Hello Readers!
  Back from the brink Of the next Ice age, it seems our salvation lies in the week of April 1st!
The weather is here, and were climbing up the temperature ladder.
Returned From the cold north of Toronto Canada In one piece!  What a trip! Literally and figuratively!
The Skies bloomed with Glass monstrosities high as the eye could see, Like Obi-wan and Anakin Tracking bounty hunters on the planet Nar shadaa, we found ourselves amidst a see of city and people. it seemed like the city never ended, To the left, to the right, before and behind us, it stretched on ward, nearly blotting out the sun completely.

Model in photo seen on main road with massive Canadian Church in background. Second photo inside elevator of hotel.

    Because Sometimes, One cup is simply not enough!

Snow Tidings

The curling flakes of winter have briefly returned out my window for another whack at the patience of humanity. Sitting in my studio the forest of white falls silently outside my door while I type my days work.  Our harley parts are coming to fruition. the morning finds us working in the studio attending our own design meetings, convergence of the minds, feedback and morning back pains akin to the future late night groans we are anxiously awaiting after long summer adventures.   Soon, Later this week, i will be meeting with potential landlords to move the studio and my occupational presence elsewhere, the current situation having expired it's emotional benefits.
       Also this week, I have the hope of continuing my bronze casting having mother molds made, and Wax prep work in anticipation of creating the ceramic shell used for the burnout and casting process.



   The Wax prep will eventually be submerged into a ceramic shell bath, and eventually the insides will be burnt out to create a cavity for the mold.

Failures, Frauds, And Perseverance

SO!   The last few weeks, of prototyping Glass parts have been rough.  Prototyping and one-off customs are heavy hearted cousins to long winded projects.

    Glass casting and blowing are commercial elements of manufacturing often overlooked by the public, and even those in the industry.   For these recent projects, making molds and having them finally fail, so thoroughly,  It upsets me the students, faculty and Professors, were not able to foresee these issues, or even offer advice and guidance. Shame on you glass majors, shame on you!

    fortunately,  Over the last eight years I have been specializing in prototyping and one-off custom pieces.  Failures and long winded projects are not a stranger to me.   For the Next run, Were doing things commercially.   And that means GRAPHITE. Milled, and Lathed Graphite. big BLOCKS of it. its messy stuff from what I'm told, But yields perfect results.

For the Next runa t these Harley lenses and lights, I am going to be casting glass with graphite. The goal here, being to make perfect run pieces, with a focus on numbers. lots and lots, made consecutively and very quickly.

      Here's some videos on how the process goes down!
Both for Metal (very interesting science)  and also for Glass!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok79tUZhNCE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoyrTMfDMtQ

ELEGANT, WEAR-PROOF, RELIABLY TIMELESS.

ELEGANT, ELEMENT PROOF, RELIABLE.

     If I look into your daily routine, in the fifteen minutes before You exit the Front door, What Do we find as your Go-to Goods?  When I take a Peak into your pockets, What would I find Day in and Day out?  For me, and others Toting DANKO BLOOD LEATHER goods in their pockets and on their choppers, Daily-Wear goods are the backbone of reliability.   These are the wallets, rucksacks, belts, jewelry and bling that we use to communicate a daily persona.
    For myself, My wallets and Belts have always Been a huge part of my business.  From handing out a snappy, and well presented business card, to dealing with money, wallets have been a great conversation piece and great at their job.   Belts were often a fun part of the fashion culture having a number of different environments of performance.  An automotive grade upholstery leather belt for a suit when Visiting an Art gallery opening or A handsome Veg-tan belt for daily Studio work and in the shop on the bikes.  One summer I even spent the majority of my time working on boat docks, on the water and riding pontoon boats around. My belts would constantly get soaked, stretched, twisted and used to capacity.  The belt, made of high grade upholstery leather Stood the test, and went far beyond what was requested of it.

    When it comes to Custom Goods, And goods designed for a client, The issue of "Will this be something I want to wear on a daily basis?"  arises often in my mind, as the lead designer.
 We want to build and design (everything) brilliantly effective for our clients.  (Everything) timeless, and applicable for their needs.


   Question for the Week,

     What's in your pockets, And what do you carry on the daily?

Here's a Link to a DIE-HARD site For EVERY DAY CARRY kind of folks.
 http://everyday-carry.com/page/2
Love this site, and the gear and goodies on it! Check it out for some SWEET HARDWARE, KNIVES, WALLETS, AND other GEAR!

Glass And Molds, and Harley parts!

Good Morning Creatives, Today were looking at the glass casting process.   this process is fairly involved with numerous stages to set up, creation and refinement.   We began on the drawing board, designing a round lens for the Harley.   These disks needed fit a number of different parameters, including the reusability of the mold.  this was a big part actually having a number of lenses needed for each bike, and exponentially more needed for a fleet.  

