Friday Fun Fact: Happy Festivus!

Happy Festivus to all my readers!

As my Friday Fun Fact, I would like to give you a brief and delightful history of Festivus.  As many people know, Festivus became famous for it's celebration on the popular TV show Seinfeld.  During Season 9, "The Strike" aired, giving most American's their first glimpse of a holiday called Festivus. 

George's father, Frank Costanza, first began celebrating Festivus as an antidote to the commercialization of Christmas.  As he explains to Kramer, he was fighting another holiday shopper for the last doll "and as I rained blows upon him, I thought, There's got to be another way!"  And Festivus was created.

In reality, Festivus was first documented in a 1966 book about strange holidays.  One of the Seinfeld writers' fathers celebrated Festivus with his unadorned aluminum Festivus pole and the Feats of Strength competition.  According to Frank Costanza, Festivus isn't over until the head of the household is pinned to the ground.

Fun Festivus Quotes:

"It's a Festivus miracle!"

"Festivus for the rest of us!"

"The Human Fund: Money For People"

"I got a lotta problems with you people!!!"

I am trying to get everyone at work here at Acutech and Creations Studio pumped for Festivus!  So far, we are all excited for Christmas and getting settled at the new building.  Stop by and check us out if you're driving by!

Happy Festivus everybody!

12 Days Til Christmas...

...And we have clients picking up Christmas presents as we speak!  Actually, the water jet has proven to be a very useful present producer over the past few weeks.  Quite a few people have come in to get loved one's names cut out to personalize things.  The little elves in the shop have turned out some cool customer designs for wall art and we are even working on a personalized fence!  These are just a few of the cool things we have in the works- and we still have people calling in for projects over the next week.  It is really fun to see how excited and relieved everyone gets when they pick up the finished project- not only have they gotten rid of the stress of finding someone a gift, they also helped create it and know that it is an awesome gift! 


But enough about that- I don't want to give away what any top secret gifts are! 


So, since I have neglected to write Friday Fun Facts over the past few weeks, here are a few fun holiday facts to impress your friends at the next get-together:


*Talk about last minute!  "A Christmas Carol" was written in under six weeks by Charles Dickens.


*"Jingle Bells" was first written as a Thanksgiving song.


* Poinsettia plants are non-toxic... it is probably still best to keep your pups away from it, though.


* The first state to recognize Christmas as an official holiday in 1836 was Alabama.


* The idea for Santa's elves came from pagan descriptions of "Nature Folk"


*If you count up the total number of gifts in the song "Twelve Days of Christmas," there are 364 total- almost a year's worth!

Have a great week- and don't get too bogged down with holiday stress! 

Stained Glass

We just received a beautiful sample set in the mail from Spectrum Glass for our Creations Studio clients to view!  I have been holding them up to the window, looking at the rich and vibrant colors- stained glass has got to be one of the most beautiful man-made things that I have ever seen.  It got me thinking: what else can stained glass be used for?  In the hands of a professional with a the proper tools, stained glass can transform into any number of beautiful things.  In my hands?  Well, let's just say it wouldn't turn out great.  Band-aids would most likely be involved. 

So how else can I incorporate such beautiful colors into my life?  Candy stained glass!!  Yes, that's right, I'm taking it all the way back to 2nd Grade!  Courtesy of Simply Recipes, an awesome blog for any kitchen enthusiast, here is the recipe for beautiful Stained Glass Cookies, just in time for the holidays:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
20-40 hard candies (such as Life Savers or Jolly Ranchers), preferably in several colors

Method:
1. Pre-Heat oven to 375 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add molasses and vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated.  Add egg and mix until light and smooth, about 1 minute on medium speed.

3. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.  Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture.  Use electric mixer to blend just until flour is incorporated.  Divide dough in half and flatten into 2 discs.  Wrap discs in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour and up to 2 days.

4. Remove any wrappers on candies and separate them by color into plastic bags.  Use a mallet to crush candies.

5. Place one disc between 2 large sheets of waxed paper and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.  Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes.  Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.  Using a smaller cookie cutter or a knife, cut shapes into centers of cookies, reserving these center bits to add into extra dough.

6. Use a spoon to sprinkle the crushed candy into the hollowed-out centers of the cookies, filling to the edges.  Try to keep the candy within the centers.  Any candy specks that fall on the cookie will color the cookie.

