Folding Brass Knuckle Ring; Xenomorph, Sexy Beast

Wax & Resin Prototype

The xenomorph was the first obvious form to encapsulate my folding brass knuckle ring concept.  It was far too insistent to ignore, so my concept debuts as an Alien Drone tentatively donned; Sexy Beast.  They've always scared the sh#t out of me and I love them for it.  In a similar way to the Alien movie's heroine, they managed to embody both monstrousity and sexiness, kind of like a folding brass knuckle ring.  Hmmmm.

So what is a folding brass knuckle ring?  It's an inconspicuous out in an open adornment that transforms into the iconic ominous brass knuckle.  I love transformation in its literal and transcendental senses.  The brass knuckle is a tool for fighting, for protecting your money makers, for inspiring fear and mutually assured destruction.

Two Components; Palm Piece & unfolded ring base

Palm Piece locks out ring base

On that last point, I think the brass knuckle pretty much throws out the self defense argument.  Let's face it, the time it takes to take off the ring, transform it, and throw down, is premeditated all the way, or you'll find yourself waking up concussed clutching a partially transformed brass knuckle ring.

Though designed for durability and strength, this sculpt is meant to symbolically channel the fights we all face, embrace, and/ or displace.  We fight, that's what we do instinctively in some unconcious way or boldly and loudly for that which we hold dear.  Not all of these methods are physical or violent, but they are all battles we all have endured.

So enough of the back story mumbo jumbo, let's get to the nitty gritty within the ditty!  I'm happy with this ring's current phase.  I've already adopted four additionaly friction locking mechanisms to hold the ring securely closed not including the ring size itself.  The ring sizing will be on the last loop leaving the remaining three oversized.

This accomplishes two important things.  First the finger holes will be loose when the ring is transformed and worn as a brass knuckle.  Since the pinky is generally smaller on the majority of humans that I've met, the correctly sized ring will align with the pinky or index finger.  It's 50/50 on alignment, but alignment with the pinky will ensure a looser fit for smooth placement on and off your hand.

Brass Knuckle locked straight

Secondly, the correctly sized ring hole on the last loop will also aid in keeping the ring closed on the finger, redundantly assisting the six other friction locks.  It's overkill and perhaps makes it more challenging to transform the ring, but alternatively losing the palm piece portion of the ring would really really really suck! 

So what's next!?  Well, I'd like cleaner surfacing, the choice colorway, and some demo testing after a casting in the indestructible stuff.  And the all important question in many minds; how much?  For sexy beast, around the $60 price point.  Variations, and one of a kinds will mottle the inventory as these will be a combination of stocked and made to order.  Pick one up here:

Xenomorph Brass Knuckle Ring

Xenomorph Brass Knuckle Rings

With that stated, I do find the debut ring a little stifled as I failed to thoroughly incorporate the hand and to attack various perspectiveness more aggressively, but I forgive myself because like Shiva, this concept will manifest itself in many different forms!

I'm really stoked about this platform, as I've already envisioned various forms easily encasing this concept.  From a .22 derringer to encased millenium falcon usb drives to Queen Xenomorph, various totem animals from the jaguar to bear, to an ambitious voltron crew of lions and a faberge egg and that's just within my own selfishly entrenched imaginings and ecclectic tastes.

Deringer, Scarab, Kraken, Predator, more

Here's the first youtube demo;  

Miami Heat Brass Knuckles

Miami's hot!  In weather, in art, in culture, woman, weather & sand.  And it's only natural to want to rep the heat of your hometown.  So, here's an attempt at just that.  Here's my standard brass knuckle lighter sleeve modified with wax to display Miami in the handle & Heat in the knuckles.

She's still in her wax resin phase, but I envision classic brass finish, a classic metallic silver, a patriotic red white n blue, very Cuban tambien, & a translucent pink.  I'm still open to the final finishing. Stay tuned for updates. Miami Heat!!!!

Aluminum Coated Resin

Brass Coated Resin

Heat 2 Times!

Dragon Repeating Crossbow Ring's Summer Evolution

In my quest to bring fruition to a creation that arguably adds little to no value to the advancement of mankind, I'm pleased to share the stages & the results of my Dragon Repeating Crossbow.

In stage one, version one worked occasionally.  However, repeatedly tinkering to get the arrows aligned for ejection was not the intended meaning of "Repeated" in the crossbow's title.  So, the chamber was expanded & polished and the trigger mechanism was completely reworked.  Initially, the two edges of the hinge that connected the arrow chamber (dragon head & neck portion) to the ring base would lift & release the rubber band which in turn propelled the arrow.  However, precision in construction was sacrificed in consideration for ease of assembly.  This in turn created wiggle room which allowed the two edges to release the rubber band out of sync. This created misfires and inconsistent propulsion power.

Upon determining the culprit for the sub par performance, I gleaned what the Chinese had done so only 2500 years ago.   I adopted their original push peg trigger solution and thus added another element of ancient tech to my dragon repeating crossbow.  This solution eliminates misfires and inconsistent propulsion power.  The initial decision to deviate from this simple yet solid trigger system was based on my design's structure.  At the scale I wanted to execute & the current configuration, certain sections would become too fragile to accommodate the inclusion of a push peg.  That fragility was also at a particularly stress laden section of the crossbow near the rear axle of the chamber.

