The top rim has some bad voids, but nothing that can not be fixed with welding. The next one will get two risers attached to the top rim. Many thanks to Paul Walter who has been a great crew member to have around these last couple of weeks. We learned a lot of good lessons.
A fantastic improvement was the addition of a PID that held the temperature of the burnout kiln at 1000F plus or minus 20 degrees.
The PID triggers a Solid State Relay and the powers a solenoid valve that simply added more gas to the burner as needed.
With only one small crack in the mold we bought our 70 pounds of NiBrAl to pouring temperature.
The kiln was removed. A metal barrel placed around the mold and sand added to keep any breaks in the mold from escaping.
There was almost no off gassing when the 2600F NiBrAl was poured into the mold, meaning that after 32 hours of burnout the wax was completely gone.
With the part so well insulated, the breakout will have to wait till tomorrow, but I’ll bet you that a usable part is inside.
Happier than a puppy with two peters. 🙂
It’s unfortunate that we give the word Failure such a negative context. Because if you are not failing at something you are either doing nothing or you are only copying the steps that someone else created. Willingness to fail is key to creativity and innovation and successful life. LIVE Celebrate Life. All of it. –Doug
When a toddler stumbles and falls for the fourth time. No body says, “Just give up. You’re a failure”. But by the time we get to high school it’s common. Failure is synonymous with looser, flunkies, stupid, retard. The whole idea of failing at anything is abhorrent. So most of us rightfully avoid failure, and in doing so avoid trying new things altogether. The jock, stays a jock, and may never tries to play an instrument or sculpt. And we carry it on into adulthood. We seek for “the way” something is done rather than “our way” by exploring, investigating, or using our creative ability.
CNC cutting an EPS foam pattern
I have the pleasure of working again with Seeker crew member Paul Walter from Rochester New York. Paul is a software developer that also has a goal of not just sculpting but also casting his sculptures in metal. My goal is to develop casting processes that can easily be replicated almost any harbor in the world by using commonly available materials where ever possible. Together we are building on more than a dozen casting failures with foam, candle wax and plaster. We now have built and tested a temporary burn out furnace, built another pattern and invested it inside of 180 pounds of sand and plaster. Tomorrow we get a night off, and then on thursday we start the 36 hour burn out process that leads up to pouring 70 pounds of bronze on Saturday.
It may not work. It may fail. But the greater failure would not be trying. It makes me wonder how many potential Nikola Tesla’s, Thomas Edison’s, Mark Twain’s and Wright Brothers’s there are out they that we will never see succeed because we taught them to never fail.
So don’t be afraid to fail. –LIVE.
Dipping the foam pattern in wax to smooth the surface.
Investing the pattern in Hydrocal and silica sand.
Testing the burn out furnace with a failed investment piece.
We say goodbye to Marc Hofmann our new crew member from Vienna Austria who is continuing his tour of the USA. He wisely picked Fort Lauderdale, Florida as his next port of call. I love this project because I get to meet and be inspired by people like Marc. I wish more young people had Marc’s insight into the world, and the adventurous spirit that makes you get on a plane and fly to New York city with no planning. Just take it one moment at a time and let it unfold; LIVE. However, a word of advice from Marc. When the immigration officer ask where you are planing on staying, do not say “I don’t know”. That apparently is enough to raise a neurotic red flag with immigration enforcement types and it will land you in a small room for an hour or so. Welcome to the land of the free.
Meet Alan Demsher. Ok, well just his hand but Alan has offered his extensive artistic experience to create mermaids for Seeker’s bows.
About LEAD — Comments about how DEADLY lead is will be ignored. Seeker is about assessing facts and making our choices.
Rational Precautions for Working with Lead
— It is most dangerous to the developing brain, so women who may become pregnant and children are the most susceptible.
— Transfer is commonly through dust ingestion. So have no food or drink. And avoid cutting or grinding or other activity that will create dust.
— Do not smoke as it will vaporize any dust and lead vapor will easy be absorbed in the lungs.
— Keep the molten lead below 900F/482C. It melts just over 600F/315C so just turn off the heat once the last ingot is melted.
