Comic Con Math

Steam Punk Fan Meetup:

Last Year: 250 people in attendence, room capacity 100.
This Year: 300+ express interest for the fan meetup,6 months of lobbying by the organizer, 400+ in attendance... room capacity 100.

Same exact room as last year.

Perhaps the fact the the Guinesses Book of Worlds record took the "Largest Steampunk Photoshoot" today on the back steps of the con may increase their understanding of the interest.
For the record. I am in the photo, in the back... next to the Steam-punk bunny.

Which What?

Observe:

Finally something goes right.

At a particularly sucky summer for, a variety of reasons I won't go into here, something has gone well.

I passed my Blue-belt test tonight.

Good News bad news Good news...

Good News: at 1am on Tuesday the Emergency room is not particularly busy.

Bad news: There is something in my eye, they can't find it and although it hasn't scratched my cornea it is itchy as hell.

Good News: My insurance covered all the costs except $20. And I get to see how I react to Vicodin.

The New Casa de' Architectures

So this is gonna be a picture heavy post, and I discovered a new trick... Photoshop Elements has a spiffy photomerge tool built into it... so I will be abusing you with panoramas. Also we are moving in, there are boxes and random stuff everywhere. Cope.


The House. Not a whole lot to say here... looks big doesn't it? It is. Over 3000 sq ft.

First Panorama. The Backyard. The 1 Acre backyard. There are horses next door. The dog is thrilled.

Living Room, from the landing.

Living Room, from the dining room.

Bonus shot of the roommate and girlfriend comparing swords. Yes... we are geeks.

Dining Room. (Aka .. the soon to be gaming room)

Second Panorama. The Kitchen. The Panorama is a little messed up. Really I needed three pictures to get it to work instead of two. However, this is what you get. The backsplash is steel.

Master bedroom with beached squid. Okay, it's actually my bed all rolled up. The picture doesn't do justice... the room is really long.

Master bath. Actually, there is a closet opposite of this and it acts as a sorta of a hallway to the actual bathroom.

Guest Bath. But if my camera is there... how did this picture get taken... hmmm...

Wait? Stairs? Where do they go?What is this? Another door? What horrors lie beyond?

Ummm... okay. Not so much a horror... just and unfinished basement.

REALLY unfinished. (Panorama three for those keeping count.)

Oh... that's better. The one of the roommates is claiming this for his office.

This one will be my cave...err... office.

There is even a workbench in the utility room.

If these pictures haven't bored you to tears, there are some more here. They include the other two bedrooms (to become a sewing room and roommate bedroom respectively,) exciting pictures of the utility room, storage room, laundry room and other fun and exciting things... like bathtubs! Ooooh!

Looming Internet Outage...

So, in case I forgot to mention it, my time here at this rental is coming to an end.

Soon (as in tomorrow) I take possession of large house with lots of space to roam about for I and my roommates.

Only problem is the soonest we can get internet service is June 5th.

Those who know me are probably aware of the fact that I am unaccustomed to going two hours with internet service... and the thought of going two weeks? *shudder*

If you here any strange noises no doubt it is me going through withdrawal in the corner.

*Edit* I called the ISP to find out if I really needed a tech or if I could plug the damn thing in myself. Apparently they are installing all new line noise filters to a tech does have to come out.

However they had a cancellation, so they will coming on Thursday the 28th instead.

Metalsmithing final projects

I will replace these somewhat crappy pictures with better ones once I am moved into my new place and get the photo booth set up.


Second to final Project: Enameling. I did prayer beads / rosary.


The total length of the piece is ~2.5 feet.



Here's a close-up of the colored beads. There are actually two beads fused into one to create a shape reminiscent of Tibetan prayer wheels. There is also supposed to be text baked on... it didn't take.


Here is the disk at the end. It has the phrase "god is great" rendered in different languages. The etch isn't as clear as I would like but in person gives the piece a worn well loved look.

I have had an offer from a classmate to buy this, and a second classmate who wants me to make one similiar but in different colors.

Final Project: Pewter-smithing. It is a single serving tea-pot.



Brushed pewter and copper balls. Holds ~ 10oz max. Really only 8oz comfortably.


I really enjoyed the pewter-smithing. I found that most of the problems the other students were having resulted from them being to heavy handed while soldering or fusing.

I intend to make a set of matching tea cup and saucer this fall.

As a matter of fact, I am supposed to take independent study Metals in the fall and focus on these two techniques: enamel beads and pewter-smithing.

Brief ruminations on the weather...

Tuesday of this week is was 73 degrees and I was contemplating having to mow the yard this weekend... which meant going out and braving the day star to pick up Cinnamon's toys.

Today... while running to get bits from ACE it started to rain. By the time I left ace it was monsooning. By the time I made it from ACE back to campus it had changed from monsoon to snowflakes the size of 1/2 dollars. From the parking lot 100 yards to the art building it went from merely snowing huge flakes to a blizzard with a visibility of about 40 feet.

It didn't get any better all afternoon.

Driving home was treat with 40-100 feet visibility and several of inches of standing water on the roads any place there was a depression. At one point I nearly lost control when my car hydroplaned at the base of a hill where I was driving 20mph under the speed limit...

Right now it's getting dark but I can still see it is snowing heavily, there is at least 6 inches of snow on the porch, and as the flakes have gotton smaller has improved so that I can see about 150 feet or so. Currently 26 degrees out.

Yay spring.

Secrets of the box.

You all remember the box, yes?

How about a close up of that lid?


Shall we look inside?

How about a close up of the inner plaque?


What could be nestled among those dividers I wonder.

Lets look...


Oooh... Airship tokens! Where on earth could they take us?

Victoria Station - Shibuichi alloy, nitric etched and tumble polished.

E.R. Burroughs Barsoomian Zoo - White bronze, nitric etched, brass brush polish.

Jules Verne Naval Academy - Shibuichi, nitric etched, brass brush polish.

H.P. Love Craft Aquarium - Copper, ferric chloride etched, liver patina.

Lemuria Crystal Mines - Copper, ferric chloride etched, liver patina.

All of them etched pretty well except the bronze, which wouldn't etch at all in the ferric chloride and etched really fast in the nitric acid. However, since I wanted the coins to be representative of survivors of some temporal holocaust from bygone age/alternate timeline I didn't mind. Same with the chew/claw marks on the Lovecraft coin. Started off as a flaw and I just went with it.

A huge thanks to "The Girl" for doing the finished artwork for the etching and "The Dad" for doing the typography.

*Edit* Corrected for spelling and Answer.

Shibuichi is a Japanese alloy that is 1/4 silver to 3/4 copper. It is a grey pink in color and patinas a variety of different colors depending on what you use.

*Edit 2* I forgot to include the lid close-up. So there it is for Ook.

What is in the box my Preciousssss?

My last project has been returned to me. I'll make you a deal, if you can guess what is in the box I will make you your very own Steampunk something. However, if you helped me with the construction/design work you don't get to guess. (Sorry dad.)

You have 48 hours.

Happy Err... Spring?

Taken 5 minutes ago, the dog expresses her opinion of the lovely "spring" weather we are having.