hot metal
by Tony Peters on April 30, 2010

Today the the University of Rhode Island had it's first Bronze pour....it was pretty cool to watch. next year one of those guys will likely be me
Five Replies to hot metal
Erik Bates | April 30, 2010
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Tony Peters | April 30, 2010
the flasks (stair stepped cylinder looking things) are molds being filled with liquid bronze that was melted in what amounts to a portable blast furnace....the metal and the gas to melt it probably cost more than the entire setup to do this. Think of it as an art school foundry version of Micro brewing beer. Bronze is the middle difficulty common metal pour. Aluminum being the coolest and easiest at roughly 1400 degrees Bronze at 2000 and Iron at roughly 3000 degrees. I have a friend who has done pours like this at his house/studio. to do this in a real foundry would probably cost 10 times the cost and non of us would be allowed to participate. THis really interested me because other than some wood carving I have been a two dimensional artist for most of my life
Jackie Mason | May 1, 2010
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Tony Peters | May 1, 2010
they (the real sculpture classes not us baby intro to 3D folks) made small wax sculptures. the coolest IMO were 3 Japanese Iris that one of the guys made took from flower to mold to wax and finally bronze, very cool I can't wait to see the final product....
vagabond-punk
The musings of Tony Peters, a perpetual child, no matter where I am I will find a way to climb something or go skateboarding Read more »

got a new drug
2 weeks ago I sold my BMX cruiser with the intention of shedding a toy to buy a bike better suited to commuting to work, at one time I rode a racebike and i really wanted to start riding one again except with the simplicity that I enjoyed on my cruiser....so I bought a fixxed gear, no not going through a mid life crisis I have ridden a fixxed gear before and I know what's involved, it arrived last friday and after a scramble to assemble it (and switch the brakes to motostyle) I rode it to work, I have ridden to work every day for the last week (because it only rains on my day off) and my legs are just starting to adjust I have aches in places I haven't felt in years but I feel better and judging by the way my pants feel I'm sure I'm starting to look healthier too. No riding a fixie is not for everybody, I have people who give me terrified looks when they realize what I'm riding but it works for me and thats what is important, besides when the weather is nice I can leave after work and ride down to the beach and back on a 20 mile loop and still get home in time to make dinner for my wife and I. Go »
Last day skateboarding of 2007
OK I admit that a 41 year old man finding a day of enjoyment skateboarding might sound strange but I find it centers me and provides a source of exercise that I can't find else ware. That said I spent the day working on my tuck, downhilling in a nearby neighborhood. I lost count of the number of times I went down the half mile hill my legs are feeling the hike back up (gotta earn those runs) so I'm gonna guess more than 20 times and I know I listened to at least 6 hours of music on my Ipod. Go »
the next grand adventure..........
as a retired sailor I really thought nothing of deploying and leaving my wife with the cats and dog at home while I went off to fight wars, fix submarines and otherwise earn a living.......now the shoe is on the other foot. I am in school fulltime taking care of the cats, the dog the house and whatever else pops up while my wife and best friend moves to DC to take her dream job. Go »
Under water and leeching
yesterdays rains have lead to a flooded power station, 24 hours of no power, a river that looks like class 6 rapids and me sitting in the parking lot of my local Midas drinking DnD coffee and leeching Wifi trying to find out if I've got school this afternoon.....I hope we have power by tonight I would really like to cook diner instead of take out again. Go »
the toils of being a home owner
just when you think that everything is groovy boom your furnace burps blowing all the seals and well $6000 later you can have heat again. Mind you it was 12degrees yesterday when this happened and at present I can't keep my house any hotter than 55degree's or the house fills with smoke...not to mention that the soonest I can get a new furnace installed is thursday. Go »
Kelly Lee | April 30, 2010
Man, that makes me want to take a metalsmithing class.