— Control the contaminated area so it does not spread to food, water or others.
— When done, remove your work clothes and bag them.
— Take a shower before you do anything else in the house.
— Wash your work clothes with no other items.
More About Lead: http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pubs/lead/gl_lead_4.php
Bottom line is that lead is much safer than driving a car or eating a diet of junk food. So if you don’t panic in a car or when the doctor looks at your weight, then you have no reason to panic about working with lead. Think. Don’t let fears run your life. LIVE! You are going to die, but it is extremely unlikely that lead will have anything to do with it.
Another milestone of 50,000 YouTube Subscribers! Thank you for contributing — We’re not kidding when we say we could not have done this without you!
Jack trimming down one of the spare propeller blades.
Brad Ragland and Marc Hofmann pouring in a fresh batch of hot lead.
Marc fitting the catwalk framing to the bulwark.
Marc Hofmann from Vienna Austria
Jack and Drew Morgan helping fit the catwalk in place.
Marc and Brad feeding the lead melting pot.
No, it’s not getting old. 🙂
Many many thanks to Monica and Charlie for giving us a starting point for the layout of the pilot house. Frankly and this point I don’t see anything I don’t like. Open, roomy, sleeping for two. Maybe an island with some galley storage and a seat for the helm, but the more I look at it more I like it without the island.
Charlie & Monica’s Pilothouse Design
And what we finally decided to do
Here is how I see it working.
HELM
The helm is dead center and the bench in front of the helm is for a computer or too. The computer is the primary navigation setup. Radar will likely be there too, or mounted above the windows. There is no traditional navigation table or chart table. If we have a paper chat then it gets spread out on the table while a route is being laid out and the folded up and placed by the computer. Betsy has a chair picked out to go behind the wheel. Immediately below the wheel and just off the the port (left) there will be a port hole mounted into the floor. This will give a view into the engine room. A light mounted in the bilge will allow the bilge to be easily inspected from the pilot house. The port hole will also allow for handing tool and such to and from the engine room and pilot house.
EMERGENCY HATCH
Some where in the floor in the aft half of the pilot house will be a hatch. Likely just another 24 inch port hole. This will provide natural light and ventilation to the aft cabin and also serve as an emergency escape from the aft cabin should it not be possible to exit through the engine room.
HAND HOLDS
Aluminum pipe hand holds will be attached to the ceiling and extend between the two door and branch off to the galley.
GALLEY
The galley sinks are frequently where items are temporarily stored and there location next to the helm give the pilot easy access. provide the cook an eyes forward view. A drip dry rack is built in above the sinks and above the window height.
MICROWAVE
A small counter top unit mounted in the corner. The cabinet space under that corner will house two propane tanks and be accessed through a door that opens to the deck. And gas leak will drain through the deck drain and over the side.
Johan Storbjörk’s Pilothouse Design
TRASH
Under one of the sinks.
STOVE
Four burner propane with an oven and mounted in a gimbal.
REFRIGERATOR FREEZERS
Two units both with two drawers each. The drawers can each be configured a refrigerator or freezer. The capacity can be scaled to accommodate the number of passengers. A small wine cooler.
TABLE
The table has an L shaped bench that will double as a single bunk. Storage is provided under the seat and behind the back. And the table has a leaf on the starboard (right) side that can slid back under there rest of the table in order to make it easier to access the bench as bed. The port side of the table has a bench that folds under the table that can accommodate two more crew.
SOFA
Provides seating and a second sleeping location. It can also be additional seating for meals with the addition of a simple to erect and remove table surface. Storage is provided under the seat and behind the back.
STORAGE
There is little easily accessed storage and little space above the windows so this storage area is the primary storage area for the galley.
WET AREA
The area just inside the forward door is where wet cloths can be hung to drip dry.
BEVERAGE COOLER
A beverage cooler is located just inside the forward door and under the navigation bench. This allows easy access to beverages for the crew without the need to access the galley.
Design by Nick West
Marc Hofmann’s Design
Marko’s Edit
