Grabiron

Where the heck is the Toy of the Week?

2010-02-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

Well after a nearly two month long hiatus I am returning to my blog. The Toy of the Week has been conspicuously absent since the holidays and I have been avoiding getting back into it-- in fact, I am not actually getting back into it just yet. I have not just been sitting on my hands though. I have been busy with several projects worth mentioning so now I am going to mention them.

The Museum biz:

Coyote Point Museum was extremely busy over the holidays, with our largest attendance day cresting 1100 visitors. We saw a 20% increase in visitors this year during the holiday week! I like to think that this is due to my exhibition Tinkering-- however I must concede that our new baby river otters AND baby bobcats are a big draw as well.

I am currently moving forward with new prototypes for the next exhibition.

The hobby world:

I have been using my spare time to focus on many projects. My wife surprised me with a beautiful little live steam engine as a Christmas gift this year. This engine has required a large amount of tinkering to get running though, and it still is not operating at 100% but fiddling with these engines is part of the fun. My efforts have been focused on building up my ride on train collection and I have recently been building a beast of a model in large 1:8 scale. The model is of a narrow gauge railroad flat car. I estimate the model weighing in between 35-40 pounds. It is built EXACTLY like a full sized railroad car with wood and metal parts and functional scale hardware. You can see one of the early construction photos below, shot in my back yard.

This model is mostly complete so I will post more up to date picture as soon as they are available.

Full steam ahead.

Toy of the week, Monday, December 14, 2009

2009-12-17T07:48:00.000-08:00

Last week I featured a toy from Galoob that flew under the controversy radar and highlighted some of the most shocking moments from the classic sci-fi/horror film Alien. Toy history has had countless scenarios of recalls based on safety issues ranging from a baby doll that could "eat" but wound up eating a little girls hair-- nearly scalping her in the process, to an infamous Cylon Raider toy which fired tiny plastic missiles and nearly blinded a young boy, or even the lead-based paint controversy of recent years. It's much "easier" for a toy to find itself immersed in controversy based on safety concerns. Much more rare are the examples of toys that made headlines because they embody questionable subject matter. Generally toys like this need to be targeted buy an individual or organization that carries enough weight to get the public to vote with their wallets. In the case of the Freddy Krueger doll that I mentioned last week, a Christian advocacy group known as the National Federation for decency had parents boycotting toy stores which ultimately lead to the toys discontinuation in a surprising one week time span.

In the mid 90's toy maker Galoob boldly flew in the face of previous controversies and produced a handful of toys based on the 1979 sci-fi horror film Alien This week I continue featuring these toys with a really nice model of the space craft Narcissus. In the movie a commercial space towing vessel called the Nostromo landed on a remote planet after receiving a radio transmission. Their efforts to investigate the transmission ultimately results in nearly the entire crew of the Nostromo being exterminated by a hostile parasitic alien organism. Sigourney Weaver's character Ripley is the sole survivor-- but not before engaging in a final showdown with the alien in the Nostromo's escape craft-- a small vessel named the Narcissus.

I have to hand it to the toy designers at Galoob. This toy thoughtfully recreates the classic final showdown between Ripley and the alien down to some very small details. For example Ripley's cat "Jones" is finely rendered in a small carrier inside the detailed interior of this toy. Jones the cat was the only other survivor of the alien attack and went on to be featured in the sequel.

There are many other details to enjoy so please investigate the Alien Action Fleet Narcissus in the Vehicles Gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities.

Full steam ahead...

Toy of the week, Monday, December 7, 2009

2009-12-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

Throughout the history of toys there have only been a few that have been pulled off the toy store shelves because they represented something so scary and violent that parental advocacy groups rallied to have them removed. Two examples are legendary: 20 years ago the wholesome and beloved toy company Matchbox released a doll of horror movie staple Freddy Krueger. Strangely, a toy of a gruesomely disfigured serial child killer attracted the attention of a Christian advocacy group that dubbed themselves The National Federation for Decency. This group previously focused their efforts on such "dangerous" targets as TV's Three's Company and Charlie's Angels. Long story short, the group was successful and the toy was ultimately removed from shelves in less than one week. This of course instantly launched the toy into collectible toy history.