7. If cookies will be hung as ornaments or decorations, poke a small hole in the top of each cookie before baking.

8. Bake 9-10 minutes.  The candy should be melted and bubbling and the cookies just barely beginning to brown.  Remove baking sheets from oven and place on wire racks to cool.  Allow cookies to cool on pans at least 10 minutes; otherwise, the candy centers may separate from the dough.  When cookies are completely cooled, remove and store in an airtight container.  String with ribbon if you want to hang as an ornament.

Makes 2-4 dozen cookies, depending on how large you make them.

For step-by-step pictures and more, visit the Simply Recipes Stained Glass Cookies webpage.

How Plasma Cutting Works

Friday Fun Fact: Plasma Cutting

For this week's Friday Fun Fact, here is a little bit to learn about Plasma Cutting, something that I have written for the Acutech website

Plasma cutting is an inexpensive method of metal cutting that came into fashion during the 1980s. Certain materials, such as stainless steel, aluminum, and copper, cannot be flame cut, which lead to the invention of Plasma cutters. Early plasma welding machines were paired with computer numerical control (CNC) technology to cut shapes in metal materials based on instructions programmed into the CNC machinery. The technology has had many years to develop and be refined into a method that is very cost-effective. Modernized versions of the plasma cutting machines have more precision than they used to and cost less than other cutting services.

The process is mostly used to cut metal, especially sheet metal and plate, using a plasma torch. These torches are either handheld or attached to a machine with a CNC program that guides the cutting process on a plasma cutting table. A power supply and arc starting circuit connect with as the plasma gas that flows through regulating cables and leads. In this method, a high-voltage spark within the torch body ionizes through the torch head to initiate a plasma arc. A plasma gas including argon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen mixtures conducts electricity to transfer energy from the electrical source of power through the torch. The intensely high temperature plasma cutting arc connects with the material being cut at temperatures around 25,000 degrees Celsius. The plasma cutting service slices through the material due to the extremely high temperature of the arc, and unlike traditional metal-against-metal cutting, there are no metal chips produced. This high temperature plasma arc melts metal and the gas flow eradicates the material from the below the cut, otherwise known as the kerf.

The plasma cutting method burns thicker material than laser cutting and water jet cutting. It uses gas and electrical currents to melt and cut the work piece rather than water or laser beams, which makes the cutting edge slightly rougher with a beveled and rounded top edge. Depending on the electrical current capacity and the type of metal, cuts can range from 1/8 inch to up to about 2 inches. Plasma cutters are much less expensive and economically favorable.

Happy Halloween!

In the spirit of Halloween and Weiner Dog Appreciation, here is a silly dachshund in a costume, and here is a link to many more silly dachsunds in costumes:
http://www.dailydachshundanddognews.com/2009/10/halloween.html

Movie Maker and FreeSound.Org

Here is a new video featuring Hunter & Co.- an awesome interior design

showroom in Whitefish, Montana!

Thank you for giving us some sweet footage for my amateur film career.

Wait, is there such a thing as an "amateur career"??

I'm pretty sure my career opportunities in film production are limited, but I had fun making this! I like playing around with Windows Movie Maker. I will admit that the older version of Movie Maker was way more user friendly, but the updated version is still cool. It is making me wonder where all my films are from high school Graphic Arts class and Film Writing class? Movie Maker really sucked up quite a bit of my homework time (who needs homework?)- the only issue that I came across was copyright infringement for the songs I used.

Now I don't have to worry about that because my Computer Skills for Teaching (or whatever it was called) showed me www.freesound.org. There are millions of recorded sounds and sound effects that belong to the Creative Commons license, so amateurs like me can use them in short films or what not. The only downfall is the lack of actual full-length songs. Mostly there are just sound clips or recordings that are a little scrappy to use for a movie or presentation. But there are some pretty cool scraps on there- I found a Brazilian street festival sound clip that has awesome street band music recorded live from an actual Brazilian street festival. There are also really cool nature tracks- like thunder or early summer meadow noises. This would be an excellent way to compile a "relaxation mix" for your iPod because the files can be converted to MP3s very easily. Trust me, because I'm not very computer savvy and I picked it up in a snap! The coolest sound I've heard on FreeSound.org was this guitar riff played with the microphone pointed at the window, where rain was tumbling down outside. I can't find it just this second, but if anyone wants to hear it, I'll dig it up and post it, just let me know!

