Oh it is, she is very correct!
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I just ordered a laser engraver/cutter that I’m supposed to get this weekend. I have some vague ideas of what I want to use it for, but I just thought it seemed like a really cool gadget to get and add to my woodworking shop. I got an Ortur Laser Master 3 10 watt diode laser. From what I can tell, it’s kind of a mid tier version of the low power lasers out there. Most of the big machines you see people using are CO2 lasers that have a lot more wattage.
All I know is this thing can cut through thin plywood and can make 3d puzzle pieces I can do with my son 
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Does it also cut things like leather or other thick fabrics? And I assume it can accept any pattern providing its within set parameters, yeah?
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That is super neat, and I applaud you for finding a way to recycle cardboard you already had instead of just immediately ordering more plastic garbage like I did!
The custom spine artwork looks very slick on your shelf!
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Yeah, I think leather is one of the better things it cuts and engraves. I can start making Grouvee wallets and leather Switch game holders now
I’ve watched a few YouTube videos showing some cool stuff you can do with them. There’s also about 6 million videos explaining how you can start engraving tumblers and make a million dollars doing it selling on Etsy.
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Lately I’ve been making some mixed media art and was looking into a mini PC but I’m not sure what I would use it for. I just think it’s cool and would be faster than the computers I found in a dumpster.
One project, I guess you could call it a project is personal finance. Trying not to spend all my money! Last month I spent $750 on a magic card so I’m trying not to do that again!
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What kind of mixed media work? I used to exhibit visual and sound media works that I produced and I’d love to know what you’re working on.
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Thats awesome! I’d love to see/hear it!
I was using acrylic paint, colored pencils and marker on paper.
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So, everything I did was generally installation based for specific spaces. They were designed to exist only in the space they were exhibited, so what I have are just the components. For example, here is a component of a larger project that would have been part of an exhibit that used various textured surfaces as screens:
My sound projects are been harder to share. Many of them were made live, in the space. And since I designed everything to be ephemeral and because it’s very hard to capture the experience, there are no real recordings of the end product.
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I really enjoy your images. They are quite striking and beautiful. I love the use of colour and the contrast between textures and tactility created by the various mediums. Do you have any particular sources of inspiration?
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I’m actually rebuilding my portfolio site and just finished the gallery page with a bunch of my artworks. Would love to know what you guys think.
Note: Site isn’t officially live yet, so if you go to the home page you’ll not see much lol.
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That’s really cool. How do you make the videos?
I like pastel colors and trippy/surreal/abstract art. For these I tried something different and put acrylic paint on paper in a random way just to see what materialized.
After the paint dried I added marker and paint pens to draw different objects. I didn’t have a plan going into the pieces just went with the flow and I’m happy with them.
In terms of other creative outlets I plugged my bass into a guitar amp for some interesting sounds. I downloaded Audacity and hooked up my microphone. I found some royalty free drum tracks and have been recording. I don’t have a finished product yet but I would like to record the distorted bass sounds. They sound kind of like a guitar.
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Excellent stuff you got there!
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Thank you 
I took a long break for drawing after art school; was just burnt out. Been trying to rebuild my skills so it’s nice to hear people like it.
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It’s been a while but if I recall my process I bounced light and video off of fabric for that presentation. It was a live feed that changed in reaction to people in the space. What you see there is just a filmed test.
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Which card, if I may ask? It’s been a while since I bought a really expensive card and I’m thinking it’s time to do it again.
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In line with my renewed dabbling with photography, I’ve inadvertently also begun a related project: refurbishing old cameras. I’m not so far along that I’m fixing cameras with mechanical failures, but I have cleaned out several old cameras, applied new light seals, and even reapplied new leather coverings. I started with a Yashica FX-7 that I found at Value Village for $25. Since the FX-7 is fully mechanical and takes all my lenses I figured it was worth picking up. It was pretty clean but all of the light seals had disintegrated. I cleaned out all the adhesive and any residual foam before applying new foam in the film compartment and inside the mirror box. It turned out very well. Sadly the shutter mechanism gave out after shooting a couple rolls. I’ve shelved that one for a potential future shutter repair.
Finding the FX-7 made me want to shoot my old Contax 139 Quartz that I’ve had since I was about twelve or thirteen. It’s in great shape but I decided “why not renew the light seals?” So as I did with the FX-7 I cleaned out the 139Q and applied new foam. The light weight of the 139Q means it’s my mainstay as my street shooter.
Next I plan to completely refurbish a Yashica FX-3. I picked one up dirt cheap on the weekend and shot a test roll. The exposures are dead on so the meter is working perfectly, which is great news. With the shots back I’m now ready to clean out the film compartment and mirror box and apply new foam. This time I’m going an extra step and I’m going to completely replace the leather covering. I’ve done it before, years ago with my 139Q. I found a supplier that makes replica coverings with real leather, and I picked up a colour and finish that matches the original FX-3 covering (fun fact the original was synthetic but I’ve gone for real leather for the extra durability). I’m waiting on the leather to arrive, and it should arrive before my brother’s birthday, which is when I want to have it ready by.
I was thinking about documenting the process and putting it on Instagram, but my brother follows my account so I have to wait until after I give it to him. In the meantime, I might post some process photos here.
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Here we go. This is how I started at the beginning of the evening:
After pulling the old leatherette off, I was left with a bit of the glue layer on the body:
And after a bit of elbow grease:
Next step, apply the new leather. I’ll post once I’ve applied that to the body.
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I want to see the @BMO camera restoration YouTube channel! There’s a few channels out there that do old nasty electronics restoration videos that are oddly satisfying to watch for a few minutes.
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