00665 Tower on a rock in a box

It was supposed to be a Secret Santa, but it just got waaaaay out of hand.

The documentation reads as follows:

Operation manual

Thank you for choosing or unwittingly receiving

Tower on a Rock

The box is made of reclaimed timber from a shed in Perelle
The glass is from a greenhouse behind the Fermain Tavern
The three pebbles are

from Petit Port

 

 

 

The instructions, such as they are, read like this:

The on/off switch is located at the back of the box. Switch down to turn on.
Once the box is turned on you can switch on the light by placing one of your fingers on each of the coins on the top of the box.
Two or more people can turn on the light by holding hands and forming a line. The people at either end of the line can then each place a finger from their free hand on one of the coins.
Note: any flesh contact will work, but always observe basic rules of hygiene and decency.
The box also works as a lamp, but because of the hasty nature in which it was assembled, it will only function for around 5 minutes at a time before the power regulator overheats and shuts itself down. To operate from mains power, plug the power supply into the socket on the back of the box and switch on the power supply. Then switch on the box.
Do not touch the coins when the power supply is connected as this will shorten the lifetime of the LED.
It is also recommended that the lamp should not be left on for extended periods of time as it's probably really dangerous to do so.
The box is battery operated and the battery can be replaced by removing the back plate. To access the battery, place your finger in the hole on the left hand side of the back plate and pull as if hinged near the switch. Replace the back plate using the same procedure in reverse.

Should the light begin to flicker, do not be alarmed. The voltage regulator is overheating and needs to cool down. Leave it for a while and it will go back to working normally.

00664 SPOTY

For reasons best known to themselves, work asked me to make a replica of the Sports Personality of the Year Award trophy for thier annual conference. Like you do.

I said "Yes" before asking about any of the details, which is pretty much how I ended up getting married.

So this is how it ended up (although it would perhaps have been better if I'd taken time to photograph the end result properly):

And this is how it got there (although technically, it was in a van):

   

 

Strangely, twenty minutes later, someone else asked me to make trophies for an altogether different event. Mind you, I had heard that there was a trophy commissioning pandemic sweeping the land, so it was no great surprise.

00663 More Learnings

Well, haven't I been busy.

No.

And here's the proof:

So, if the Devil makes work for idle hands and I'm self employed (in my time off), does that make me, like, the Devil?

00662 KAPPAGOGO!

The combination of Autumnal winds and holidays have led to an upsurge in the frequency of the resurgence in KAPing. Madness is too small a word for it. Perhaps a longer word would be better. And maybe one with a different meaning.

First there was the mostly insane Fort Cloncque, Alderney:

Then Fort Tourgis, Alderney again:

Then, more recently, Moonfleet Manor Hotel on the South Coast of England by Chesil Beach

 

Clearly, holidays bring out the KAPer in me. I should do it more often. 

00661 Visualisations

Having recently been conceptually inducted into the probably soon to be formed Royal Society for Motion Graphics, I find myself no longer needing to make anything in the real world.
Some things move:

While others do not:

That is all.

00660 Tiny boats are here again

 

In order to save time and money, new constructions are being scaled down.

Although, truthfully, it's more a time thing.

00659 KAP!

The Gopro has breathed life back into something that I though had gone by the by. Tiny kite, tiny rig, tiny camera.

 

If I had massive pockets, I'd call it pocket sized - but then I could say the same of my car.

00658 From the deep

We all thought they would come from the skies, but we couldn't have been more wrong.

On the upside, they were made of air, which was nice.

00657 Daydreamstone

On a clear day, at low tide, if you are very quiet and move very slowly, you can sometimes see the pebbles staring wistfully off into the distance.

What are they thinking about? No one really knows.

I asked them once, but they were very tight lipped about it.

00656 Perudo dice jars

In Peru, where I have just assumed Perudo comes from, they make dice cups by taking miniature jam jars and sheathing them in mountain bike inner tubes, so that the dice can be shaken and viewed from the top, while excluding the opponents view from the side.

