Obscure Creations on hold

Due to circumstances beyond control, Obscure Creations is not accepting any requests for miniature or Graphite commissions.  Please continue to enjoy the information and images offered at this time and until further notice.

Soon to be, Amazing Simulated Crystal Minis

I do apologize for the lack of "mini" posts lately.  Truthfully, I have not been well and have been attempting to navigate life and work let alone the Blogosphere...

At any rate, since I already have this images and am currently able to at least type; I CAN share with you my 'intended' plans for the simulation of crystal in miniature.

I have created my masters from all sorts of materials; industrial materials as in Image 1 (nylon washers) from scratch as in the base of Image 8 (styrene),  as well as scraps like pen parts in Image 2.  Most of the Masters are adhered with  E6000 or CA.  Please forgive the lack of workmanship on some of these. They certainly did not remain this way but this is the state they were at the time of photography. They have since been straightened and tweaked where required.  I have very high standards for manufacture but will work within my current physical 'capabilities' when it comes to sharing information via the blog...

( yes, for all those interested or picky enough, I looked up the correct 'spelling' of Blogosphere, lol)

This lamp base will required one more level to the base to give it a finished look.  I added that with a round piece of 1.5mm styrene.

Image 1

This base is a bit more modern and will have and additional brass tubing out the top after casting. It also now has a square stainless steel bottom layer to help finish it off visually.

Image 2

I really love the softness of this piece. Not only will I cast it in simulated crystal but also in plaster, marble effects and a simulated satin nickel.  It is very versatile and I think will be a best seller.  The base is delicate but sturdy and would be difficult to replicate without the proper setup.

Image 3

Again, apologies for any crooked photos...This version of the soft base above has a flatter but more ornate wrought iron appearance.  I may in fact cast this one without the base in order to add the metal footing after the fact. At the moment though I will create this as a double profile so that the scrollwork will appear in 'crystal' or plaster and then atop a second layer of real metal.

Image  4 note the big difference a  change of base makes!

This piece will be amazingly sparkly once cast in Crystal Clear!  I will cast both the base in the wrought iron look as well as the double layer base as detailed above.  This one will have an added stainless, nickel or brass tube out the top and probably a crystal or two before the 'mechanics' are added.

Image  5

I think this one will have an overall 'hour-glass' look to it.  I have to model the 'curves' in clay still and bake it before it would be ready to cast.  The glue bits on the right would not remain on a finished piece.

Image 6

This is one of my personal favourites!  It has a slightly Gothic feel as well as a magical aura about it.

It will not exhibit the 'clouding' that this Master does due to the Adhesive type. This will not transfer to the final casting.  I may also assemble some of these with some large glass beads and only cast the two bottom pieces.  One might appreciate the variety of forms you can achieve with only a few basic designs or components.

Image  7

Shoot!  THIS is my favourite...

Again a touch off centre in this assembly but I simply LOVE the overall shape and the ribbed body is going to absolutely SHINE and SPARKLE once it's cast in Crystal Clear!  It will also be done in marble as well as some other soon to be announced faux finishes.  I have not gotten into faux finishes as of yet since they require not only the skill of 'faux-ing' the finish but also to do it in miniature.  Since I love this shape so much it will eventually (sigh...eventually) appear in many many a variety of forms.  Also, it will have one more base unit added in a metal (brass, satin nickel, iron, marble, stainless steel and probably copper!!!)

Image 8

SO, although I haven't produced any actual miniatures here, I hope that you can see the possibilities in my designs and trust that, as soon as I'm able, you will be able to witness the development of the shapes over the course of time.  At the moment I must be content to share my intellectual ideas and trust that these are enough to justify the valuable time that you take to read this blog.

OH, and remember that all of these designs made into lamps will be fully functional, available in both bulb and LED formats!!! I recongnize that many of the blog's readers are from other arts like Sci-Fi modelling, Train modelling and MISC dioramas so please feel free to comment on which format you personally prefer. ( I can TOTALLY see Image 8 on it's side, with the end 'blunted' on the 45 to fire laser blasts or via communications tower, hint, hint....)

Electrical Cover Master

A nice little project on the go this long weekend (Canada Day for all those 4th of July-ers out there) which required little effort and lots of concentration.

I was unsatisfied with the level of realism for Electrical Cover plates.  The ones that I found were out of scale, off colour (literally) and lacked proper details.  I'm not 100% sure that mine will work better BUT although I'm only partly done, I like them more already.
I saved a huge amount of money using a sign that were thrown out at work and the distributor was generous.   Some signs are what most people know as Gatorboard but 3 of them were perfect Plasticard and as many of you other modellers are aware, is expensive in hobby shops.  Sign shops will sell it more affordably but from our distributor and provided you don't see the "black and decker on the wrong side, this was FREE.

