Tinkering
Backyard Bronze Casting
After working in industry for a year, I was itching to do a personal project with no financial motive and to play with a new material. I scoured antique shops for meltable materials, acquired safety gear, and got a cheap furnace on Ebay.
I started by casting aluminium but wanted something gold. I experimented with brass but decided it was too dangerous after a mild case of zinc fume poisoning. Bronze was the obvious next choice but is difficult to buy as ingots. So I tried mixing my own bronze from melted copper pipes and tin, and was thrilled with the result- a rich gold metal that polishes to a shine and patinas beautifully.
Two salt wells made in CAD—>3D printed—> Cast in bronze
Attempt at casting a banana and avocado in sand bonded with sodium silicate.
A menorah made in CAD—>3D printed—> Cast in bronze
I was more interested in messing around with improvised tools than investing in a professional set up. I tried green sand casting fruits and vegetables with a cope and drag, and attempted to develop a technique to cast 3D printed parts I designed in CAD by packing them in sand and burning off the filament with the hot metal. This technique worked but left many air bubbles, which I filled with crushed turquoise for an effect that I like more than a perfect casting.
Fire Suppression
Volunteering with the California Search and Rescue team (CAL-ESAR) after the 2018 wildfire in Paradise, CA put fire at the front of mind. I explored the fire protection engineering program at Cal Poly and tinkered with using FLIR IR sensors to build a cheap system that rural homeowners could implement which would activate sprinklers on their house when fire was detected close by. The prototype I built could open a valve when temperatures over the combustion temperature of wood were detected.
A Timber self extinction test I helped run at Cal Poly
Honey Run Covered Bridge Burned in Paradise
IR Sensor driven by arduino
Recovery in Paradise, CA
Other little projects:
Below are examples of my woodworking projects including: a cherry spoon and spatula, cherry shelves, and a multi-wood cutting board.
I taught myself leatherwork, and love the careful process of crafting a durable product. Below are two journals and a wallet I made.
This was a childhood dream fulfilled. This 500mW red laser is capable of lighting matches and popping balloons. Both buttons must be pressed at once to fire as a safety precaution.
This is a little cannon I made on a lathe. I made my own black powder from raw ingredients for this. Most of my time was consumed with making pyrotechnic grade charcoal from pine scraps.
I have taken classes and rented studio time in glass flamework, glass blowing, and stained glass.
