Red Mini 5 Flute Beads!

Happy Friday Folks!

I don't know about you all but I'm certainly looking forward to the weekend. We're supposed to have some reasonable temperatures and no precipitation so that will be very nice indeed.

I've started to get some stuff done these past few days. I need to take several days next week however to grind some tools and get those projects moving along, so I might go quiet for a few days. But stuff is starting to happen finally. If I can just buckle myself down and spend a few productive days in the shop (in front of the grinder!) it will set up a great month ahead.

Well today I have some more Mini 5 Flute beads for you. These are aluminum with a slightly matte finish and they are anodized a deep dark red. Absolutely stunning. I can never resist red myself...it's one of those amazing colors that can go with almost anything and is very satisfying, like a beautiful ripe fruit.

Anyhow, the Red Aluminum Mini 5 Flutes will run $30 each plus shipping. It's not a super huge batch so I will make it a limit of 4 per customer please. Thanks as always for dropping by and I hope you have a nice relaxing weekend ahead.

All gone for today, thank you!

Postal Rate Increases 2018

Surprise surprise, the US Post Office raised it's rates this week with nary a word of warning...Grrrrr. 

US Priority Mail will now be $6.55 for a flat rate envelope and $7.05 for small flat rate box.

Internationally, First Class Package is the only allowable option to send merchandise in a cost effective way. Paypal software now rejects anything besides documents for regular First Class Mail which is how I have been shipping for the past year.

New Rates:
 
Canada First Class Mail Package $10
International First Class Mail Package $14

I don't even know what Priority Mail International will run but I suspect they tacked on a lot of money. It's at least $30 to Asia and probably a lot more elsewhere.

My ancient shopping cart software is primitive and I'm not about to ask Jenny to change it right now... I am making multiple item orders flat rate by adding only $.01 to additional items so hopefully that helps.

Anyhow, that's the story. I'm doing the best I can, thanks everyone! 

Anodized Ti Mini 5 Flutes

Hi Everyone!

Winter continues here in the northeast but at least we're catching a break this week with some more moderate and normal temperatures finally. My driveway is actually ice free this morning for the first time in a week and we are looking forward to a bit more thawing in the days ahead.

Not much to report on projects at the moment. I have been busy working on beads these past few days and can only do one thing at a time...

Today I have a sizable batch of titanium Mini 5 Flute beads done. These are anodized in a wide variety of solid and also multi colors.

I did release these same beads already in plain finish several months ago and so this batch is the newly finished anodized ones. I know some folks prefer them without coloring and so I left a portion of the batch plain. If you need plain ones just drop me an email and I will do my best to hook you up.

As I said, it's a good sized batch and there is no number limit on them. They will run the usual $30 plus flat rate shipping. Thanks for stopping by today and hope your week is going great!


Sold out for today, thanks again folks!

 

Bronze Mini 5 Flutes

Hi Folks,

Happy Friday! It's still very wintery here with snow stubbornly clinging to the trees and a good foot or more of white stuff on the ground. Hopefully we will get some slightly more moderate temperatures for the next few weeks though as that last cold spell was positively brutal.

I don't know what it is about this time of year but for some reason it's always good for coming up with new ideas. I've had a few new ones lately and hopefully at least two or three of those will actually pan out. A little more research is in order I think and every year I buy tons of product samples, materials and various supplies in order to explore and test the possibilities.

The fun thing about making drawings is that I might sit down with one idea in mind but then the hours slip by. I might make 4 or 5 versions before finally ending up with something completely different from the original idea. And if I do come up with something that I like I will usually print it out and set it aside. Then the next day or two might see considerable revisions as I continue to think about the tool and make small tweaks to it. One thing I have learned though is that no matter how much I might be smitten with the first versions, they usually look crude to me by the time I settle on the final version. It's often very subtle stuff.

Example: Working name Small Fry but I might end up calling it a Clawbaby, we'll see.

Version 1 which sat for two days: 

Version 2- Final this morning:

Anyhow, today I have the remaining Bronze Mini 5 Flute Lanslides finished. These have a rich chocolate colored patina started on them already and the highlights will continue to develop the more they are handled. Probably my personal favorite bead material of all as I love the warm coppery tone of the bronze.

The Mini 5 Flutes are $30 plus flat rate shipping and there is no limit on quantity. Thanks so much everyone and hope you all have a great weekend ahead!


All gone, thanks again everyone!

Bubble Glow Game Coins

Hi Folks,

Happy New Year to you all! Wishing everyone the very best for 2018.

I'm sorry I've been so scarce lately but the whole family has been sick for the past three weeks with the nasty flu that's going around, and we're STILL not completely over with it yet. Crazy how this thing lingers forever, and countless people around here seem to have it also. And yes, I did get the flu shot this year, but to no avail...Anyhow, it's made for a very slow start to the year for me. I'm just now starting to get my energy back and have been fiddling around in the shop over these past few days. So hopefully I can put the coughing, snorfing and hacking behind me and start to get things rolling again now. Sheesh! :)

There is much on the schedule ahead for this winter. I wasn't able to finish everything I had going last year so a ton of projects are spilling into the new year. I still have a few Spin Coin variations to finish. Also several versions of the mini 5 flute beads including anodized titanium, bronze, red aluminum, black delrin and stainless steel. So those are all coming over the next couple of weeks as well as the Zr Mini Triangles which are sitting on the bench waiting for me to do the grinding and finish work.

For steel tools, the long promised metric 3v Crawdaddies remain in progress, hopefully heading for completion later this winter. Another tool that has already been cut, surface ground and is waiting for me to start working on them are some nifty steel R37 rulers with pry tips!

There is a brand new titanium tool on the drawing board and that one is a definite go. A simple and elegant item designed primarily for gardeners, it will also have some crossover appeal as well. A freshly designed new mini pry tool in ti or steel is also pending and I will be cutting a small batch soon.

More KingPins are coming. I have titanium ones started and the heads are already stamped with decorative stamps. I do not have the pins ground yet though so they will be a little while before I can finish them. Also, I will be making copper KingPins with stamped heads but they may prove a bit trickier as the stamping needs to happen after mounting the pins so as not to collapse the pinhole.

There are several other previously mentioned projects underway that need to be finished including TightWads and PieceMakers. I'm really going to make an effort to get these done this year. More info on them once I have cleared the decks a bit.

Well today I have a few more Antique Brass Spin Coins with Glow Centers done. These are Game Coins, and on this group I decided to do them with my slow drying glue that makes the bubbles underneath the glass. Many people expressed a preference for this cool 3d bubble effect so I did up a few dozen more of them over the holidays.

Bubble Game Coins will run $90 plus shipping and the link is below. Thanks for stopping by today everyone and I hope you all are staying warm and healthy this winter!

All gone, thank you so much everyone!