Friday, February 6, 2009

Online Press, bloggers, Webbers Hello

Well It seems, Thanks to Mr. Von Slatt of the SteampunkWorkshop.com, this poor little blog seen in many more places. For those that are so kind as to share this with others whether you are a blogger as myself or a major entity as MAKE, let me know so may link to you and we can all be a better knit community.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Lamps have been found at the dig site.




So I have been working on a theme... a binding idea, something I can fall back to for ideas, parameters and guidance. The idea is TEA. The work that is produced in the "Dragon Wells Steam Works" style will contain elements and "funk"tional ideas related to MY own tea style not a traditional form or tea drinking. It will be based, as it should, on steam and mechanical means by which to produce, maintain, harvest, preserve, store, prepare, and serve tea. That idea may be too simple though. 

There was a eccentric living in a "home under NYC during the 1910s and 20s who grew and cultivated his own tea with machines he could find or abscond from the surface. He had died leaving his machines of brass, copper and iron to be found a century later by a potter looking for a vein of clay.

Something like that and what I have made and am making will be both things found in his house under the ground in NYC or things I have produced to restore items I have only found parts of, like a conservationist. 

So These are a group of lamps with that idea in mind. They will have cloth covered cords, Edison bulbs from that era I hope and a whole lot of gold and brass. I will be doing research of early pipe fitting and fluid systems to make future groups of steam items more accurate to the period. 

Someone had emailed me asking what Dragon Wells means. It is a type of tea. how perfect is that.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

More Steam Punk Pourers





This group of pourers are sans nameplate but include more exterior piping, nuts and acorn nuts a few pipe fitting and a wing nut. All of these parts are made out of clay.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Air Conditioner... Steampunk


So this is the start of the steampunk air conditioner, it doesn't have a name yet. Most of the parts are extruded the assembly of this piece has been the most difficult and time consuming of any of the steampunk pieces so far. All joints and seams have to water tight and there are many seams. when it has been bisqued I will make a drawing of how it works.


These are the raw pieces sized up and ready to go.

The worst part making sure every tube is sealed.

Some of the detail in the fill gauge pipe.


The water tanks are in the back there and will be connected with a rubber tube. The air in the system is relieved in the fill gauge pipe. this whole system will rest upon a base that will be thrown and act as a chimney for the cool air. Also the glass has yet to be installed in the front and back channels. I am super excited to get this finished.





Saturday, January 24, 2009

Teacup Preservation System

I have added the downpipe and valve.




These are the inside workings of the Preservation System. It consists of a steam driven dynamo that powers the climate control systems and the Ultraviolet Protection Wave Generator.


Friday, January 23, 2009


I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the artists for the Smithsonian Craft Show. Now I have to make a whole bunch of new and wonderful work. It will all be in the "steampunk" style under the group of Dragon Wells Steam Works. Here are some shots of work in progress.



This one is hard to explain I will have more shots as it is finished


This is the top of the water tower for a Automated Vegitation System AKA Plant-Ation
These are or were coal scuttles which will be labeled as Tea Scuttles

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

The Seventh firing was a lucky one. We now can better predict flame path and have a loading strategy that pulls the whole kiln to top temperature. We reached a solid cone 13 throughout the whole kiln, and still maintained ash and flame markings in the slowest areas.
Video of the seventh firing will be up shortly.