Cast No Shadow

I knew when I saw this gas mask at a local antique mall that I was looking at something special, and HAD to have it. It was labeled as a Korean War Fighter Pilot Oxygen Mask, and I got it for a steal at $80! It took me a while to determine what exactly I was looking at. The attached tag was a big head start referencing the Diaphragm Mark III and IV, along with the giant USN stamped on the forehead. The shape of the eyes told me it was a Mark III. However, it wasn't the typical Mark III gas mask. The normal gas mask has shorter hoses, which terminate into the canister. Mine was clearly modified. I finally found it on gasmasks.net (which is no longer in service). That site declared this particular mask Rare, and theorized it was modified in order to become a diving mask. The US Navy has a full website detailing adapting these gas masks into shallow water diving masks: http://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/heritage/uniforms-and-personal-equipment/gas-masks-and-breat...

Partial transcript: I rode my motorcycle from Santa Monica all the way to Chicago on route 66. It was a blast finding and following route 66. Sometimes it sometimes it doesn't exist… That’s what’s so fun, you know riding a motorcycle it’s kind of like walking fast. you have the benefit of the breeze and the openness of it, you’re not enclosed, and even if you’re with buddies, there’s still a solitary component to it and its great to allow your mind to wander…i think of nothing at all  or i just fantasize about anything. It’s really cool. But there’s a portion of your awareness that has to be still acute there’s traffic signals and things like that that, but its really cool and it’s, now it’s cool because it’s anonymous. You can be any old guy with a helmet on, on the street... How do you think you can break free from the excuse train and actually take a little more control your life?  I just think it comes down a point of looking at what it is you really want... that's th...

Updated with my new shelves. Hackberry wood (live edge) from Urban Lumber Company with IKEA Ekby Lerberg brackets painted in Rust-Oleum Satin Lagoon Top Row (L to R): Transformers MP-13 Soundwave (Takara version), Lego 6951 Robot Command Center, Gentle Giant 12" GONK Droid, 400% Kubrick Alien Warrior, Gentle Giant 12" Vintage Boba Fett 2nd Row: Frankoma Pottery, Kozik Choice Cuts Labbit, Jeremyfish Skull Bunny, Tristan Eaton Floral Pleasure Bot, 100% Kubrick Stormtooper, Mighty Muggs Stormtrooper, Kathie Olivas Silver Winston (Tenacious Toys Exclusive), MADL Ninja Dunny 3rd Row: WWRp Dirty Deeds Bertie, Onell Design Custom Corps 2.7 Armodoc #13, Mezco Rocket Pack Hellboy, Mars-1 Observer with Invisible Plan. Moon print by Hammerpress Bottom Row: FERG Green Mini Misfortune Cat 2.5%, custom Triceratons/BoneBreaker, Melissa Goodwin custom Mighty Mugg Han Solo in Carbonite, Healymade Wilde En Resin, Blue Mini Deathra, custom Drill Man Seismic Ace, Damage Brain Black Mummy ...

I had a really good time making this first version of a gramophone iPad amplifier, after seeing one at Restoration Hardware. I was lucky enough to find a gramophone-style horn at Stuffology in Kansas City's West Bottoms. I'm not sure what type of player it came from. It is definitely not a 'gramophone' brand, since the bottom of it is brass and has an L-shaped bend in it. This fact actually saved me considerable time and effort and tool cost when carving out the channel. EDIT: Upon further research, this horn is from an Edison Model H19, available from 1919 to 1927 To prep the horn itself, I had to cut off a horizontal bar on the front of the horn, then used my Drimel to sand off all of the old paint, then used steel wool and CLR to clean it up. I used Rustoleum Universal Paint & Primer Gloss Black. For the wood base, I went to The Urban Lumber Company in Missouri, climbed around on the scrap wood heap with Tim, and found a nice piece of ash with t...