"Red Brass Perf Cubes"

Hi all,
Here we have my new "Red Brass Perf Cubes".
I had made a one off in Aluminum for my Daughter some time ago.
Well quite a few folks expressed interest in it, so I decided to make a small run of them.
Physical dimensions:
.9375 square.
.750 dia. inner sphere with .1875 dia. holes.
.3125 square satellite cubes with .125 dia. holes.
After machining, I gave these a nice  brushed Scocth Brite finish.
Price on these is $35.00. !!SOLD!!
If you'd like to make a purchase, please Email your request to jordanmetalart@gmail.com
Thanks for looking, Kenn

" JMA End Of The Year Report"

As the end of 2010 approaches, I'd like to thank everyone for your interest, and support.
It has been a banner year for me, and JMA. After recovering from the Spinal Surgery I even surprised myself with the amount of projects I came up with, and was able to offer. All while working the full time day job.
I guess I'm on the right track with my creations, as I haven't a thing left to offer for sale.
You folks have been amazing, and I'm humbled with every sale.
This next week I'll be on vacation, and plan to finally finish up the long awaited Knives.
I also have planned a run of the Pea Whistles, and if there's time a few of the Bic Buddies as well.
In closing, I hope to keep you all enthralled with new creations in the coming New Year.
Merry Christmas all, Kenn

"SPOOLIES"

Hello all,
I hope this finds you in fine Holiday spirits.
It seems like it's been quite a while since I've had any goodies to offer up, so here you go.
These are the "Spoolies". They were a "Cube" incarnation that went awry.
Me being me I couldn't see pitching them, so I came up with these.
They are .900" in diameter X .900 in length.
The 6061-T6 Aluminum ones weigh a respectable .6 oz. !!SOLD!!
The Red Brass come in at a hefty 1.8 oz.  !!SOLD!!
Use em as zipper pulls for coats, or back packs.
Maybe as a key fob, or whatever else your devious mind can come up with.
Each one will come with 1' of para cord pre threaded, and ready for you to tie it to your item.
I only have 4 of each available, and I'm not planning to do another run.
Pricing on these is $30.00 each.
If you'd like to make a purchase, please send an Email to jordanmetalart@gmail.com
Thank you folks, Kenn

"Knife Update"

Well now that the Auction is complete, it's time for a progress report on the Knives.

Finally I was able to complete the Machining on the frames (really I'm done).

These last operations were to add the Lock Bar stabilizer system.

Up next, I need to put the final edges on the blades.

Then the final assembly can begin.

As always Thanks for following, Kenn

 

"Auction Items"

Here they be kids,

Three items for the high bidder.

From left to right we have:

 One of a kind Standing Red Brass Triple Cube. On this one I milled a flat on one of the corners at a compound angle allowing it to stand. This added feature allows a different view than the regular Cubes.

 Next up is another one of a kind Encapsulator. Made of 6061-T6 Aluminum this was a prototype that didn't make it to production. Notice in the 2nd. picture you can see the lanyard in the cap, hence it's not water tight.

 Lastly we have the Chinese Finger Cuff Cube. This was supposed to come out differently, but the Dolt who wrote the program had the cutter compensation on the wrong side.

The Cube measures .900 square, and is made from Red Brass.

Trust me if you get your finger in there, and try to remove it flesh will be removed. Ask me how I know.... You know you shouldn't do it, but you just have to try it.

Notice the fluting on the funnel walls? This is a result of the feature being machined using a 3/16 diameter carbide ball mill interpolating in 3 axis. It was really cool to watch.
The Auction has ended, and eman had the high bid.
Congratulations John.
To all who participated,

Kenn your auctioneer thanks you.



"JMA Progress Report"

Hello all,
Well this weekend is shot.
I have both of the Machining Centers at the shop full up with  "real"  jobs, so no JMA progress will be made.
That's okay, as I have a full to do list  for around the house before the snow starts to fly.
On another note I've been checking my site meter, and the daily visits here have doubled in the last month.
The usual number of folks stopping by each day was 30 to 40, now I'm seeing 60 to 80.
I'm not sure of the reason for the sudden increase, but thanks for stopping in to check things out.
I hope everyone, and their families have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Kenn

Edit: I can't believe I neglected to mention that I'm considering an Auction for the Friday into Saturday after Thanksgiving.
I'm planning to include a couple one off "Cubes" as well as a prototype "Encapsulator"
Sound like fun?

