Development news

Things have been a little all over the place lately, but I have a number of new products in the pipeline. I also finally have a nice photographic lightbox, so I’ll be re-photographing my demo products. I’ve also had some wonderful help from some volunteer models in getting very impressive “action shots” of some of the T-shirts in use.

This is all part of a big push to finally get the webshop populated and operating, as I acknowledge I’ve let that slip while working on custom orders instead. It’ll be nice to have enough standard items available that I might be able to relax a little more around here!

At request I’ve been working on getting blank resin eyes manufactured. After a couple of non-starters I think I’ve finally found a nice water-clear epoxy. There’s still some residue issues to work out, but I think it’s a minor contamination thing. I hope to have it resolved in the next few days.

It’s also been suggested that I work on some steampunk-styled filigree, to provide a more repeatable and lighter option than sewing bits of scrap metal to your clothes. These are fairly simple, but I’m experimenting with metallic pigments and filler powders to give the best realistic appearance I can. I’m fussy like that.

I’m also trying to find a good balance between personal and professional blogging. I now have my personal blogs running through a core website (www.sci-fi-fox.com) with automatic crossposting thanks to WordPress plugins.
What I will be attempting is to have this website crosspost into my personal one, but not visa-versa. A one-way flow. My business is part of my life, but my life should not be part of my business (unless I break my neck or something. That might delay orders a bit.). Hopefully this will enable me to blog about all my creative works, but for those interested to filter with ease.

And speaking of creative works, tomorrow I will be taking delivery of a milling machine. This will be my first, as I do not count the vertical slide I purchased for the lathe an adequate substitute. While a rather homebrew unit, it has ample machining room, so will be of great use. It should allow me to develop the Bonsai Repstrap concept further as well as make the aluminium moulds required for the small injection moulding machine I already own.
These have both been previously mentioned in personal blogs, and in retrospect are probably things more suited to blogging on this site instead. I’ll try and get the crossposting fixed up once I’ve spent a few more hours in the workshop today.

Ta-ta!