Fortunate Friday: Cookie advice for the weekend
Ring-A-Day: Empire State Ring
About 15 years ago I was building a deck on a 10th floor apartment to pay for my new Milwaukee circular saw. I reached in to the box of framing nails and found this stubby guy — a perfect nail in every way except length. Well, today I was returning to the city from Steiner Studios in Williamsburg, Brooklyn where they shoot Boardwalk Empire, and noticed the Empire State Building on the horizon while crossing the Manhattan Bridge (which I had sculpted in quantity for an event tonight, but more on that tomorrow). Somehow, this 15 year old nail just reminded me of the Empire State Building with its billowing cottony clouds today. When ever I used to come home to the city, seeing the color coding on the top of the 34th Street icon would let me know I was almost there. I lived on 37th street for many years. We often found paper air planes on our roof made out of the observatory brochures. So, for all of you junior scientists who ever wondered how far yours flew: 3 blocks plus 108 stories, or pretty much spiraling down a steep hypotenuse.
89/365
Ring-A-Day: Stamped Polka Dots
The joy of stamping. Tap. Tap. Tap. Just completed an epic project, so I may have time soon for more carved wax rings once I’m caught up on all the things I put off.
88/365
Ring-A-Day: First Anodized Titanium Ring
So I get this harebrained idea that I’m going to shock some titanium and get some pretty colors. I searched everywhere for a cleaner called TSP. Turns out that it works great because it kills EVERYTHING, um, including us. Next up, Miracle-Gro. Why Miracle-Gro and/or TSP in the first place? Ammonium phosphate. The titanium needs an electrolyte between it an the cathode that contains phosphates. WAIT! Wikipedia says phosphoric acid is added to soda to give it some zing.
So I rectified a 130v VariAC, cranked it up all the way, dipped my sponge in some Coke, clipped it into the anode, clipped the other end onto the titanium and happily brushed some 130v oxides. Turned it down a touch (approximately 1v) and swabbed again.
On it goes until 126v and BANG! I jump out of my chair. Somehow the dang thing shocks me. I put on rubber gloves and continue making swatches for each volt. At 110v BANG again, but this time I’m not the ground. The lights go out. I reset the breaker, look over the circuitry and find that there’s nothing burnt or shorted, and try to make today’s ring. BANG! Killed the circuit again at 110v.
I’ll continue experimenting, but today’s ring is literally half-baked in Coca Cola.
More to come on this subject.
87/365
Ring-A-Day: Number Ring
Wanted to take apart an old gas pump and reverse engineer the mechanism for gallons and dollars. It’s a size six for my lady friend!
86/365