"The BIC Buddy"

Hey there folks,
I had this idea last night, so I went to the shop today to make it reality
"The BIC Buddy" (yeah I know, corny name) is made from Titanium, and features a frame lock to keep your lighter secure.

Serving suggestions include:
Use on a neck lanyard.
Zipper pull.
Key chain accessory.
On your Bug Out Bag.
Plus a multitude of others I can't currently think up.
So, what do you think?

"Knife Lock Bar Stabalizer System"

Here we go folks, finally some new knife pictures.
I came to the realization that I needed to add a stabalizer of some sort to the knives.
Here's what I decided on.
I drilled, and reamed a .0620 diameter hole into the frame to accept the .0625 dia. SS dowel pin. I then milled the relief in the lock bar.

I like it, it's simple, effective, and unobtrusive.

Thanks for checking in, Kenn

 

"Ti Mini Triple Cubes"

Hey there all,
I have several "Ti Mini Triple Cubes" ready to go.
A full description of these can be found just a few posts down.
Here's what's available from the latest run:
0 Rainbow  !!SOLD!!
0 Green outer cube w/ Purple inner highlights Rainbow !!SOLD!!
0 Gold tint !!SOLD!!
0 Blue !!SOLD!!
0 Green !!SOLD!!
0 Plain bead blast finish !!SOLD!!
0 Purple !!SOLD!!
Price is $30.00 each.
Please Email me at jordanmetalart@gmail.com if you'd care to make a purchase.
Don't forget to include your color choice.
Kenn

"So What's Going On?"

Hello there folks,
I've been battening down around the house for the impending Winter months.
Had to stack 4 cord of wood in the basement, and another 4 outside on pallets.
Rotate out all the Summer season implements with the Winter ones.
So the last few weekends were full up, and no JMA progress was made.
I do have the knife blades back from heat treat, and will be surface grinding them this Saturday to their final thickness. I bought a Carbidizer, and will be using that to add a thin layer of Tungsten Carbide to the lock faces on the frames. This will make them more wear resistant.
I'm hoping to get to a few more of the Ti Mini Cubes, if time permits as well.
I'd like to say thanks for your patience, and continued interest.
Kenn

"Anodizing Adventure"

Hello all,
I've had this Ti Drive sitting around waiting for some special attention.
So while I was anodizing a few Ti Mini Cubes I decided to do a reverse anodize on it.
The process for this involves the negative lead (cathode) being attached to the ferrule on a paintbrush while the positive lead (anode) is attached to the work piece.
Wetting the brush with the electrolyte, and the power supply voltage at the desired setting you brush the part.
Different spectrum colors are obtained by the length of time the brush is left in one location.
Note that I also added a glow powder epoxy mixture to the slot near the lanyard hole.
Thanks for looking, Kenn
This one has been spoken for...:)

 

"Ti Mini Triple Cubes"

Hi there folks,
Here we have the latest in my ongoing "Cube" series.
These little guys are made of Titanium, and are .450 square.
I have to say they were a bit of a pill to machine, as the burrs kept folding into the previously machined side. I had to machine all 6 sides twice to remedy this.
I'm finding them to be the perfect size for use as a lanyard bead

The ones in the left picture will be arriving at Moore Cutlery this week.

The picture to the right is just a serving suggestion.

Stock is on order for a future run as well.

As always thanks for looking, Kenn

 

"How's about an Auction?"

Well now, I haven't had an Auction in quite some time.
Here for your consideration is a one of a kind Brass Lantern.
This features a Rexolite tube insert to protect the Orange Self Lighting Gas Vial.
Captivation is achieved via a 5/16-18 socket set screw. The set screw has been drilled to allow for extra SLGV viewing.
The body is made of 360 series Brass, and measures .604 over the flats X 1.875 in length.
All six sides have viewing slots.
No reserve...It will find a new owner tonight....!!SOLD!!
**********************************************************************************
Thanks to all who stopped in, and to the participants.
Kenn

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Knife News"

Hey there Folks,
Just a little update on the Knives.
The Blades should be on their way to the Heat Treaters today.
I was able to piggy back them along with another makers lot.
I'm hoping to have them back in a couple weeks.
So there you have it, Kenn

"A Few More TiLights"

Up for sale are a few more of the "TiLights". (Updated With New Additions On 9/24/10)
Same specs as those 2 posts down.

