October 30th, 2014 by Ron Branch

Got to help Chuck and Quincy install this (Chuck Franklin Glass Studio) up in the Seattle Scottish Rite Masonic Center. The amazing paint work is by Raphael Schnepf.

I don’t know the significance or story behind the symbols in the design. Chuck’s got a post up on his facebook page. I also put up a little bit more about this in the blog. There’s a whole lot of new content regarding many of the recent projects that will be added soon both here and there.

October 17th, 2014 by Ron Branch

I’m about ready to start showing some of the latest carvings. I took this picture yesterday. It’s a good example of what’s coming. (Click image to enlarge)

There has been a lot in development for quite a long time – lots of little things all coming together at once. Things have spun off here and there to become distinct products, some of which will certainly end up in the store.

UPDATE Friday Oct 24th ~ I’ve had a busy week of organizing and final touches – looks like about twenty potential items could be included. Today I’ll be photographing, video recording – then for a few days processing all that.

Roswell Rock, Stone Carving

August 28th, 2014 by Ron Branch

Breaking News! For those of you that have been following Replicating the Roswell Rock, we may have a possible end to the Roswell Rock mystery… it appears a man came forward yesterday (8/27/14) with a pretty solid explanation on the probable origin, and possibly who made it.

Apparently this is about two stones that were purchased in 1998, in Roswell, at the “Alien Encounter 98″ festival. Read More

Image Credit: John Russell, and posted at cropcirclesresearchfoundation.org

Stone Carving, The Roswell Rock

August 27th, 2014 by Ron Branch

Booth-building series Click this link to read from the beginning post.

In 97 Micky and I made our first attempt at fulfilling our dream of living in the Pacific North West. Without much of a plan, we rolled into town with our 3-year-old and all our stuff, moved into an apartment, and started job-hunting. Looking back on it now, it seems like a crazy, impulsive move, but such was our passion about the beauty up north. Within a couple weeks I was fortunate enough to end up with a job at Chuck Franklin Glass Studio. Read the rest of this entry

August 20th, 2014 by Ron Branch

These birch trees are an example of a style I am developing that is a combination of carving and shading. The idea is to have the design hold up in any lighting conditions.

Often the details of an etching which is just shading are only effective in front of a dark background. I’m trying to combat this by including carved elements in a strategically balanced way.

Birch Trees, Etched Glass, Sandblast, Vancouver Wa

August 18th, 2014 by Ron Branch

Due to the airing of an episode of some show on the history channel regarding the “Roswell Rock” mystery, there has been a flurry of traffic to a page here about the work I did on the subject in 2008. Here is a link to that.

That’s about all I have time to do on it right now – we are busy in the studio with several projects. Other things are also developing regarding stone – there will definitely be some new things to see pretty soon.

Roswell Rock, Stone Carving, The Roswell Rock

October 12th, 2013 by Ron Branch

This was the basic concept used to sandblast inside a public library. I haven’t tried this for doing anything at high pressure, only for careful work with a gravity gun.

I used 1″x2″s for light weight construction, black plastic, and thin carpeting stretched across the top as the air inlet. The inlet should be sized so as to maintain a slight vacuum.

(Click on the image for a larger view)

Onsite Sandblasting

August 8th, 2013 by Ron Branch

Finely detailed etching on a wine glass.

Some of the lines are only a tiny bit thicker than a human hair.(click on the image for a larger view)

Sorry to say I’ve decided not to include wine glass etching as something I offer as a service. I had previously decided to pursue it because of the regularity of calls asking fot it, but upon looking into it, silk screening is a much cheaper way to go and so that is what I am recommending to people.

Glassware