As you can imagine, this has revolutionised the game. Or, rather it will, just as soon as I've sent them all a message about it all.

00655 Biscuit Alien

The most profound moment in human history

They came from far beyond the stars to bring us a message of peace and to finally answer the question - are we alone?

Then we ate their heads - mmmmmmmmm, nice.

00654 Tablecloth vandalism

I think I'll be looking to do this whenever I go to a restaurant and get drunk, although it may not be a conscious choice.

It certainly didn't have the discounting effect on the bill that we were hoping for.

00653 The guy

There was this guy on the beach.

He was kind of weird.

And technically, he was in the beach.

Which really didn't help with making him any less weird.

00652 Lightning at Jerbourg

 

Yah, it was waaaaay lightningy.

00651 Lihou

So we went to Lihou the weekend before last

Where it is nice

00650 Steampunk Arc Reactor finished

I've finished the random present making for a work colleague.

Turn it on and the red LED's light, then pick it up with the side handles and the central window is lit with white Power LEDs.

Once the Power LEDs are lit you can jump from tall buildings, but only once.

 

    

00649 Pooh stick spring

It's a sure sign that summer is on it's way when I find myself at the shipyard.

Construction of pooh sticks has always been a predominantly fair-weather business.

 

It is also a sure sign that summer is not here, when they are launched in a pool and not the sea.

BTFW, I am still currently out of the office.

00648 Arc reactor update 1

So I'm 80% through the construction and am just waiting for a new radial drill, as you do.

Work on the limitless power has reached a standstill. I just can't seem to get past weaning myself off batteries and onto fusion (or is it fission?).

FMFI
The bolts are aged by sticking them in acid and peroxide and chucking in a piece of copper tubing. Jury's out as to whether I should copper plate them first and then give them an acid wash, or just throw all the chemicals and metals in together.

I consulted a man who nearly finished his chemistry PhD and he said that he hadn't done chemistry for so long that he really couldn't remember.

So that went well, I thought.Experts, eh?

00647 Pooh stick in the horse trough

There's a walk I do along the cliffs.

I'm in the habit of making a small boat to put in the horse trough half way along the route.

It usually makes me late.

00646 Paper Panzer

When on holiday it is sometimes wise to disguise one's boredom and find activities which distract, but do not draw attention to your restlessness.

DO NOT, repeat NOT, make paper tanks.

If you feel compelled to do so and there is no other recourse, ensure that they are small, so as not to attract unwanted attention.

Please find below a maximum size reference: 

 

That is all.

00645 Arc reactor

Following the Trophy debacle, I've been asked to make an arc reactor for a guy at work. I'm going for the steam punk angle, but I'm a little concerned about his reaction when he learns that it can't produce limitless energy and actually runs off 4xAAs.

 

 

00644 Tower on a rock/model on a stone

I've decided to downscale and am considering this property. Great views, needs a bit of work and it's slightly smaller than I'm used to. But hey.

00643 Rollapaluza the movie

We have to change the name of this event. I mean surely adults have the ability to access some form of originality.

Don't they?

00642 the Flyer

 

From which comes information on how to possess the fabled trophy.

BTFW I am currently still out of the office

00641 The Trophy

Never thought of making a trophy before. This was Andy's idea - stick some bike bits together as a prize for Wednesday's charity roller racing. I say charity in the hope that Rollapaluza hasn't gone corporate and is cranking up the litigation engines as I type. We just couldn't think up another name in time and IT'S FOR THE KIDS, FOR CHRISSAKES! (well, maybe not just for the kids, but it's for people who used to be kids)

So the essence is wood, mdf, jam jar, bolts, sprockets, chain and an old quick release spindle:

   

 

Admittedly the whole "making a trophy" thing kind of got out of hand - was always going to happen. BTFW I'm out of the office at present, just so's you know, eh?