Questions? Comments? Ideas? I think I'm going to make "A Few Friday Fun Facts" a weekly affair, so keep your eyes open for that coming up in a few days!

*Happy Tuesday!

Sick Puppies

Listening to Martha Stewart's Sirius Radio Station last week, I stumbled upon a pet show about the health issues that dogs face and how to treat them naturally.  Since I love love LOVE dogs, I tuned in.  I am a naturally curious person, and I like to learn about things just in case it might come in handy in the future.  I also watched a PBS Nova special about the language of dogs, which only confirmed the fact that I would love to study dog linguistics in grad school.  I don't think I have the science background for it, though! :( 
I learned about mange on Dr. Shawn Messonnier's Natural Vet show, and how mange is a genetically transmitted problem and that everyone (dogs, cats, people....) have these mange cells in the hair follicle.  Like cancer, it only manifests and takes over as a problem in the body if it is given an opportunity to overcome the healthy cells.  So mange is caused by allergens, irritations, stress, etc. etc.  There was more information like this at http://www.petcarenaturally.com/blog/ , the Natural Vet's blog and website.

But the really cool things that I learned came from Nova on PBS the other night. Although dogs share most of their genes with wolves, they have somehow altered their behavior and appearances over thousands and thousands of years to become more attuned to humans than any other animal studied (including chimpanzees and apes!).  AND their puppy-like appearance (compared to wolves, foxes, coyotes, etc) are attached to the genes for being more tame and agreeable.  This not only makes them cuter, it also makes them appear more like human infants, which humans respond to in a care-taker way, whether they realize it or not.  This was only a small selection of the awesome things that I picked up this week about dogs.


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/dogs-decoded.html is the official website for Nova: Dogs Decoded, and I'm pretty sure it is available on Netflix Instant Play as well.


Other than that, I am currently at the Acutech office with the official Creations Studio mascot, Wilson the Weiner Dog, who is unfortunately under the weather with a doggy cough or something :(  He looks as cute as always though, despite his sore throat, in his adorable plaid doggy vest.  After a week of hard work, I think everyone at the shop is looking forward to the weekend to rest and relax and do a little catching up on sleep.  Or is that just me?  :)
Happy Weekend!

Something that the brains behind Creations Studio cooked up for a customer over the summer.  Actually, they ended up designing several different chandeliers to showcase at the Western Design Conference- They spent hours and hours working on each western lighting piece to create unique and beautiful designs that, in my opinion, belong in Lake McDonald Lodge or some grand cabin like that.  The pictures don't even do them justice.  Both Hunter & Co. Design (in Whitefish) and the Turpin Gallery (check out my previous post about how great they are!) have a chandelier that you can see up close and personal! 

But enough of a plug for all the wonderful, fantastic, stupendous chandeliers that Dean and Josh made.... Happy Friday! 

What is Water Jet Cutting?

Water Jet Cutting

            There are many advantages of choosing water jet cutting services.  The technology allows the customer to cut through a variety of materials- thick, thin, large, or small- with pre-created designs or templates that are programmed into the CNC machining.  Water jets can cut materials ranging in thickness from .05” to 6.0”.  Unlike laser and plasma cutting techniques, water jet cutting does not use heat, thus preventing morphing of hardened and heat-sensitive materials.  While other styles of cutting can melt and change the structural components of materials such as plastics, water jet cutting is safe and allows the material being cut to keep its integrity.  Without manipulating the temperatures, water jet is also less wasteful and therefore more ‘green.’  There is no Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) to worry about, nor is there any smoke or dust produced.  Water and abrasive mixtures are collected in a water-filled tank that catches the remaining residue, which can be recycled.  With only small amounts of material lost due to cutting and recyclable run-off, water jet cutting is one of the more environmentally friendly material cutting options. 

Water Jets at Acutech have cut large flooring patterns...

 Samples of Acutech's Past Projects:

...Basic Machinery Prototypes....

...And Intricate Inlaid Stone Designs

          

      There are two methods of water jet cutting.  One method, called pure jet cutting, simply uses tap water and the second method, abrasive jet cutting, mixes in an abrasive for more force.  In either process, tap water is pumped through a filtration system towards several levels of pumps that gradually intensify the pressure.  The water jet system is pressurized by hydraulically driven intensifier pumps, then moves to the shock attenuator that allows the outgoing water to maintain a steady output pressure.  High pressure stainless steel tubing delivers the highly pressurized water to the cutting head nozzle.  The head nozzle is made up of a jewel so that it is able to withstand the high pressure of the water without excessive erosion.  The pressure of the water reaches rates as high as 60,000 pounds per square inch (psi), and as water travels through the jewel nozzle, the velocity of the water moves from Mach 2 to Mach 3 speeds.
           
