building materials...

65,72,42,0,B

truck gear...

I sold the old rack I had for my truck last year before I knew I would be back in the contractor business...so I bought another one.   I sold my trailer too but that isn't an issue because I wouldn't be able to get it in and out of the job site anyway.  All the building materials will have to be delivered here because I knew since the beginning that the McCoys truck wouldn't be able to get in and out of the job site either.  53,58,37,0,B

Ben loves his Aunt Linda...

48,58,37,0,B

a monday matinee...

the traditions of men...

        Beware lest any man spoil you

       through philosophy and vain deceit,

      after the traditions of men,

      after the rudiments of the world,

      and not after Christ.

   Colossians 2:8

Lithophanes...

A lithophane (French: lithophanie) is an etched or molded artwork in very thin translucent porcelain that can only be seen clearly when back lit with a light source.  More recently lithophanes have been made with the use of CNC  machines and 3D printing.  Watched a couple of tutorials on YouTube and thought I would give it a shot.  The software tells the printer to print the light areas in a thin layer and the darker areas progressively thicker.  57,62,33,0,C

a friday night film

there is always time...

Someone contacted me this morning who wanted to buy 4 coins ASAP even though I have sort of closed down the mint for now.  Decided I could squeeze some pours in today.  The 3D printer just paid for itself...  54,67,30,0,B

gravel delivery....

I know it just looks like dirt...but this is Terlingua "sandy gravel" thanks to Bryan of Dig Terlingua - video Friday.  Foundation materials being delivered next week.  52,60,30,0,B

last silver for awhile...

Just finished another order of AA desire chips for the client who prompted me to figure out how to successfully cast these.  Now that they are done and I know the 3D printer will work for me printing masters of my own design to cast from - the Field Lab mint will be on the back burner for the coming months as it's time to shift gears and put on the tool belt.  Six yards of gravel is coming for the construction site tomorrow and foundation materials will be delivered early next week so it's time to go into building mode.  55,66,60,0,W

a monday matinee...

beliefs and facts...

Satan is the master of deception.  Don't be fooled into thinking that "religion" is just an errant belief system because it isn't based on scientific fact.  The problems of the world stem from Satan's influence causing people to delight too much in earthly pleasures and hardening the hearts of those who come up with any number of reasons to deny God so they may continue to pursue only the things that make them feel good with the foolish belief that there will never be consequences for their actions.  Once you accept Christ, The Holy Spirit guides you "to be in the world but not of the world".  Once we are saved and belong to God, the Spirit takes up residence in our hearts forever, sealing us with the confirming and assuring pledge of our eternal state as His children.  The Spirit's presence within us enables us to understand and interpret God's Word - revealing in our minds the whole counsel of God as it relates to worship, doctrine, and Christian living.  He is the ultimate guide, leading the way, removing obstructions, opening the understanding, and making all things plain and clear.  He leads in the way we should go in all spiritual things.  Without such a guide, we are all apt to fall into error and become slaves to earthly pleasures and Satan never lets up on anyone - especially those who have accepted Christ.  

One can experience the presence of The Holy Spirit just as one can experience earthly pleasure... and that is a fact.

sterling nuggets...

56,62,49,0,B

a friday night film

50

Six years ago, my friend Geraint Warrington was the man behind the camera on the very first episode of Ben Fogle: New Lives In The Wild shot here at The Field Lab. They just wrapped episode #50 in the Sahara Desert.  I imagine they have been to far more exotic locations than my little lump of SW Texas...  62,70,43,0,C

a pass and a fail

59,66,37, .01",B

a perfect cast...

51,56,43, .10",B

a monday matinee...

the first psalm...

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

first cast...

First test cast from a 3D printed master - came out to be 36 grams of fine silver.  A little rough...but I think it's going to work.  I kinda rushed packing it in the casting sand (I mistakenly used Petrobond instead of Delft clay) just so I could get a pour done today and see what I need to refine.  To be honest, I really didn't think it would come out this good so I am pretty pleased with the results.  It has taken quite a bit of work just to get a master that I could successfully remove after packing it into the casting sand.  57,64,38,0,B

a friday night film

another revision...

56,66,41,0,B

bed in a box...

Been having lower back pain issues for the past month so I thought I might try a new mattress.  Unfortunately, I couldn't 3D print one...  51,60,48,0,B

more testing...

The number of configuration settings available for 3D printing is mind boggling.  Finding the right combination is a real challenge.  60,73,39,0,B

a monday matinee...

lusty...

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

the first test...

Did the obligatory first test print today from the pre loaded file on the SD card that came with the new 3D printer.  Figured it would be a good idea to really put the printer through its paces for this first run.  Fortunately, everything worked fine and the print came out quite nice.  The vertical structures are support for overhangs and peel off easily.  It took 5 hours and 31 minutes to print out this silly object but at least I know there aren't any major issues with the printer or how I assembled it.  Good thing I bought a full spool of filament because the little sample they included with the printer isn't nearly enough to print this.  62,70,27,0,C  

a friday night film

New opening...

The new 3D printer got bogged down in bad Texas weather so it won't show up till tomorrow.  Worked up my new title sequence with new music for this year's YouTube videos.  48,56,21,0,B

It's cold in them thar hills...

Alpine run for a doctor appointment - a check up

with my new PCP.  

It was pretty frigid up there.

31,37,29,0,W

a new year

Spent all day preparing for the arrival of the new 3D printer...downloading software, setting machine profiles, tweaking print designs, watching how to videos.  Total rain for 2018 was 7.25".  37,49,28,0,W