Version 1 (on lt.)  Version 2 (on rt.) with push peg

So an extensive redesign was required to utilize the push peg trigger & retain a solid robust structure.  These images show version one & the redesign (Version Two) side by side.  Version two fired with power and consistency if the firing rate was very slow & controlled.  However, upon the elimination of one culprit, a masked culprit revealed its true self.  Part of the redesign of version one involved the addition of a rear chamber lip to prevent arrows from getting lodged & thus blocking the rubber band from reaching the rear notch.  It also included the deeper setting of said notch toward the rear of the crossbow.

Version 1 (on lt.) reps original trigger design w/o push peg.  Version 2 (on rt.) with push peg.

                    
  I imagined that these adjustments would resolve my issue with jumbled arrows within the chamber.  While the trigger fired fine, arrows were not settling into the firing groove at the base of the chamber.  I had hoped that gravity alone would align the arrows.  I also believed expanding the chamber would facilitate the settling of my arrows into the firing groove.  My thinking was not flawed, it just couldn't observe the second main culprit to disrupt my crossbow's function.



It turned out that this culprit was the additional vectors of energy from the rubber band.  As the rubber band traveled back into the notch before release and fire,  said rubber band was twirling.  As the rubber band has a squared cross section, these edges would collide & dislodge my arrows within its the firing groove.  This would sporadically impact my arrows during the cocking & firing motions.  On occasion the added vectors would flip or even expel my arrows out of the top of the chamber.  This would occur frequently during the firing motion disrupting the following shot.  In effect, one would experience a jam & have to remove & reload.

This was not acceptable, so plans to design a barrel clips & or banana clips to increase ammo capacity were painfully complicated by the solution.  Version three would in short require a tiny little finger within the chamber to hold the arrows in place & set them consistently within the firing groove.  This finger would in essence be a tiny pendulum approximately the size of my arrows but with twice to triple the mass.  It would sit on top my arrows and counter the rubber band's added vectors, & this pendulum would swing down on top of each arrow to settle it into the firing groove.

Version 2 (on lt.)  Version 3 (on rt.) with Pendulum atop of full chamber of arrows

Testing make shift pendulums with version two immediately eclipsed past performances & reintroduced long since abandoned lofty ambitions.  Consistency, speed & fun improved immensely & the journey to why seemed answered at least fleetingly so.  All these improvements, shifted the balance of functionality & aesthetics back toward function as I envisioned epic skirmishes of tiny arrowed finger warriors throwing down well just about anywhere.  I Increased the size of his horns to provide more finger traction during firing motion.  And to provide more finger traction during the cocking motion I modified the fluid symmetry of the spinal hair on the rear.

Enuff said time for video.

Get your Projectile Spitting Dragons here:

House of Dragons

Mix-tape Assassin & other Confiscated Goodies: Beginnings

I once had this cassette tape crossbow ( cassette - you know those rectangular modular music storage devices that proceeded the 8-track)  that launched tiny arrows made from q-tips wrapped in clear scotch tape for weighted heads and invisible tail fins.  Even when I was observed as the general source of the assaults, my inconspicuous cassette and invisible arrows left no compelling evidence of my truly sinister nature.  Ha ha ha ha ha ha, that's right Ms. Warner, you almost had me, & believe the statutes of limitation have run out.  Anyway, my repeating crossbow ring is similar in concept, however instead of hidden in plain sight, it will daze, confuse, & blind would-be party poopers with its sculpted facade.  The following are updated pics.  Absorb. (By the way that crossbow cassette played musical awesomeness of the Jackson 5)  Thanx Michael, R.I.P.

I desire a robust piece, so the rear axle diameter will double or triple, all elements that will be exposed to stress & fatigue will be re-enforced.  This ring now stands on its own, a feature that will be standardized on more future designs.

The spinal ridge hair not only facilitates standing, but ammo carriage as well.  I will consider added bolt carrying capacity.

Worked the texture & details.  Debating whether to add pupils or not.  I like the blind/all seeing look or non directional nature of the eyes though I'm not exactly sure as to why.  Much more surface attention is required & then after initial casting, the adjustments for live action mid class distraction satisfaction.

The two issues that irk me are the arrow flights & the arrow jostling in the chamber.  Both can attributed somehow to the elastic power source.  Squared rubber bands tend to twist during cocking and create added vectors in power which appear to alter arrow flight behavior & the occasional jumbling of how the arrows align within the chamber.  A rounded less powerful rubber band seems to have decreased such incidents, but the properties of the wax also impact behavior, so all of this mute until the results can be observed in the final medium of resin.

So now that I've weaved the illusion that I have sense & that this project will be available to the masses soon, may the teasing torture of want & unsolicited expectations reveal your heart's true desire.

UPDATE:2.14.2014.  This singular piece of functioning sculpture is available here:

Dragons Everywhere!

Path of Orion; Folding Brass Knuckle Ring

The Blue Print

So, the Path of Orion is a my folding brass knuckle ring concept. Those who walk the path require every edge to endure.  This is one of them.

Folded Brass Knuckle Ring

Unfolded Once to a double finger ring/ two finger duster

Completely unfolded, Vampire Bat

Knuckle Up!

Worn Vertically here. 

Cleaned, crisper, & studded crystals on multiple surfaces, constellations & functional applications.  Not too gaudy.  But will my hinge solution work out?  I'll know in about 20 hours.  I'll address the final finishing as well & post images.


UPDATE: 2.14.2014.  A reinforced textile hinge evolved from this project to create my current Xenomorph Series.  Time will tell if that solution can be applied back here, but the meantime, grab the fruits of this adventure here:

Brass Knuckle Sculpts