Price on these is $95.00 each.

!!SOLD OUT!! Thanks so much Folks,

 

"Final Machining Of Blades Complete"

Hey Folks,

I finally managed to finish the last few machining operations on the blades.

This included milling the circular pocket recess for the thumb wheel, as well as drilling, and tapping the to secure it.

Lastly I milled the angle on the blade for the lock bar engagement.

I'll throw the blades in the tumbler on Monday, and then get them off to the heat treaters.

Upon their return I'll surface grind them to their final thickness.

After that I will assemble each one, and check the fit of each.

Then disassemble, and the blades are off to a friend I'm not at liberty to mention who's agreed to put the finished edge on them.

Then after all that I can assemble them for the final time, and start getting them into Folks hands.

Here's the latest pictures.

Enjoy, Kenn

Oh yeah, I'll be posting some more "Ti Lights" in the next day or two as well.

"1st Few Ti Lights"

Good morning all,

I have a few "Ti Lights" available from the latest run.

More to come as soon as I receive more "SLGV's".
These are made from .486 diameter 6AL4V Titanium, and are 1.270 in length. There are four viewing portals featuring five .093 diameter holes with a 45 degree counter sunk slot. These feature a tumbled finish, which I then anodized. Inside is a 3mm x 23mm Self Lighting Gas Vial. Once again the Vial is captivated by the para cord lanyard.

Sorry for the poorer than usual picture quality, but the Wife has the good camera with her today.
Price on these is $95.00 each.Shipping Conus via USPS Priority Mail.

I accept Pay Pal (preferred) or USPS Money Order as payment.
!!These 3 have all been sold!!

If you're interested please Email jordanmetalart@gmail.com with your color choice as well as your payment preference.

As always thanks for looking folks, Kenn

These look elongated due to my lack of photo skills.
If you click the picture, they look normal.

"A Break From Knives"

Hi all,
1st. let me thank everyone for their patience on my "Knife" project.
Things are moving forward.
Also, I had to start an "Interest" list as the response has been overwhelming.
I currently have 3 times more names on the list than I'll have knives available, and have closed the list.
With that said I'm taking a break from the kinves today, and starting a run of my "Ti Lights". (scroll down the page if you're unaware of what they are.)
As soon as they are finished up, and the "SLGV's" arrive I'll be posting them for sale.
Stay tuned, and as always thanks for playing along.
Kenn

"Quick Update"

Hey Kids,
This is just a quickie update.
I'm at the shop as I'm typing this, running out the "Blade Grind" operation.
Hopefully I can get them off to the Heat Treaters this week.
So I'm getting ever closer to the end of this Knife project.
Thanks for stopping by, Kenn

"The Blades Are In Process"

Hi Folks,
Here's what was accomplished between Saturday, and yestarday.
The 1st. opp. was to mill 1/2 of the profile. (Saturday)
After a quick fixture adjustment the 2nd. opp was completed. (yesterday)
I'm at the shop now adding the rough blade grinds to both sides of the blades.

 
 
 
 
And here are the pics of todays mission.
The 1st. one shows the profiled blade in the fixture I made to add the grinds. To add the grinds to the opposite side I flip the blade to the left, and turn on the mirror image function in the machining center control for the "X" axis.
The 2nd. photo shows a blade all roughed out.
I hope you're enjoying the WIP on these,

"Thanks Folks"

Just a quick thank you to all who have signed on as followers.
Only a few weeks ago the Blog had around 9, and now were up to 21.
Very cool, and I hope to keep you all enthralled.
Yes Wes, you were the 1st....;)
Kenn

"Brass Lanterns"

Hi Folks,

Up for sale are a few Brass Self Lighting Gas Lanterns in a one time design.

These are fairly large, but I had several requests for ones along this line.

They are 2.281 long X .750 over the flats of the hex.

Weight is 3oz. according to my postal scale.

These come loaded with a Green 3mm X 23mm SLGV.

The vial can be removed by taking out the 1/4-20 ss socket set screw in the bottom of the Lantern. The set screw has been drilled to allow viewing of the SLGV as well.

I'm asking $135.00.

