Lumus for SALE

Lumus 5'8" x 20 5/8 x 2 3/4

resin tinted

translucent red bottom

translucent grey deck

handmade bamboo fins

matt resin finish

brand new and fresh from the factory

usual price £545

selling for a one off price of £475

the Lumus is, with good reason, my best selling model. it makes a fantastic all-round everyday board, preforming well in a really wide range of conditions. For more information on the Lumus and feedback from customers have a look here.

or e-mail me at info@empiresurfboards.com

please share this anyone that you think might be interested.

thank you.

Tools

The finest tools in the world are the ones from your Grandfathers tool box.

Lumus

Resin tinted Lumus for Simon

with handmade bamboo fins

Mystery

9'1" Mystery for Martin

orange tint with white resin bands

Board for sale

Gregor from Finisterre is selling his shortboard

6'0" x 19 1/2 x 2 3/8

in good condition

 £200

e-mail Gregor for more info

gregor@finisterreuk.com

Universal

7'5" Universal for Johnny

Clear with a tinted fin patch

Box

Chicken Kara-age Bento

in a handmade sycamore box

I've been making wooden boxes from locally sourced Sycamore for a while now and wanted to share where i am up to.

Internationally there is a very rich heritage of making boxes by steam bending thin strips of wood into hoops. many cultures have their own interpretation of this idea. From the simple oval boxes of the Shakers, the ornately decorated boxes of northern Europe, the Scandinavian Tines and the Magewappa of Japan, The boxes that i make are influenced by both European and Japanese boxes. 

They are made from Sycamore, sourced locally in the west country where possible with the rest being made up from European Sycamore. There is a long history of Sycamore being used for both food containers and utensils. Not only is it an attractive timber, it is also non tainting, close grained and hard wearing. The Sycamore is cut into fine veneers and then steam bent around a form to make the band.

The band is stitched together using a single continuous strip of copper. 

Copper is naturally antimicrobial.

These boxes have a low environmental impact, will last a life time and if you did want to get rid of one they will naturally bio-degrade. They make fantastic lunch boxes, the base is water tight, and are also ideal for storing dry foods like rice or flour. The lid is steam bent and formed around the base to give a near air tight fit.

The plan is to make a few of these to sell but I would appreciate any feedback.

if you like these boxes let me know. Please "like" if you are on Facebook or leave a comment and help to generally spread the word.

Many thanks.

Jar

 

Expressive Architecture

ROAR!

Oh!

The Universal high line

Racing the high line on a 7'9" Universal.

Photo taken by Mel at Splashography

keep an eye out for him on the beach and check his website for photos.

thanks Mel.

9'4" Cassette

9'4" Cassette for Ian.

Green tint with a grey band.

Hullish

6'10" 2 + 1 Universal variant

a user friendly hull 

The finished wedding ring

well, here is the finished ring after acid etching.

i set out to make a ring that is unique to me, something rare and precious. not so much because of the element that it is made from but through the process by which it is made.

making pattern welded titanium is a relatively new process and one that is full of difficulties. a layer of oxides form on the surface and that makes it hard to weld, the same oxides also make etching difficult. the exact pattern is unpredictable and no two pieces are the same.

i am satisfied that i have achieved what i set out to do, this ring is singular, there really isn't another one quite like it. in fact having done quite a lot of research on the subject, it is likely to be the only Pattern Welded Titanium wedding ring in the world.

How to make you own wedding ring Part 3

Shape the outside of the ring using an angle grinder, abrasive paper and files.

Create the profile inside the ring using a Dremel with an abrasive drum, then polish with a buffing wheel.

As you can see, after polishing the Damascus pattern is no longer showing. in order to bring the pattern out the ring needs to be acid etched.

Acid Etching

Titanium is tricky stuff to etch and you need some really aggressive chemicals to do the job.

i would not recommend attempting to etch titanium. 

if you are in any doubt, have a read of the material safety data sheet for Hydrofluoric acid. this stuff is really nasty and according to the experts that i spoke to, it shouldn't be handled without a full protective suit and a respirator with a face shield.

So, the original plan was to have someone etch the ring for me but very few people will etch titanium given the potentially risks of working with such dangerous chemicals. after exhausting all of the options both here and in America and doing a lot of research, it turns out that it's possible to do it in your shed with a pair of rubber gloves and some chemicals contained in readily available products that you can buy on-line. still a little scary but the quantities of acid that you need are relatively low and the risks are manageable.
still wouldn't recommend it though.

How to make your own wedding ring part 2

The first job is to drill the hole through the centre.

With a 4 jaw chuck, mount the block on a centre lathe and drill a hole with a centre drill.

Then use progressively larger drills to enlarge the hole.

and a boring bar to clean and open the hole to the finished diameter.

Then back to the milling machine to mill down to the finished width and chamfer the corners.

more to follow...

How to make your own wedding ring part 1

Because of the significance of a wedding band, I wanted a ring that was both special and unique to me. I decided that the best way forward would be to make my own. In that way, through choice of material and the labour of making i would have a ring that is not only unique to me but also reminds me of the journey to get here and bond that it symbolises.

So for those interested, here is how i did it.

The Material

I make my living by working with my hands so I wanted a metal that was both tough and durable. I chose pattern welded (also know as Damascus) Titanium because of it's toughness, weight, appearance and the process through which it is made. This very special material is only produced by a handful of craftsmen around the world and has a pattern like wood grain. The pattern is produced by welding different alloys of titanium together and then twisting the welded bar. the patterns are largely random and no two pieces are alike. I contacted Richard Furrer from Door County Forgeworks in Wisconsin. 

Along with Damascus titanium Ric also makes beautiful Knives, Swords, Axes and Tools from his own hand made Damascus Steel. have a look at his work here:
http://doorcountyforgeworks.com/Available_Work.html

this is my piece of Titanium, milled square and ready to go. More to follow...

#9

7'11" #9 

2+1 

for Rob

Bowl

Stoneware bowl

Jar

Small Jar decorated with a chattering technique.
Made for Maz's birthday

Super 6 + 1/2

6'6" Super 6

for Jon