Please closely examine the Detail in this Copper Coin.

This was created with a bit more complex method. It also required some specialized tooling I've been picking at here and there.

I will offer this more complex 2" Challenge Coin for $65 each. Free Shipping.

I will be back later for a chat regarding quality, and some things that are important to me. They are only important to you if you enjoy this blog and my work.
Thanks.

Gary.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2016 02:50AM by barnespneumatic.

boy...that poor pirate ship sure didn't last long

Hey
That looks an awful lot like an octopus to me . He had to have eaten the Pirates first . I don't see any sloshing around . The more I look the more scared I git ! Just look at the teeth/ mouth ! Zoiks

I see a little GLB hiding in there tooo !

Thanks
Kurt



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2016 10:45AM by kurt wag.

Hi Kurt,

Yeah. I thought so too. When you look up and Classic Kraken Lore with illustrations, they always look like a huge Octopus. Yeah, I opted against putting in half a pirate here and there. Still could. Hummmmm

I still have to alter one of the features to make it more readable. Thought of you when I did it.

There is a shop down on the Tampa area coast, which features Mermaids, Octopus, and Kraken Items. We've been in contact with them. I told them I'd work up a Kraken die.

That will feature in my discussion I alluded to - upcoming.

Thanks Kurt.

Gary

Wow Gary, the detail in that is beyond rediculous! The more I zoom in the more I see, layers and layers of detail. I'd like to see the rig with the scanning electron microscope you were wearing when you made that die!

In a side note, that poor hand of yours may need some attention



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2016 12:25PM by Sal.

Thanks Sal,

Yeah, that poor hand does look like its spent a lifetime at labor. So long as it keeps working.

Since you mentioned magnification .... I just used the normal 3-4 power lens with the florscent tube around it that you've seen on benches for the last fifty years. The REAL neat thing is that this is CUT on a 1 to 1 ratio. By hand. For example, the MINT's dies for a Quarter, will be cut from an artist's master work. That will be done in plaster and be about 30" in diameter. That Master is traced by a machine which then cuts the actual quarter sized die. That reduction by the machine, minimizes any small distortion in the Master, and makes it near perfection in the die.

Now, by comparison. I tell my hand to move the tool cutter a micron, and it does. One to one. No reduction of error. Nobody is more surprised then me at the results. . Haha.

Thanks Sal,
Gary

All that craftsmanship! eaten up by a see monster..... Only if they had some big bore pneumatic spear guns....maybe the would have had a chance! Haha... Those coins are pressing out vary nice, I agree with the others the detail is great! Nice work!

Matt

Hi Matt,

The Pneumatic Spear Guns will be on the Jules Verne Coins. This one is the Classic Theme.

Thanks. Glad you like the detail.

Gary

Hi Y'all,
Just went on a Kraken search and indeed kraken is German for Octopus among other ideas of its origin. There seems to be a lot of Scandinavian references, as well as Iceland . Why is this interesting to me? Well I've been building decorated kayaks for a few years and always looking for inspiration for the next motif. For instance, a racing kayak inspired by my paddling partner suggesting flames or lightning bolts. Hence, Mjolnir, Thor's Hammer.



I've ordered the plans for another racing tandem kayak from Sweden's Bjorn Thomasson who designs kayaks for the manufacturers who build the plastic boats. He builds them using the strip building technique which allows for very fair curves and relatively quick prototyping.



I'll start some sketches to see how things might look, if you don't mind Gary.

Take care,

Kent

Hi Kent,

I'd be honored.

You'll need a bag of Kraken Coins for Ballast!

You have become quite the boat builder. Guess you will need to regrow the Beard for the project!!!

Gary

Well that does it! Put my name on the coin and I'll get my coins in the mail.

Of course my Kraken will be a stylized version of an octopus/monster made of wood veneers.

Thanks

Kent

Kent,
That is an absolutely beautiful boat. Well Done Indeed! It adds to the other beautiful things on Gary's site.
Enjoy it,
Jeff

Thanks Jeff, it is a rather simplistic rendition of Thor and a couple of lightning bolts compared to Gary's artwork. I do think the spalted wood in the bolts jumps off the deck. I like to find the "pictures" in the veneer that demand transformation into a particular form. Here's an example. A piece of crotch wood had this fish's dorsal line and tail fin just right for my sit on top fishing kayak. I hope you agree. Now I need to start looking for Kraken / Pirate / tallship items.



Kent

Hi Kent,

You've been a busy boat shop. I thought Thor was your last vessel. You sneaked in a Fishing Kayak too! Very clever. That should definitely make Hearts Flutter here!! Beautiful wood grain raises the blood pressure.

