Who needs a Flower Power light? I do, maybe you do too?

Just scroll down to see some # pix

Hey guys,
outside of blow pen art that DBCowboy has been spending tons of money on, I was in a conversation with another member here with mr.mike about craftsmanship of things, as well as art and science being married. To avoid thread drift there I started this thread.

The premise here, is that I am making a new light fixture for my art desk. My desk is an antique 1930's (ish as I have made lots of repairs) cartoonist easel. I plan to make it look like vines and thorn bushes are growing around it and the flowers produced by this illusion will be focused LEDs coming out of the vulva areas of the flowers. I estimate I have to make about 48 flowers and I don't know how many leaves, vines, thorns, and other bullsh#t I will have to sculpt, weld, braze, and engrave.

I am not a sculptor or a really good drawer of stuff and things, scented markers used to be my thing but they cancelled those so I am stuck with this, then again it is my desk so I should be allowed to screw it up as I please.

the pix below are my proof of concept of making the flowers. If you want MOAR lemme know.

I can absolutely Invision what your end product will look like. Sounds beautiful. Can't wait to see the end result.

a reply to: crappiekat

I'm not sure how its all going to work but I have an idea. I'm not sure what your thinking but how I envision this is close to the idea of weeds growing out of the sidewalk, if that makes sense. border line dystopian meets hope, life continues.

a reply to: Brotherman

Nice. Have you thought about thinner steel ? That looks about 1-1.5mm. 0.6mm could speed things up a bit. I'm assuming you're on TIG?

a reply to: myselfaswell

I'm not too concerned about the thickness even with the weight consideration because all the metal I am using was considered scrap. If I need anything thinner I will just face my material to what I need. This particular one was cut offs from a 55 gal drum that used to store coolant for my mill.

(for people wondering about what he is saying divide 25.4 against metric to get it in inches)

a reply to: Brotherman

Cool. I'm looking forward to the progress photos.

Also this is a first for me, having a post converted to furlongs/m³bucket/feet m².

a reply to: Brotherman

Don't sell yourself short, theres a lot of skill in those hands.

originally posted by: Cymru
a reply to: Brotherman

Don't sell yourself short, theres a lot of skill in those hands.

I have alot of energy since they cancelled scratch and sniff stickers and grape scented markers. The wife don't understand the smell of argon or heli arc to fill the gap so I have to beat the # out of sh it very aggressively with hammers ( I bought graver tools I never used before too for details no one but me will care about) to make it look like something innocent because I need more light on my work I do that I never show other people.

sounds crazy but really I just need light to cure macaroni paintings had to take matters into my own hands (sarcasm ends here)

originally posted by: myselfaswell
a reply to: Brotherman

Cool. I'm looking forward to the progress photos.

Also this is a first for me, having a post converted to furlongs/m³bucket/feet m².

sorry about that

Sounds like it will be awesome.
I actually have a rose on a stem, with a couple leaves, that look like the one you made, only colored. Not sure how they did it, but I bought it at a Ren Fest.

If you decide to sell some of the roses w/lights, I would be interested! I have an old hutch I just refinished, and I have been trying to figure out what kind of lighting to put in the top cabinet.

You really must post pictures when you get it done!

Phillip Morris is getting free advertising on this thread....I put those things down 8 years ago..I breath better, smell better and I have more money in my pocket....Between wife & I we were at about $80 per week for cigs....we both quit. We both are better off for it. Pretty flower my man gonna look awesome when done. When I smoked I didn't want anyone lipping off about it....If I offended you my apologies....when you do quit...it's kinda awesome. I also smoked for 40 years.

a reply to: Brotherman

Will it be powered? You know what would be cool? If you use the steel as the (-) so you only need to wire up one wire per lamp and add them all together at the battery, connect just mass to the steel, like in a car.

It depends though if you need to put them in series. Very cool idea I love such handcrafted arts.

I once welded a motorcycle out of nuts, bolts and wires as a gift, it was loads of fun doing it but I confess I copied the idea.

a reply to: Brotherman

This will look great however going to be some repositioning and tinkering as you snag various appendages on sharp steel edges.

originally posted by: ThatDamnDuckAgain
a reply to: Brotherman

Will it be powered? You know what would be cool? If you use the steel as the (-) so you only need to wire up one wire per lamp and add them all together at the battery, connect just mass to the steel, like in a car.

It depends though if you need to put them in series. Very cool idea I love such handcrafted arts.

I once welded a motorcycle out of nuts, bolts and wires as a gift, it was loads of fun doing it but I confess I copied the idea.

Will it be powered?

Nothing I make runs in hopes and dreams, I’m going to put the binford model in it! Maybe a v8 too for good measure

originally posted by: Grenade
a reply to: Brotherman

This will look great however going to be some repositioning and tinkering as you snag various appendages on sharp steel edges.

I’m not too worried about it.

a reply to: Brotherman

Right up until you need to crack the needle and thread out.

a reply to: Grenade

My working theory won’t place anything sharp near anything I could easily or accidentally cut. But if it happens I’m not to concerned # happens

a reply to: Brotherman

Just playing pal it’s a great idea. My job results in me getting shredded by sharp pieces of metal constantly so it was first thing that came to mind. People who cut cable ties at an angle as well, my pet hate.

originally posted by: Grenade
a reply to: Brotherman

Just playing pal it’s a great idea. My job results in me getting shredded by sharp pieces of metal constantly so it was first thing that came to mind. People who cut cable ties at an angle as well, my pet hate.

I know the feeling bro. I work as a machinist/ welder I get cut, burned, smashed all the time, good fun really.

Looking good Brother! Metal is a fun medium I seldom use and is inspiring

Lighting those flowers will be fun, LEDs have come a million miles since I got into them.
Is each flower going to be a unique light itself? Or are you making flowers and shapes to be backlit somehow?

I have a friend who is a metal sculptor, and he does organic-looking reduction welding on large steel hemispheres and geometric shapes and hangs them from large walls and backlights them, the seaweed-like shadows are a really cool effect. Some of his large outdoor work is rusty and awesome as well...

anyways you got my creative side engaged man, and lately I haven't been very creative... so thanks