Starborne Works

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!

The largest order I’ve yet made, at £490, will shortly see me re-stocked in all the unisex UKFur shirts, as well as a few ladies shirts in black, pink and the blue-backed “Union” design!

This means the prices are now set!

Both the white UKFur logo on black shirt or baby-pink shirt are £12, no matter the size.
The Union (white and red UKFur logo on a royal blue shirt) are £14 each, again no matter the size.

The ladies sizes are: XS=8, S=10, M=12, L=14, XL=16

I should be able to get custom colour combinations on request now the screens for the printing have been cut. So let me know if you want the design on a different colour to be included in the next order!

And now back to finishing the castings and commissions. Not a lot left to do!

With luck the shirts should arrive just before the next LondonFur meet on the 26th.

Once again, things have been busy here! I’m currently processing orders, albeit with a small delay (manifold broke off the degassing chamber and I’m waiting for the glue to set).

There have been two major developments however.

UKFur
I’ve now purchased the UKFur merchandise shop from previous owner Tigerfire, who’s no longer as involved in the Furry scene as he once was.
In the next couple of days I should receive the first batch of new stock, to get a small number of the most in-demand shirts and sizes.

The three designs of shirt

It’s out of stock of the lanyards, but I’m looking around for a supplier that will provide them in minimum orders of less than £200.

However still have large numbers of vinyl stickers and silicone wristbands.

Confuzzled is just a month away now, so have no fear, you will be able to get your UKFur merch!

In the meantime though, wristbands are £1.50, stickers are 50p each.
B&W shirts are £10 in Small to XL sizes, and £11 in XXL and XXXL.
Blue shirts are £12 in Small to XL sizes, and £13 in XXL and XXXL.
£2 for postage, and I still take paypal.

If I’m out of stock, let me know the size you’re after so I can get more in and I’ll let you know when I do.

Chest sizes: S – 35/37″ M – 38/40″ L – 41/43″ XL – 44/46″ XXL – 47/49″ 3XL – 50/52″

Reprap
Shortly after buying the UKFur shop I also acquired a lot of 2000 surplus stepper motors.

All boxes full of motors (ignore the SEM bits)

I strongly believe the future is in 3D printers, but there’s a big supply issue. Even the home-made machines tend to require you to already have a 3D printer to make parts for it.
The way around this is to make a bootstrapping machine to make the initial parts. A rep-strap.

The motors I have are smaller than those advised in the Reprap project, but I have my own take on it. I’m developing a small, semi-portable 3D printer, that should be fairly cheap and easy to modify. I’m looking at a sale price in the £200 range, and a quantity of around 500 machines.
Because of the small size of these printers, I’m dubbing it the Bonsai Repstrap.

It’s an ambitious project I know! But if you want to follow how things are going with it, take a look at..

The Creative Blog
I’ve set up a journal over at Dreamwidth as a stand-alone creative blog. While this won’t be strictly business related, it will include and business creations and day-to-day activities as well as my personal works.
Dreamwidth incorporates RSS feeds into the blogs, so you don’t have to sign up to follow it. It also accepts OpenID logins, so you can comment if you like.

For your viewing convenience, please find that the website sidebar now has a tag cloud, and link to the sites syndication on LiveJournal.