            This is the process regardless of whether or not abrasive is used.  Garnet is one of the most commonly used abrasives in water jet cutting.  Water and abrasive are mixed and focused in a beam to cut materials by supersonic erosion cleanly to close tolerances.  If abrasive is utilized, it is mixed in a specially designed mixing chamber, then run through a precision disk that funnels like an hourglass to ensure a consistent, even flow.  This chamber is located before the tap water meets the jewel head nozzle, which enables water jet cutting specialists to use virtually the same machinery for both pure jet and abrasive jet cutting processes.

            Abrasive is mixed in for cutting jobs that require more cutting force, while pure jet cutting is used for softer, more delicate materials such as paper goods.  The abrasive mixture can easily be purged out of the initial water jet tubing after use, meaning the metering valve has the capability to turn the flow of abrasive on and off for multiple jobs.

Acutech works with almost every material, including:

stainless steel
aluminum
titanium
nickel alloys
brass
copper
plastics
granite
tool steel
gaskets
foam
marble
hi-temp alloys
cobalt
stone
glass
rubber
Inconel
composites
ceramics
cork
wood
porcelain
sheet goods

Stay Tuned for more informational posts about water jets, laser cutting, and blacksmithing, or visit our website at www.WaterJetCut.co !! 

Here are the weiner dogs, as promised in the title of this page- I wouldn't want to disappoint any readers!  Wilson is my little work buddy and as you can see, he is quite at home around the antler furniture sold by Creations Studio!

"The Wagon Boss" by C.M. Russell

Some people assume that the term “western art” refers simply to the American west: cowboys and cowgirls, animals of the Rocky Mountains and the plains, and the ranch life.  “Western art” conjures up the idyllic paintings of Charles M. Russell for many people; and while these people are not wrong, western art goes back a lot further than many people assume.  According to art historians, western art can be traced back to Stonehenge.  Many art movements fall under the broad term of “western art” including the Classical period, medieval art, the Renaissance, Baroque art, and Modern art.  This article could, in theory, go on for pages and pages detailing every western art movement, however I will focus on the type of western art featured on the Creations Studio website, www.AntlerFurniture.org, and often featured in American west towns. 

Charles M. Russell, as noted above, is a huge name in Western Art.  He was a prolific artist, creating hundreds of paintings depicting the Old West, especially scenes of cowboys and Native Americans.  Having visited the C.M. Russell Museum personally, I can say that his paintings, sculptures, and sketches truly capture the wild feeling and sentiment of the west like none other I have ever seen.  Somehow he manages to work in the feeling of greatness and loneliness that one encounters on the prairie, hair blowing in the wind.  The C.M. Russell Museum is located in Great Falls, Montana in his last place of residence and a breathtaking part of the museum includes his studio and part of his log cabin, frozen in time.  I highly recommend making a trip to this museum if you have any appetite for western art.  Charles Marion Russell is, however, not the only one to capture the life and times of the west.

Frederic Remington was another artist that captured the spirit of the American west in western art.  He is often credited for paintings that inspired the romantic notion of the west, and many of his illustrations were featured in popular American magazines such as Harper’s Weekly.  While C.M. Russell painted pictures of everyday moments and feelings from the plains, Remington sought to capture high-drama action shots, portraying, for example, a Crow Indian preparing for death by his cowboy captors in “Ridden Down.”  He offered the American public a more dramatic, dangerous image of the west, which shaped many people’s ideas of the Old West for better or for worse. 

Paul Surber painting, illuminated by
Creations Studio table lamps

Paul Surber is a modern example of western art.  He paints historically accurate Native American scenes, inspired by living near various Indian reservations throughout his life.  His acrylic and oil paintings incorporate lively colors and eclectic scenes of plains Indians, including stunning portraits that capture the quiet pride and dignity of Native American chiefs.  His work can be found at Creations Studio, located in Whitefish, Montana.  The website, AntlerFurniture.org, features several of Surber’s original paintings as well as western furniture, rustic lighting, and Native American dress.  Creations Studio offers one-of-a-kind heirloom quality western art and antler furniture.