The card is however painted on one side but I found that it made little difference in the actual thickness of the card. After playing with it for a while on some other "soon to be posted" plastic card project, I decided to jump in and model an electrical plate.  There are many different types of covers in different countries; I decided to model the one on my wall for now.  My intention is to model it, mold it and cast in white resin.

Here is how it starts:

I quickly decided that rather than routing out the grooves by hand/eye, that it would be better to work in layers. I cut a small square of plasticard (hereto called card for type-saving purposes) earlier when making the poster into more manageable sized sheets.  Then I cut that square to the dimension matching my electrical  cover with an X-acto knife.

Digital Calipers are a GEM!

I cut out the 'tallest' piece; the edge, and then the centre was trimmed with angles on the sides (chamfered.)  The holes for the grounding are roughly cut and the prong slots just sort of 'stabbed' in place for now.  I do apologize for the textured box I shot these on. I was looking for darker than the purple cutting board but once I zoomed in on the pieces, the texture really started to pop...

I won't shoot images on this box again..

I still have the finessing to do here but I just stacked the pieces to let you see where it's going.  I have not had as many posts as I would like to have had in the last 6 months due to the new job.  Hopefully, that will change going forward.

Not assembled or finished but it gives you the idea.

I will update the Post with a completed pic once done.  Then I expect to link to yet another mold-making post (Yay)  In my opinion it is better to spend more time with the master to get it how you really really like it so that you are happy with each molded part as you pull them.  Hopefully worth the work...

UPDATE
Little details make a big difference:

The holes in the main part make a huge difference.  I almost cut through the last piece RIGHT before I was done.  Fortunately, since I'm going to cast this, it didn't matter.

3 parts to 'stack'

 

Here I've stacked the border onto the main 'plate.'  The holes aren't perfect but it doesn't matter.  As long as the holes go through where the 3rd outlet part goes it will be fine.

Here it is.  I have not glued them yet but you can see the effect.  Wires for appliances will go through the holes especially since I use pretty fine wire.  The 'ground' hole is just for looks but I think the depth that it shows is fairly effective.

I think I'll stack this one more time to give a bit of a handle and lip so that when installed, it will be easier to jam the wires in and get it glued to the wall.  Check back soon for the Moldmaking and Casting!

At the Risk of Becoming a Tool Blog...

When a heck of a lot isn't getting done (per se) and the last 3 posts do not contain a dollhouse item and the last 2 are strictly tool-related (ok, tool dominated) a guy could start thinking that this is a tool blog.I would LOVE to show you my new pressure pot for casting but I haven't been able to invest in that just quite yet. I CAN however, show you the assembly of the dust collection unit that for the last 3 or so months sat untouched in the corner of the workshop. I wish I could say that my energy was through the roof (or normal) and I was getting SO much done but that wouldn't be fair to you considering what an admirable amount of trust we've all been building together. What I CAN say is that I think I made some decent progress in those moments that the energy-draining circumstances lifted for a minute or two. This was also challenging considering that each step forward had to include 13 steps up the steps.

Since I made the decision to continue with the workshop indoors (not that I have an outdoor workshop - just an outdoor 'area') I really wanted to ensure that my son did not have to endure day after day of dust and debris floating around the house should I be able to work in the workshop day after day.

This is probably the least 'fun' tool.  Not that it isn't exciting; to control the circumstances of one's own shop. It just doesn't produce, refine or decorate anything so isn't on the same level as say, a router. I am happy to have it finally set up though. It brings me one step closer to making some 'stuff'.

A few more tweaks and then I'll post new pics of the re-arranged workshop - if you are interested to see how it all turned out.

Sweat and Tears

It took 3 hours.

More than 3 trips up and down the stairs

I sweat so much my hair actually stuck to my face.  It might have been grease...I really don't remember.

What did I build?  What could be so exciting, so exhilarating, so, so, exhausting!?
okay, so I didn't build anything and as a matter of fact I didn't even start building something.
Are you finished with this intolerable and unbearable and somewhat cruel suspense?

I assembled the drill press.
Yup, that's it - that's all I did.I bought it some 8 weeks ago!???
I was thinking that it needed to acclimate...you know, like hardwood.  So I let it sit in the downstairs entryway until today so that it wouldn't experience any longings for it's return to the hardware store nor strain under any barimetric, metaphysic or other-isic pressures.  And it seems to have worked so far.
Considering it was without help and I was pretty sure I'd have to scale the pole with the head in order to get it all together.(You Freudians can just shut up) Now, I have to admit that the head is not on straight and the main handles and the laser are laying on the cloth covered floor all ready to hop on board.(Freudians, go to town)
In the grand scheme of how many things I've gotten started let alone completed this last quarter this is cause for celebration.  So now instead of completing the task, I sat here to blog here with you and an amazing '07 Merlot from the Okanagan Valley...

Maybe I should take up wine tasting...