Logo

Here's my new logo. A million thanks go out to Susanne Duffner at Pica Press.

11.2.09- Vinyl stickers have been ordered...should have them in a couple of weeks. Hit me up here if you'd like some.

In the paper

This full-page ad was in the Des Moines Register last week. "The largest campus public art collection in America." Proud to have graduated from Iowa State University and contributed to the Sticks installation in the Maple-Willow-Larch dining hall.

Rosenberg Residence - installation

Here's the installed planter box for the Rosenberg family in Des Moines. Thanks go out to Thomas Wright and Tracy Rosenberg for their vision, patience and trust. It's much appreciated.

Thanks for the installation help go out to D. Boone, and Jon and Gene of Des Moines' "Corn Creepers." This thing had to go in vertically...yeah, no easy task.

Cool cabinet

I've admired this cabinet at my dentist's office for a couple of years now. Awesome deco styling; clean, sleek lines. I dig.

Eubank Residence

House numbers for the Eubank's south of Grand Tudor home in Des Moines. 4" TS, black powder coat, stainless steel digits. Congrats on the arrival of your lovely new daughter!

Rosenberg - Oxidation or "Rust Never Sleeps..."

Fabrication is complete on the Rosenberg's "modern" planter box. Today's task was to instigate oxidation on the exposed faces of the structure. I had a little guidance from Rick Lopez (and Paul!) at Iowa State University's IPRT Company Assistance – Materials Group. I did a little investigation on my own on the internet with little satisfaction prior to speaking with them. At a past employer, I had seen this process done in a day with consistent results, but didn't know the chemicals used. Muriatic acid was suggested by Rick to remove the mill scale on the hot rolled steel...and it worked beautifully.
I didn't have the time to apply numerous applications of a highly diluted acid over a week's time. Thus, the sculpture was taken outside and given a splash in the water before having some acid poured upon it into the areas where water had pooled while it was lying horizontally. The acid reacted instantly with the mill scale dissolving quite quickly. I used a disposable, bristled paintbrush to spread the diluted acid to the areas that had yet to react chemically. Places where the scale didn't immediately dissolve were given 5-10 minutes to soak. When the scale became difficult to remove with dirtied acid/water mixture, the entire surface was rinsed with fresh water. The smaller of the two areas (third and fifth photos above) required two applications. The larger area (first and fourth photos above) was unable to lay flat and had to be leaned at an angle, thus requiring four to five rounds of etching. After the mill scale was removed and the surface was a white/silvery sheen, it was rinsed with water one more time. A final misting of the acid/water mixture was applied and then allowed to dry. The mixture ratio of the mist was approximately 5:1 - 5 parts water to 1 part muriatic acid. Always add acid to water, never water to acid.
Before performing this, I took every precaution to protect myself and my surroundings. Safety glasses, chemical-resistant rubber gloves, leather boots and a respirator were all used during this process. Additionally, I did this outside in an spacious, open area, free of any obstructions. I personally would NOT recommend performing this inside unless you have the proper ventilation...i.e., a box-fan is NOT proper ventilation.
Hopefully this helps others looking for a quick rust "patina" when dealing with mild steel. All the supplies and safety equipment were purchased at Lowe's.

Rosenberg Residence

This one is hard to explain...but here's the progress on the Rosenberg's mid-century modern rusty wall/planter box. This is being fabricated to first, cover the unsightly, peeling paint on the concrete facade and secondly, serve as a planter box with a 12" deep false bottom near the top. Steel is hot-rolled, 11 gage that will receive an accelerated "rust-treatment" in a few days. It's gonna rule once it's installed. Stay tuned...

In the IKONIX Studio with the Swanson/Real tables

Today took me to IKONIX Studio in Des Moines for a quick session shooting the Swanson/Real tables. It was so quick in fact, that I had to assemble two of the tables in the studio as owner Tom Woolery shot a few pics of me with tools in hand...and eventually a very expensive digital SLR camera. This is just a taste of the shots Tom grabbed. I'll post more when he is done editing them. I had a lot of fun today and can't recommend IKONIX Studio enough. It's available for photographers and models alike. VERY pro. Dig it.