For the Early Stages, We created concepts of several styles, time periods, and functional thickness.   The lens being fully glass, consideration must be taken when the glass is being annealed, or melted.   Glass, when successfully annealed, should neither crack nor shatter.  However, When dealing with non commercial molds and glass, there is a higher risk during product development for the items to shrink and warp during the annealing and melting process.   This can yield unsatisfactory results, including the items not surviving the process!
   Pictured at right are the Model pieces being prepped for mold making.  Sealed and polished extensively, this assists greatly in the mold process and mold release.  Without sealing the mother model, this process would fail most certainly.

   After the layers and layers of sealing and polishing,  we take our precious Mother Model, and begin Creating molds,  and then those molds fail, and we hone the mother model into a more refined version, re grease and make more molds, which inevitbley may need MORE refinement and then we make a couple molds that DO work! YAY!   So now we have Molds full of glass several weeks later, full of crushed, measured glass, and waiting patiently in the deep heat of the annealer.

               Lets go Pull them out!!


          Till next week!

Upcoming Banquets of Steel And rubber Smokeouts.

In the Fall of The past Season the Studio was abloom with the late flowers of summer, the projects and designs. Blueprints laid flat, unfurled like a great canvas of a master, fine lines and curves all around,   The distractions of those times have since become lesser giants of their former selves, the great hands of time having swept away a number of tumors.

     Now as the season temperature ebbs and wanes, back and forth yet still, we are reminded that the coming tides of spring would not be too far away. With natures logical promise, that even though the barren wastelands pour out their fury and might, we have another season approaching still.

  SO!  Soon the winds Will subside and The bikes will roll out.  The motors have been boring themselves into the heads of their owners, and The harley dealership is beginning to see signs of life again, The tours and informational sessions bringing folks in from around the town.  I stopped in myself and found the a whole group of people talking and milling about. Clipboard in hand I ordered a shiny new set of keys for my harley, Parked since october I haven't ran the motor in a while.

  Casting,  Pouring Molten metal Into the Encasement of a mold.  That is the Future topics of this semesters explorations.  finding Ways to turn Billet and sculptural molds into cast objects of function and reliability.   With objects like taillights, headlamps, turn signals and motor parts, we've got a ton of work ahead.  especially with the wax failures of this past week.  Stay tuned, More to come!

Starting Winter in the Face

Over the course of several weeks, We've been dumped on, here in Michigan, Cubic tons of snow litter the street and pile along 696 where the empty lot sits between Woodward and Royal oak.   The studios heater blazes warm while I type, the hot green tea a minimal comfort, friends have been lost this season, Colleagues moved, and things have changed.  Not so much for the worse dear reader, but things sure feel hot to the touch.   A calm day is not so much found here, distractions and the words of allies, ring all around, causing unrest.   We share the winter, but some lives are warmer than others, Helping out at the Warming shelter at church for the homeless warms my heart for the love I do see in my life, but we constantly strive for more, finding dissatisfaction often. often unreasonably so, pressing our expectations on others.  My hope for this season is the winter finds you warm with your passions and hearts ablaze with the thoughts of the coming spring.

      Old photos litter the late nights over scotch and ice, the green green photos over the year take me back to the long nights I spent with all the folks down in Detroit, Royal Oak, Ferndale, Westland, and all over!  Over the year theres been a lot of talk about the upcoming changes, and the current changes happening already with the diplomatic and government offices.  The emergency manager situation in full effect, While the creative community counters with plans for increased problem solving and efficiency in all areas.   Were looking forward to the future, Friends, Buying homes, investing, turning up the volume on dinner parties and the workout music, bettering themselves, and others.
  It seems we've got a flow going here and looking forward is exactly what the city needs.   As for me, I'm plugging along, the studio continues to slowly grow and increase it's reach while studies and product development continue.

            Stay inspired Detroit Metro, and don't let yourself be ruined by failures or dissapointments of other, the world is broad and there is much to be appreciated, whether it's the green eyes of a best friend, or the blue skies of another day, "living the dream".  

        Your humble narrator

HOT BLOOD WINTER

The Months Have been Fair and fortunate to the Studio of late, and The friends come and go as one can expect.  For the coming season, We look towards a spring sun to redeem our souls and smiles from the grasp of winter. the weather not so much the problem, but the hearts of men that harden and dry when the sun leaves.
  Coming up well Explore the ideas of metal and fabrication as they relate back to the studio and the life of the artist.  Sculpture, casting, statues, and metal have always been of interest, and I look forward to exploring them further.
 This Blog will be a continuation of the past writings on wordpress and other social media outlets.  WE hope you can follow us for.. "The Ride"  ;)

New stories soon,

your humble narrator