years I’m pretty sure it’s finally dry. (Did I mention how much I hate Rustoleum?)
Final step was adding the top. I found a 36x80solid core wood door at a building materials close out place near the Phoenix Airport. A piece of 1/8”Masonite hardboard was added to protect the top. It’s easily replaceable if It gets too banged up. Cut it to rough size, shot a few brad nails around the perimeter; after a quick trip around the top with a flush trim bit in the router this thing was ready to roll…. Until it didn’t.
Still dealing with a mass of scar tissue under the finger tip almost 2 years later.
We were working on a large remodel in our big vacant gravel side yard, wanted a fitting memorial for him, and a place for my wife to visit him here- so we sprinkeld a few of his ashes around the tree we planted behind this bench, the rest are interred with my MIL at the National Cemetery in CaveCreek, AZ.
Actually built this as a surprise for my wife, she was gone for a long weekend visiting her daughter and grandkids.] I wouldn't mind a peek at how you did that lower plaque, as I'm sure others wouldn't mind either. Thanx for sharing, VERY classy/fitting result! HarryThanks, Harry.Damn Nice there PD! You sure sucked up some Serious Bonus Points with the Boss Lady there didn't you? [did you need forgiveness or are you planning on asking for permission, I'm thinking a new tool purchase
PugetDude, Might I suggest a backrest with a recessed area with a picture of them, He in uniform. her in whatever pic you have (?) that is available to you. Even tattered would fit as that is the way the vets' pictures of their loved ones ended up carried everywhere they went. Take the photo and do an "Acryliazation(sp?) from "The Art of Custom Painting" from the early '70's showed this technique [Metalflake (IIRC) ad from a magazine that is when I bought my airbrush from them]. You basically clear coat over a picture and then rub/wash the paper off of the back and set it into the clear coat of the finished paint project. If you bought a couple of copies of the picture you decide on another "Dog Tag" with a raised edge set the picture in and then some epoxy casting resin and you have another plaque. Maybe with another engraving under the photo, with some meaningful words +/-?
After the cage was complete I scrounged up enough sheet metal to built the bulwarks. Outside wall were cut from 16 gage steel purlin stock, the inside walls were cut out of a couple of old 2’ recessed light troffers. (did mention I am a bit of a scrounger, didn’t I?)The tops were new 20 gauge that were just hand bent and tacked into place. After A couple of hundred tack welds the corners were ground smooth and blended. 
Next step was to hit all the flats with a flap wheel to remove all the paint and prepare for the patina.
Formed and poured a little pad to bolt this to. Used it as an opportunity to get rid of more pieces of scrap rebar, etc.-tacked together a little reinforcing cage, then poured three bags of ready mix. Added a bottle of buff concrete color let the slab blend into the landscape gravel. 
Ready to install the marker, just put in a couple of Tapcons to keep in in place, then filled the rebar cage with 4”+ Palo Verde stone. Top bolts on with four 1/4” bolts, nuts were welded into the frame and ground flush during fabrication. 
I actually tried to copper plate the steel numbers with copper sulfate using instructions I found online but it didn’t really work. I wanted them to weather out naturally to a copper verdigris finish, but that might be a project for a later date. The numbers were bandsawed out of 3/16” plate with 5/16” bolts welded to the back as stand offs. They’re just friction fit into 5/16” holes in the flagstone so I can just pop them out and get them plated if I decide to go that route.Beautiful design, color, and executionDidn’t take many pictures of the weld-up, but here’s the completed bench. Used 1-1/4” pipe for the front side, will be more comfortable to sit on with the rolled edge.
Rustic, simple beauty, so pleasing to the eye.Since these are in no particular order, here’s the address marker I made for the house. We’re in a small gated community of 45 homes on ~acre lots; most of the neighbors have their addresses on boulders or flagstone. I’m more of a metal guy, so I decided to integrate both.
The previous owner had a nice thick piece of flagstone and some ceramic tile numbers she was going to use for her address marker. I liked the flagstone, so I kept it and sent the tiles to a local thrift shop.
Wanted something that reflected the mining heritage of the Superstition Mountains and incorporate the rusted iron design elements we already had going on the property.
Had a bunch of 3/8” rebar and 1x1 tubing left over from the trellises I built for the courtyard and golf course so I used that. First step was to build a rebar cage for the Palo Verde stone we already had in the landscape drainage.
Best way I have found to put an instant rust patina on steel is to spray it with a mixture of vinegar, salt, and hydrogen peroxide. It will foam up as it works, don’t try to wipe it off- just let it go, it will disappear as it ages.
