Bomblet Jewelry

I've finally finished my pendants made from Lazy Dog bombs. These are original bombs from the Vietnam war that have been stripped, cleaned, and striped with gold leaf. I drilled holes in the fins for the chain to pass through, which adds to the overall grungy look-and-feel. Each pendant comes in a Stockpile-branded envelope, mounted to a card with information about the piece. Check one out in my Etsy Store!

A New NEW Look for the Beacon

This weekend, I experimented with a new technique for finishing the metal on the Beacon. I'd been having trouble getting an even finish, because the shape of the fins and shell were not optimal for hand-polishing. Now the Beacon has a beautiful matte/frosted sheen. It isn't as flashy as the original, but it's definitely more refined. As always, the pieces are available in my Esty Store.

Coming Soon - The Bomblet Necklace

Jewelry made from gunshells is popular, but the Bomblet Necklace will blow it away. (Wordplay!) I use a Vietnam War "Lazy Dog" bomb as a base, and then stripe it with gold leaf. Lazy Dogs, also known as flechettes, are solid pieces of steel with guidance fins attached to the base. PIlots would throw thousands over embedded troops, and by the time they hit the ground they would be traveling quickly enough to cause mortal injury. I can't decide if that is sinister or innovative. The photo is of a bomb halfway through the assembly process - the leaf has been applied, but it hasn't been cleaned up or sealed yet. It's also a crappy picture - I don't have the hang of macro-photography yet, but by the time I've put a few on chains I hope I can take a decent snapshot.

A new look for the Beacon

The second wave of Beacon lamps are here, with different bulbs. Originally I used an extra-long display case bulb with a dimmer, but this time I'm using antique-style Marconi bulbs. Instead of a coiled filament, these have a glowing cage of carbon wire suspended around a glass stalk. I ordered these from Bulb Town, who generously replaced one after it broke in transit...and I broke another one when I knocked it off my workbench. Obviously these are fragile, but they look like something from a very high-budget sci-fi set in 1935. They give off a great light too; very soft and warm, like candlelight.

The Beacon Lamp

I've added a new piece to my Etsy store. It's called the Beacon Lamp, and I made it from a cluster bomblet (dummy, of course) dating to the Vietnam War. I used the spring-loaded fins as the base, and fitted it with an 11 7/8" incandescent bulb and a dimmer switch. Eventually I'll produce shades for this guy, but I honestly think it looks its best with the raw bulb.