We will want to follow your "Kraken Build". How long will this boat be? Is this another fast boat design. You have been modest. Haven't you and your rowing partner been dusting off boat crews half your ages?

Gary

I do Kent, VERY nice!
Thanks,
Jeff

That wood grain looks great! Like how the fish has diffrent shades too it, can imagin a ton of work goes into makeing those kayaks...just getting all the bends and curves right must be a challenge! Some nice craftsmen ship!

Matt

Hi Gary,

The kayak is designed at 22 ft but the designer says it can be stretched by 10% without messing up the hydrodynamics. We are going to add about 8-10% to make it about 24 ft long. The Mjolnir boat is 22 ft long and we feel we could make use of the higher theoretical hull speed.

As to the success of the current boat, yes we do like to paddle it fast and have won our division in a few races. Here is the latest winning division pic from the Suwannee River Challenge 2015.


It is a 52 mile one day race that includes a 1/4 mile unassisted portage at mile 44.

The back story on this event was that my usual training/racing partner couldn't make this trip So with less than 10 minutes in this 22 inch wide racing kayak, my wife Kelli jumped in to race. Not only was this nearly twice her previous maximum one day mileage, she had to learn to paddle in sync with me. In this race that means she paddled continuously, stroke for stroke with me for the entire 11 hrs! We took 2, 15 minute breaks and the portage as our out of boat time.
This is what pure exhilaration looks like!


Matt, the trick for me is to figure out how to fit the art work to the kayak. This kayak used several different techniques that I hadn't used before. It is also my first kayak to have such large areas veneered. All the veneer has to become part of the wood structurally or the wood core may delaminate and ruin the fiberglass/wood/fiberglass sandwich.
Glad you like the looks!

Kent



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2016 12:07AM by Cajun Justice.

Hey Kent,

Kudo's to you and Kelli ! She is a trooper for sure!!!

Hey Kent,

Congrats to you guys on the wins! That must be a serious arm work out paddling all day. A great accomplishment to win in a boat you custom made not everybody can say that, nice job! Can imagin the veneereing process is not easy, A kraken inspired one would be awesome. Ain't nothin like enjoying a river. Nice work

Matt

Hi Kent,

Amazing endurance on the race. Especially for Kelli. And, she was even handicapped with that absurdly short paddle!!!

Your Kayaks are beautiful. And they perform. Excellent. Good idea to make a product which people simple CANNOT put under the bed!!! Haha. I never thought of that!

Gary

Hi Kent
That's an awesome feet especially in a fine craft that you made . I never see that many fine looking kayaks here in Michigan and you'd think with all the water and such that I would .
There's a world class trout stream here called AuSable river that has a huge canoe Marathon once a year . They have to portage over and down 6 or 7 hydo~ electric dams with quite an elevation change . Now I've participated from the bank only and the last dam is huge ! I think it's a 2 day and night event but incredible to watch . I haven't really been there in a couple years but guess is been goin on since late 1940's .

I will now be looking for some fine kayaks out there . I'm sure I just never noticed them b4 but have a greater appreciation for them .
I'm sure your not in production mode but how many hours would you have into that craft ?

Thanks

Thanks
Kurt

I've been able to see many of these boats, up close. The workmanship is really superior. There is a lot that goes on inside one of these. Even more in the "Skin on Frame" versions that are actually lashed together (with modern versions of traditional materials).

Kent has really Mastered the Craft.

Gary

Impressive all the way around, the race, the racers, and the boat you made. Nice work!

Kurt, the tandem boat took two months to make it a boat and three months to add the veneer decorations. We then took it to our first Suwannee Challenge in 2014 without any hatches or deck lines. I then cut big holes in the deck to make hatches and cut another 18 slots for soft pad eyes to run deck lines thru. Sand the epoxy and put on 4 coats of varnish as UV protection. Here's Thor in his longboat. Showing the soft pad eyes (loops) and deck lines. Can you see Thor's eyes and beard in the veneer? I do!



My next boat project arrived 5 days later to begin the sit on top fishing boat.

Thanks for all the kind comments!

Kent

So...ALL the veneer work is inletted so it's flush with the basic hull?

Back to the original theme of this thread......

Gary, I got the Kraken coin plus the other 2 (molon labe and BPS) in the mail today!!!!

Very Cool

thanks again

Great!

Hope you enjoy them. If they generate any stories, please share with us!

I really enjoy being able to make them. They are just such a solid item. They wouldn't be expected to be handmade. Just st a great Heirloom item because they will last forever. Perfect to just lay around and "Belong to Someone." Haha.



Gary