metal_0046 :: caligari's lighthouse

in

Inspired by two of my favorite psychological horror films, 99 years apart – Robert Wiene's THE CABINET OF DR CALIGARI and Robert Eggers's THE LIGHTHOUSE – and built from a never-to-run-again combine exhaust pipe (that I got to cut off in the middle of a field), lots of sheet metal, and the door to an abandoned gun safe, CALIGARI'S LIGHTHOUSE is not only the largest-scale piece I've made but a functional floor lamp (if you have a room big enough for it). A fun exploration of nightmarish German expressionism – something I'll definitely keep playing with.

metal_0043

in

My wife gave me a pair of old garden shears and said she wanted me to make something with them so I stared at them off and on for a few weeks until this hit me yesterday. Added the base (I’m thinking it was the top of a bit of farm machinery exhaust), designed and printed the lampshades (used magnetic USB-C bulbs for the lights – a wonderful thing for making lamps with reclaimed metal), and took a wild creative swing with the red paint. Worked out well, I think.

red lamp made of garden shears with two 3d printed shades

parametric design

in
Parametric design is a transformative approach to product development that integrates interconnected parameters to enhance a product’s performance and adaptability. This approach maximizes the relationships between parameters like color, size, and material by defining and adjusting them to improve design results. In contrast to conventional design systems, parametric design encourages creativity by making it possible to create adaptable and dynamic solutions that are suited to changing requirements.

new 3d printer / first tiny test pot

in

After metal_0030 killed my Creality Ender V3 and an attempt at installing a new extruder failed something miserable, I upgraded to a Creality K1 SE and I’m floored: 37 minutes from start to finish on this tiny test succulent pot. Going to try another large piece for a metal combo tomorrow so if I kill this printer, at least I won’t have had time to get too attached.

wee little white plastic succulent pot, sans succulent.

metal_0030

in

Hybrid of scrap metal (copper pipe and an old, unusable jewelers vice) with a plastic, 3D-printed bulb / shade I designed and printed (much to my extruder’s dismay; new one arriving tomorrow), and probably-not-code-ready electrical wiring. This one was by turns fascinating, heartbreaking, fury-inducing, and, ultimately, rewarding. On to the next thing, whatever that is.

a lamp made of custom 3d printed bulb with spirals and a copper pipe / scrap metal lamp.

DROOG

in

Need.

Based on the Volcon Grunt EVO, Droog Moto’s latest creation wears its attitude like armor. The frame looks sculpted with a sledgehammer and finished by a welder who ran out of patience but had plenty of talent. Up front, a thin horizontal LED headlight slices through the night like a katana caught mid-swing. The fat tires – massive 8-inch-wide slabs of rubber – promise grip on anything short of lava...

Only two of these beasts exist… and one’s already spoken for. That’s less of a production run and more of a clarion call. If you see one in the wild, you’re either at an elite underground race meet or you’ve stumbled into Bruce Wayne’s mansion.