Lets step back even further to 1979. Ridley Scott had just released the classic Sci Fi horror film Alien. Based on the success of Star Wars, toy company Kenner began development of a line of Alien toys that would include a large 12" doll of the creature and a full line of 3 3/4" figures. The 12" doll was the first toy to make it to the shelves. Stories are mixed on this example but many people say that kids were "afraid" of the Alien doll and in fairly short order the line was scrapped including the unreleased smaller figures. The Alien doll may be one of the most sought after collectibles in toy history and boxed examples have been known fetch $500.

Some times it is not the toys that spark controversy that are noteworthy-- instead it is the ones that manage to fly under the radar. Fifteen years later toy company Galoob had acquired the rights to the Alien line and released in limited numbers some really amazing toys and playsets in their Micro Machines and Action Fleet lines. I already featured the APC vehicle as seen in the movie Aliens. For the next two weeks I am going to feature two toys from Galoob that capture the horror of Ridley Scott's classic film Alien in surprising detail.

The first example appears to be simply a statue of the alien's ghoulish head-- however when you open this toy up it reveals an entire playset that recreates some of the films most intense and frightening moments. Amazingly the most shocking and bloody scene in Alien is depicted in this toy. I am talking about the scene where the character Kane begins convulsing at the dinner table, and the larval stage of the alien suddenly erupts from his chest cavity leaving him dead and his ship mates splattered in blood. How Galoob managed to release a toy that highlights this scene is a mystery to me. It is even an "action feature". By rotating a small knob on the back of the toy the chest burster spins and Kane's body moves around on the table. Pretty cool.

There are far too many details, and other action features on this toy to mention here, so I suggest you step into the Dioramas Gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities and explore the Micro Machines Alien Transforming Playset. Just remember, in space, no one can hear you scream...

Alien Kubrick Space Jocky

Aliens Action Fleet APC

Aliens Die Cast Drop Ship and APC

Full steam ahead...

Toy of the week, Monday, November 30, 2009

2009-12-04T16:42:00.000-08:00

This week is all about filling in and catching up. Honestly the toy of the week almost fell off my radar-- but fear not! I am committed to this experiment in cataloging my absurdly large toy collection and I am here with another toy. But first I must get a little business out of the way. Last week I launched a new exhibition at Coyote Point Museum. The new exhibition, Tinkering, highlights the importance and beauty of mechanics, invention, and creative problem solving. I will add another post with a few pictures of the exhibition but for now you can take a look at this article in The Mercury News about Tinkering or you can visit the CPM website for more information.

Last week I also visited Minnesota. Of course the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities was founded there and many wonderful pieces are still there waiting to be brought to California. I undertook a major sorting effort to weed out the riff raff. In fact I have so many toys that I need to do a serious purging and this weekend I will be attempting to sell some 200 action figures, in original packages, that used to live in my parents attic!

By getting rid of all these toys it only allows me to increase my bandwidth to care for, and display, the real treasures of my collection which is what this blog is all about. This blog is also about being thorough and accurate and in the interest of that I am taking today to fill out the vintage Stomper 4x4 collection in the vehicles gallery. Because I have always been a fan of crawler based vehicles, and because the crawler Stomper vehicles tend to be more rare I am offering up two vintage Stomper construction vehicles from the mid 80's. So take a look at these Stomper Construction Vehicles and educate yourself about the history of Stompers.

Full steam ahead...

Toy of the week, Monday, November 23, 2009

2009-11-26T17:17:00.000-08:00

Ever since I was a kid I have admired toys that were nothing less than working models of real machinery. I mentioned this before in my post on the scratch built railroad crane. This is one of the aspect of the live steam hobby that is appealing. Miniature steam engines can be made from the same materials as their full size counterparts-- in some cases replicating full size machines down to each individual nut and bolt.

Today's model is not steam-- instead I bring you a working model of an internal combustion engine. This model is made in germany of CNC machined parts. As a desktop curiosity this toy is one of the coolest things around. It runs on butane or propane. To run the engine you simply open a small gas valve and spin the flywheel. The engine roars to life-- occasionally shooting small blue flames from the dual exhaust pipes. It uses a piezo igniter to provide a charge to a miniature working spark plug. To get a closer look at this miniature working piece of engineering set your throttle to full and visit the Maier Internal Combustion Engine in the Machinery Gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities.

Full steam ahead...