Please Email jordanmetalart@gmail.com if you'd like to make a purchase.
All have been SOLD!!

Thanks for looking,

"Machining Of The Frames Completed"

Here we are,
I finished up the final machining of the Frames yesterday.
That included adding the detent hole, milling of the frame lock bar, and adding my makers mark.

Next up, I'll be starting the blades.

Thanks for checking in,

Kenn

" And A Bit Further...."

Hey there Folks,
Here is another progress report for those of you that are following this project.
I was able to add the blade slots this past weekend on the 4th & 5th.
It took 18 passes on each frame with a .140 diameter carbide mill to reach the final slot depth. I had to alter the mill in the surface grinder by spinning the .1875 shank to under .140 to be able to achieve the final depth. With that much of the mill protruding from the tool holder, and the spun shank I was pleasantly surprised the one end mill made it through the entire lot of 20 pieces.

I'm not sure if you can see it in the pics, but these slots are cut along a radius, meaning the X, Y, and Z axis of the machine were moving simultaneously.

So here are a couple of pics...enjoy,

 

"Ahhh Progress"

Hi there folks,
Here are a couple of pictures of the 1st. run on the Ti Frames.
These still need the slot for the blade to fold into, as well as the frame lock cut out.
This was two and a half days or sawing, and run time.
I'm a gettin there;)

"So I've Been Slacking"

Yeah,
I've been slacking a bit on the Jordan Metal Art front.
Other than a little fiddling with the Whistle Protos, I haven't been able to do much the last few weekends.
I needed to take the time to tend to my sorely neglected yard, fix my John Deere, and take care of several wind storm damaged trees.
I hope you all can forgive me...:)
To make up for my selfishness I'll be starting the 1st. run of the Ti Integral Folders on Saturday.
I'm hoping to take them from raw material to finished product within two months time.
There may be some one off items popping up in that time as well.
Thanks for your patience folks, Kenn

"Trying my hand at some Whistles"

Hey there folks,
So after much proding by a few people I've relented, and decided to make a Whistle.
Now I figured if I was going to do it I'd go all out, and visit the classic Pea whistle design.
These prototypes are 6061-T6 Aluminum.
They are 1.625 long X 1.000 high, and .625 thick.
I'm still working on the optimum venturi slot placement, and will be looking for a suitable "pea" to add the trill effect.
I believe these will be nice with a type 3 hard anodize in black.
So, what do you think?

"Ti Drives Available"

Hi folks,
Up for sale are a few of my 6AL4V Titanium Flash Drives.
For the innards I used a SANDISK 16GB Micro Cruzer.
The overall dimensions are .375 X .1.000 X 2.375.
The two halves are held together using six #2-56 SS socket head cap screws.
The back has a slot with a 2mm X 12mm Self Lighting Gas vial installed.

All of the drives pictured have Blue SLGV's, except the Pink one which has a Pink SLGV.

Price is $265.00.

Please Email jordanmetalart@gmail.com stating  "I'll take the  **** colored one". First come first served.

Pink, and Blue are available.
The Green, Raw Ti & Rainbow have been SOLD.
Thanks for looking,

"Additional Knife Progress"

Hey there folks,

I stayed late today at the shop to finish up the blades for heat treat.
First I surface ground them to within .005 of finish thickness.

Next I wrote a program in MasterCam to do a 3D sweeping contour profile using a .125 diameter carbide ball mill. I manipulated the amount of step over, and across step in the program parameters to achieve the rippled/fluted effect on the blade. I was able to use the same program for the opposite side after turning on the mirror image function on the CNC control.

I don't know about you, but I'm digging them...:)

Thanks for looking,  Kenn

        

"Got A Bit Further Today"

Hi all,

Had a few minutes today and was able to press the 1/16 detent ball into the frame lock mechanism.

I also milled a notch in the blade, drilled and taped a hole #2-56 to accept the thumb wheel.

I'm sitting here now flipping it open and closed, great fun....:)

Next I need to finish surface grind the blade to the final thickness to allow for 2 phosphor bronze washers to be fitted on each side of the blade. After that I'll need to add the blade angles, and send it off to be heat treated.

Enjoy, Kenn

"Progress Report"

Well Folks,
I made it to the shop today, and roughed out the Prototype blades.

I think it's looking pretty good so far.

Whatcha think?