Creations Studio offers various pieces of western decor, featuring antler art and furniture by owner Dean Grommet.  Grand furniture pieces incorporate hair-on hides, buckskin, moose antlers, elk antlers, red deer antlers, fallow stag antlers, authentic buffalo nickels, polished marble and granite, fine quality leather, and ornamental iron work.  Grommet also co-owns Acutech Water Jet Cutting & Fabrication with Josh Boyce, offering the Flathead Valley water jet cutting, laser cutting, and plasma cutting services.  WaterJetCut.co showcases Glacier Jet’s many projects and services.

Special thanks to PBS’ American Masters, the C.M. Russell Museum, and Absolute Astronomy’s Online Encyclopedia for information on the featured western art and artists in this article. 

Turpin Gallery: Creations Studio's Newest Venue

Western Lighting by Creations Studio

       Turpin Gallery is nestled into the cozy and highly fashionable town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Both of Turpin Gallery’s locations in the heart of Jackson showcase the works of many Western favorites, including Howard Terpning, a prolific artist of epic proportions of American west scenes, specifically Native American scenes.  Turpin Gallery is a family business, owned and operated by several generations of Turpins.  Their galleries incorporate the vivid feeling of the Old West with the imagination and creativity of a handful of talented artists.  Turpin Gallery retains a western feeling, keeping in touch with the town of Jackson, but the art inside isn’t limited to scenes of cowboys and Indians.  Artists’ subjects vary from hyper-realistic paintings of wine bottles to detailed nature imagery on scratchboard.  There are colorful abstract animal paintings and some handmade antler furniture tucked in here and there.  Subtle paintings capture the beauty of a woman’s body next to vibrant and ethereal nature scenes.  Any art enthusiast would go home pleased after a visit to one of the Turpin Gallery locations, as there is something to suit every taste.

                Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the gallery is located in a western art Mecca named Jackson Hole.  It is a gorgeous small town located in Wyoming between two National Parks- Yellowstone and Grand Teton.  Opportunities for recreation abound for outdoor enthusiasts and fine art connoisseurs alike.  The scenery provides an endless backdrop for fisherman, hikers, and campers.  Meanwhile, artists flock to the area to try and capture the natural beauty.  Many of the resulting paintings, sculptures, and photographs end up at Turpin Gallery, or at the renowned Western Design Conference which happens annually in Jackson.  Western artists gather each year in September to view the latest trends and fine craftsmanship of western design masters from around the country at the Western Design Conference. 

One artist that graces the Conference is Dean Grommet, out of Whitefish, Montana.  A strong supporter of the troops, Grommet owns Creations Studio, an online store for western art and furniture that features several other western artists.  Creations Studio has expanded over several years from its humble beginnings of a Vietnam era Marine veteran selling his handiwork into a multi-artist collaboration with a world-wide presence.  Although he has shown at many art shows and galleries across the country, he is opening his very own studio and gallery for the first time in Whitefish, Montana.  Just off the route to Glacier National Park, Creations Studio will share a building with Acutech Water Jet Cutting & Fabrication.  Sharing the building with Acutech gives Dean the space and manpower to work on hand-forging iron, an especially important aspect of his newest lighting fixture line.  Grommet and Acutech owner Josh Boyce spend hours hammering metal and shaping iron into feathers or an ornate western chandelier, making each piece unique.  The Creations Studio chandeliers and lampshades turned out to be a hit this year at the Western Design Conference and continue to be appreciated at the Turpin Galleries.  Now, Dean and Josh have begun work on pieces for next year’s show and are looking towards the future. 

The future looks golden, as far as Creations Studio is concerned.  Pamela Mougin, a world renowned photographer and artist is now a part of the Creations Studio mix as well.  She has become famous for her grandiose portraits that mix the art of photography with painting.  Her mixed media pieces wowed Western Design Conference attendees this year.  Grommet and Mougin are currently collaborating on a project to create western art like no one has seen before.  But if you simply can’t wait to see what they will create, you can find Grommet and Mougin’s work at Turpin Gallery and Mougin Design Studio, respectively.  Be sure to stop in the gallery next time you are in Jackson Hole or if you are in Whitefish, drop by Creations Studio at 3816 Highway 40.