Toy of the week, Monday, November 16, 2009

2009-11-20T07:22:00.000-08:00

Released over twenty years ago, the movie Aliens still stands as a benchmark in film making. Made in a time when digital visual effects were not the go-to technology, the beautiful practical effects in the movie Aliens still stand up today. Effects including creatures and vehicles were all done with extensive use of miniatures and animatronic puppets. This combined with unparalleled art direction add up to a gritty and realistic look for the film that only contributes to the excitement of this classic action sci-fi thriller.

Director Jim Cameron drove the art direction in the film to create a believable world. The military hardware in the film looks modern but still reflects the style of Vietnam war era technology. Fitting for a movie where a well equipped squad of marines is essentially wiped out but a primitive foe. The weapon and vehicle designs set a new standard for the science fiction genre and the designs are so pleasing that they remain the favorites of sci-fi geeks nearly a quarter of a century later.

This brings me to today's offering. From my previous post on the Aliens Action Fleet APC I hinted that some of the most spectacular examples of Aliens toys come out of Japan. Three years ago Aoshima released stunning die cast metal models of the Dropship and APC. A close look at these vehicles will reveal details that might make nitpickers cringe. This is an interesting artifact of having an accurate model of a movie vehicle in your hands. For example, a close examination of the Dropship, which is a VTOL aircraft like a Harrier jump jet, and you see that the thrust nozzles are not centered on the aircraft. This would make the Droship nose heavy and unstable. This shows you that absolute perfection in engineering design is not critical for a successful movie vehicle. To create something believable on the screen is an entirely different matter.

That aside, the Aoshima Aliens toys are by far some of the most stunning models of movie vehicles you will ever see. The Dropship is over a foot long and weighs in at over two pounds! It has all the moving parts seen in the film. As a companion piece, the APC is finely detailed and it stows neatly in the cargo bay of the Dropship. To give a sense of scale, the vehicles each came with tiny detailed figures of the colonial marines.

This is not a toy to be missed, so stay frosty, move on into the Vehicles Gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities, and secure the area by checking out the Die Cast Metal Aliens Dropship and APC.

Full steam ahead...

Toy of the week, Monday, November 9, 2009

2009-11-12T21:12:00.000-08:00

I still remember when my parents took me to see Back to the Future. It was 1985. I honestly had no clue what the movie was about. I also had no clue what a Delorean was. Well I thoroughly enjoyed it. I remember wishing I could ride a skateboard the way Michael J Fox's character did, and I remember instantly realizing how cool Deloreans were. I also remember being excited at the prospect of a sequel.

Fast forward to 1989. I was in eighth grade. It had been four years since the first film and Robert Zemeckis was back at the helm for Back to the Future II. Boy was I excited. In the end though I left disappointed. Like many movie goers I did not expect to have a large "to be continued..." slapped in my face. I felt like Universal pictures was nickel and diming me into seeing part three. For me that was it. I actually vowed not to see the third movie. It was a vow I kept. I didn't see the third movie for many years-- probably until the mid 90's when I watched it on video. I didn't think much of it until a couple years ago. For Christmas of 2006 I asked for the Trilogy set of films on DVD. While watching the special features I learned that Zemeckis battled Universal to advertise the second movie as part of a continuing series. Instead Universal said no and decided to market the movie as a complete film which left me and many other fans feeling ripped off. Strangely after learning this I was ready to watch the entire series with a new attitude, and to my surprise, I really like the third movie.

The first film still is my favorite but it does place an emphasis on materialism with Marty's (Fox's character) ultimate goal to obtain a really cool Toyota 4x4 and get the girl. The third movie is more of a relationship movie and we learn a lot more about the wild haired inventor of the time machine Doc Emmet Brown (Christopher Lloyd). The movie takes a decidedly steampunk spin and in one of the great action sequences they attempt to push the Deloeran time machine up to speed on Railroad tracks under steam locomotive power.

Naturally, If I were to have a model of any movie vehicle it would be one that rides on R.R. tracks right? Today I continue my series of movie vehicles and bring you a model of the Delorean time machine as seen in Back to the Future III. I preformed extensive surgery on this model to convert it to run on standard 45mm "G" gauge track so it could be pushed by a live steam locomotive. There are many fine details on this model so power your time circuits on, and gun it to 88 mph. into the Vehicles Gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities to check out the R.R. Delorean time machine.

