Megaton on the Way - Happy Veterans' Day!

I've just been accepted to show my work at the 3rd Ward Craft Fair on December 4! My work is definitely cut out for me; I have a massive box of old shells that need to become Blitz lamps, and a batch of cluster bombs and lazy dogs that need to become Beacon lamps and Bomblet jewelry. In addition to a totally new design, I'll be supplementing my line with a new Megaton lamp.
In the first photo I'm disassembling a 100-lb bomb with a vertical bandsaw. The second shows the base of the Megaton during the course of sanding, brushing, and polishing. Half of me hopes it sells right away, and the other half hopes I can keep it forever!

Dressing for Halloween

I was over at the magnificent blog Regretsy, and was referred to these brilliant Halloween costumes by misnessamonster. I'm sure Miss Nessa is a bit overwhelmed by the Regretsy traffic, but DAMN do I want one of those Loch Ness Monster costumes. I offered her a free bomblet necklace, to hopefully grease the wheels a bit.

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.

The Beacon (and Stockpile) is Back!

Stockpile has taken the backseat for the last six weeks as I worked on my personal website (wrightmonster.com) and took a much-needed family vacation. Now I'm happy to report that the website is done, the family is once again scattered across the continent, and a fat batch of bombshells has arrived in my mailbox. I'm also studying woodworking and metalworking at 3rd Ward in Brooklyn, so I can widen my product range beyond lighting. But for now, I've got some more of the popular Beacon lamps available, and some vintage aircraft posters on the way.

Depleted Stock

I only list on Etsy (for now), but my housewares have been selling very well. Now I'm scrambling to pick up more pieces and supplies, and shore up my inventory before my store becomes empty!

I signed up for 3rd Ward, a great shared workspace in Brooklyn. The tools in their workshop will help me cut down my production time significantly, and they teach a great variety of classes that will open me up to new techniques and processes. Using this space, I plan to have five new Blitz lamps, a Megaton, and a new ceiling fixture available for sale in the next few weeks.

I'm also trying to secure a new set of cluster bomblets for the popular Beacon lamp. My original suppliers have run out, and it seems like cluster bomblets are only sporadically available. I may have located an entire crate of untouched pieces in Montana, so with luck I'll have a major stock soon.

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.