Well today was Bronze day......we poured liquid metal.....I made a belt buckle and a pendant for my wife very fun and just a bit scary...I'm the one pulling the crucible out of the blast furnace. Chelsea and Darren did a great job of pouring and it looks like everyone's objects came out. We used the very ancient "lost wax" method which while it destroys the mold yields good results




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Six Replies to High temperature art

Kelly Lee | April 1, 2011
Wow. I really want to do that.

Scott Hardie | April 1, 2011
Neat!

Tony Peters | April 1, 2011
This is only the second time my school has poured bronze (or any metal) we learned some valuable technical things today. BTW though it doesn't look it the crucible weighs about 50lbs it's fragile and it jiggles like jello when you move it..

Tony Peters | April 1, 2011
here are my pieces out of the molds and at the beginning of cleanup/polishing



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Jackie Mason | April 10, 2011
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Tony Peters | April 10, 2011
It was about 35lbs of molten metal and a 10lbs crucible....the weird thing was we added about 20lbs of metal after we started so the crucible was heavier coming out than it was when I put it into the blast furnace. it's also 1800 degrees which adds a whole level of heavy to it


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 »

life death and family

My uncle died last friday...it wasn't unexpected, 3rd bout with cancer, but it hurt none the less. I've been out of the country for about 16 years so the fact that I am stateside means I needed to go. Go »

Mornings....

It's cool today. As I pull on my jacket, the leather creaks as the zipper closes. The engine, a bit reluctant to turn over in the brisk morning air, settles into a rumble as I finish donning my gear. Go »

I guess healing requires sleep

I am exhausted...10 hours of sleep each night broken only twice for meds and yet I feel the need to sleep all day....I can barely stay awake for 2-3 hours before I fall asleep in my chair. Go »

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 »

A good day in the studio

In general this week was horrible I got Gastro and lost a half my remaining class days to finish the pair of sculptures I'm working on.......however today was good I got about 3 hours of alone time in the studio, just my my tools (a pair of angle grinders with wood cutting/shaping disks) a block of wood and a dust collector......... I put about 5 inches of chips in the dust collector and got a good start on the last piece. Go »

Change 3

a 07:30 phone call saying ooppsss uimmmm well it turns out that you are gonna have to go after all and we are gonna have to send 2 teams is not that way I wanted to start the day. Neither is sweet talking the travel clerk who's day we ruined yesterday to redo all the work she did yesterday....however other than cancelling my New Years plans, a ride with my dad and a climb with my brother, this on again off again travel thing isn't too much of a burden. Go »