Full steam ahead...

Toy of the week, Monday, November 2, 2009

2009-11-05T22:06:00.000-08:00

If you were to think back, what would you vote for as the coolest movie vehicle of all time? The Delorean time machine from Back to the Future? How about the Ghost Busters' vintage ambulance also known as Ecto 1 ? Or, for fans of the more obscure, maybe the giant twelve wheeled truck, known as the Landmaster, from Damnation Alley? This month I begin a special series of toys, all representing famous movie vehicles. These vehicles have captured movie goers imaginations and now the vehicles themselves are captured in miniature size in die cast metal and plastic. On with the show...

The 2005 movie Batman Begins told us some important details about the caped crusader. First of all, he was trained by ninjas in a secret compound in Asia, second of all he gets his cool toys from a defunct military technology division of his own company, and finally, all the whacked out bad guys he fights are the product of a hallucinogenic drug that was dispersed through the water supply of Gotham City. OK, cool, now Batman is grounded in reality right? In one scene in the movie he discovers a vehicle prototype under a tarp and takes it for a test spin. The vehicle, called the Tumbler, looks like the bastard child of a stealth jet fighter and a military truck.

Historically batman drives a dragster like car that, while fast and powerful, actually makes very little sense for a vigilante crime fighter. A military vehicle is a much more reasonable choice. Batman Begins' production designer Nathan Crowley designed the Tumbler through an organic process of clay models and plastic model bashing. The actual movie car is quite impressive. It is capable of speeds over 100 mph. and was jumped 30 feet as part of the production.

Today I have for your consideration a 1:18 scale model of the Batman Begins Tumbler in it's original military prototype camouflage paint scheme. This toy was released primarily as a collectible item several months after the films theatrical release. A regular black version was available first. The black version is still quite easy to find on EBay for around $35 The camo version is considerably more rare.

Many of the details of the movie vehicle are featured on this toy, and I have included many notes about the actual movie vehicle, so roll into the Vehicles Gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities and take a close look at the many details of the Batman Begins Tumbler.

Full steam ahead...

Toy of the week, Monday, October 26, 2009

2009-10-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the best toys are the ones you make yourself-- and I'm not talking about paper airplanes here. Nine years ago I entered the live-steam hobby and it helped me cultivate an interest in toys that are nothing less than miniature working replicas of real machines. In the past nine years I have amassed a pretty respectable collection of miniature machinery. Many of these pieces are rare models that I purchased-- much like the tiny table saw. An ever expanding area of my collection is made up of scratch built machines of my own design. Some modelers enjoy creating an exact replica of a historic machine that actually existed. For me the thrill comes from creating a credible model of a prototype that could have been. Some times I will start with a concept drawing-- other times a vision of what the model should look like appears in my minds eye and I simply begin fabricating parts.

A few years ago I envisioned creating models of some small industrial equipment in large 1:12 scale. Inspired by various pieces of mining equipment, none of these models replicate any specific piece of hardware. Today I present a working model of a small railroad crane. Cranes like this one would have been used around a maintenance shop for lifting heavy parts and pieces. I built this hefty little piece in the same way that real crane would be built. There is no glue or plastic parts. This model is 100% crafted from metal parts-- primarily machined aluminum and steel, and everything is fastened together with miniature nuts and bolts. The crane is also fully operational.

This is one of my favorite creations so I invite you to step into the Machinery gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities and check out the details of the scratch-built 1:12 scale railroad crane.

Full steam ahead...

Toy of the Week Monday, October 19, 2009

2009-10-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hayo Miazaki is a legend in the animation community. Pixar's John Lasseter called him "the greatest animation director living today." His hand drawn feature animations transcend traditional and simplistic good and evil struggles featured in most movies. Instead they feature wildly creative visions of internal and spiritual adventures.

Miazaki's film Howl's Moving Castle premiered in 2004 at the Venice film festival. It went on to gross over $230,000.00, making it one of the most financially successful Japanese films in history. Miyazaki's films are known for their incredible art direction and vastly imaginative depictions of alternate worlds. In my opinion the star attraction of Howl's Moving Castle is the castle itself. The castle looks like a monstrous assemblage of medieval structures held together by riveted iron plates. It is powered by a steam belching, semi-magical, internal power plant and it wanders around the countryside using four stubby legs that look like gigantic mechanized feet from a claw-foot bathtub.

