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.

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 Megaton, and new Beacon Lamps

This is the Megaton, made from the tail section of a 100 lb practice bomb. It was the first lamp I made, and got me interested in re-purposing munitions. I'm planning on making a small batch of these in the future, as soon as I can lock down the supplies. The bomb casing it's made from is fairly rare and very expensive, so I might have to fabricate a reproduction.

In other news, the Beacon Lamp is sold! I'm choosing parts for a new iteration on that first design, and hopefully will have a pair assembled within a week.

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.