Yearly Archives: 2009

Saturday night – pour iron

Great relaxing day which I very much needed.   We started off iwth a nice run while it was hot and sunny.. then we went over to friends Chris and Kim to see chris’s  work. He’s an excellent stone carver .. and I’d liek to find a way to work together..

Later in the afternoon we headed downtown. Today was the day of the Iron Pour.. Thats when my freinds at the Pine Street Studio get together and melt old radiators and cast them into new and interesting objects. I’d really wanted to cast soemthign this year.. but a combination of lack of time, inspiration and money (in that order)  prevented me from getting my act together enough to design anything. My inability to do that really got me thinking abotu how time constrained I am again.. if anythign, I’m beusier than when I left for the colony.. I was hoping that wouldn’t happen so fast. It jsut means I need to be more mindful of syaign ‘yes’ to so many things, again..

We did make it down in time to see the last pour.. which was great.. !

Seeing the hot metal pour out is such a cool sight !

The ladel takes abotu 100 pounds of white hot metal.. the crew then carrys it over to the sand molds and pours it in… lots of sparks, smoke and steam

Several old freinds were there.. Thea was doing a great project in whch sh cast wierd dools on to the handles of cast iron skillits.

Adrianna did another beutiful had scuplted form.. last year it was a beutiful nude.. thi year it was a mans face .

There were some other great peieces around.. like this bowl

Matts puzzle (from last year)

and his suit and tie from this year

Here’s louie about to uncast

I liked this winged wrench !

and an iron glove

As soon as the last pour was complete it started pouring rain.. it was great seeign the raindrops explode as it hit the hot molds and metal…  We said goodbye and headed to the inn and essex to meet up with aour good friends lary and leah who are up for a few days from pittsburgh

we sepnt the evenign hanging out with them and eating thai food in their room. We can talk for them for hours and hours.. Their coming over tomorrow to talk more…

OOppps.. looks liek that’s it for my batteries.. more tomorrow.. nite all, nite Sam !
-me

Friday night – Tesla's birthday

Today is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Nikola Tesla.. one of the most amazing and strange inventors of all time.  Google recognized the date by putting a tesla coil in their banner !

I recognized the event by firing a Tesla coil in the sanctuary of an orthodox jewish synagogue … Which I suppose is a bit ironic since tesla was a bit of an antisemite.

I was there doing a show for the lubavitch kids summer camp. One uniqe thing that happened.. This kids fringe (tzitzis) on his prayer shawl (tallus) got into the action and stood u when I hooked him u to the vandegraaf generator.

My sort-of-cousing biully g accomanied me to the show.. then we went back to his house to look at all of the cool things that he’s built. He loves to build exoctic sundials. heck these out !. Heres one he built that tells the time to the minute by reflecting a ban dof ligt on a helical slider.

It was exact to the minute !

This one adjusts itself..

THis one is made of aint stone..

here’s a digital version !

This one rints poetry with sunlight ..

Bill and Deb’s house has a wonderful setting .. check out this view of the lake !

this one uses a comlex nomnagrah to get accurate times.. freind Homer etched the granite for this.

Bill even has a freind in the garden.. a life size  stature of uncle Albert..

I couldn’t resist either… he just looked so freindly !

Here’s another sundial.. this one lights a fire at noon

here’s another one.. though this one fires a cannon

and yet another !

And yet another.. this one tells world time by positioning your fingers shadow on a articular point.


Here’s Bill and Deb

Bill also collects old clocks and sliderules

and layer ayanoes.. This one is from 1920 and sounds great !

they also have a tun of music to play.

What an interesting visit … I’m really enjoying getting to know billy and his family better. I think we’re going to build some cool things together.. Right now.. I’m building u a huge sleep debt.. so.. time for sleep. More tomorrow. Nite all.. Nite Sam
-me

T-Mobile Mobile Makeover "Invisible"

Yikes, 1AM again.. and I’m still working. I seem to be busier than ever these last couple of weeks. It doesn’t make it feel much like summer. Diane, Gabe and Kristin decided to hike Camels hump today.. and I was working at home. About 2 Pm my head got so full of work that I colsed my laptop drove down to the mountain and ran most of the way up the trail .. I met them coming down less than a half mile from the summit. it was so nice  takign that mental and physical break in the middle of the day…  I got back in time for my two afternoon calls then we all went to see Transformers 2.. (very cool.. though I’m not sure I followed the plot)  It felt good taking those two mental health breaks..   I didn’t feel too guilty since.. a) I got in at 2AM last night form a work trip.. and b) here I am still working at 1AM. ..
   I do need to get some sleep tonight… .. .. Oh, I have one more thing to share. My good friend Tim just made a commercial with Catherine Zeta-Jones .. Here he is being goofily awkward.. He’s famous !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVvhMOBXbp8

OK.. That’s it for tonight… more tomorrow. Nite all. Nite Sam !
-me

ps. I just found some pictures that Discovery has released for The Colony.. Heres one they had of me.. check out that dirt !  It’s real !!!!

Wednesday night – I won !

It’s 2Am and I just got back home from a 6 hour drive home from NY. Believe it or not.. I love those drives.. Still.. I’m too tired to write much. One good thing I learned on the way home is that I was one of 6 first prize winners in the Instructables ‘Get the LED out’ contest. Thanks to all of you guys that got the vote out !..   Many.. I need ot sleep.. more tomorrow. Nite all.. nite Sam !
-me