In 2007 I visited Miyazaki's museum in Japan. Named after his animation studio, the Studio Gibli Museum is expertly art directed itself, and looks as though it was plucked from one of Miyazaki's movies. Japanese are huge consumers-- I have never seen a more tchotchke driven society as modern Japan. When my wife and I stepped into the Gibli Museum gift shop we decided to do as the locals do and bring home a few items that are more difficult to find outside of Japan.

Today I bring you this tiny but gorgeous metal model of Howl's Moving Castle. Every detail of the castle is rendered on this pewter finished masterpiece, but there are some secret moving parts and surprise details on this little sculpture so I strongly suggest a trip into the Artifacts gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities to tour your way through the Howls Moving Castle Metal Sculpture.

Toy of the Week Monday, October 15, 2009

2009-10-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

In the reserved and private culture of modern Japan there is one group of people, like brightly colored flowers in a barren desert, who stand in stark contrast with the bustling crowds of businesspeople.

While most people on the streets of modern Japan simply keep to themselves, this group is boisterous and vivacious-- they smoke, they swear, and they approach random tourists to offer directions-- they are schoolgirls. It could be claimed that schoolgirls should be a national symbol of Japan. Any search online will yield thousands of results that sexualize Japanese schoolgirls, seeking to make money off of pedophiles and perverts around the world, however Japanese schoolgirls often fetishize themselves by rolling up their skirts at the waist. This not only makes the skirts often absurdly short, but it makes the iconic pleated skirts flair outward. The rest of the uniform has become iconic as well; from the sailor top and knee high socks to the tiny backpacks.

Schoolgirl culture and fashion fascinates so many that it has spawned countless movies, comics and animations. Perhaps one of the most famous is Battle Royale, a Japanese movie which depicts a group of teenage Japanese students who are sleep gassed on a field trip. They awaken on an island only to discover that they are unwilling participants in a sadistic experiment which will force them to battle one and other to the death.

Today I present some vinyl statues that depict infamous sailor schoolgirls in the style of Japanese fantasy artist Shunya Yamashita. Yamshita's illustrations feature seductive poses and alluring eyes. The sculpting and paint is very well done on these toys so hitch up your skirt and grab your tiny back pack and go take notes on the Shunya Yamashita Vinyl Statues, found in the Figures gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities.

Toy of the Week Monday, October 5, 2009

2009-10-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

For thousands of children in the 1930's the top shelf toys in the local toy shop were tiny but fully functional live steam engines. Steam power became the life blood of industry for over 100 years. Showing up in europe in the early 1800's in the form of stationary pumping engines, steam power persisted until the late 1950's when massive, powerful, high speed locomotives ruled the rails.

Toy steam engines have been around as long as there were real steam engines. Made from cast iron, brass, stamped steel and pewter, these toys reflect the construction of their full size counterparts. While simplified, the operating principles of toy steam engines is identical to a real engine. The vast majority of toy steam engines produced in the United States are of the stationary configuration. Stationary engines being fixed to a board or base reflect the design of steam engines that were used in factories and mills around the world to power various machinery. When I was growing up in the 1980's I obtained my first live steam engine, a rare WWII era stationary model-- but it will have to be added to the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities later.

Today I bring you an even older engine complete with accessories. This engine was produced by the Weeden Mfg. Co. of New Bedford Massachusetts between 1935 and 1940. I purchased the engine in 2000 from an eBay vendor. It came with three accessory tools that can be run by belts from the flywheel of the steam engine. This is an attractive piece of industrial history so put on your engineers hat and high-ball it on into the Machinery gallery and take a closer look at the Weeden Live steam Engine and Accessories.

Full steam ahead...

Toy of the Week Monday, Sept 28, 2009

2009-10-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

They are cute but prickly, meek yet menacing . Italian artist Simone Legno has created a world of cute and creepy characters. His characters are the equivalent of an adorable puppy bearing it's teeth and growling at you; you instinctively have the reaction "awwww, he's trying to be mean and scary". With different series of characters ranging from the sharp and prickly "Cactus Friends" to the bullet brandishing bovines of the "Moofia" and the cuddly but morbid, skeletal characters of "Til Death do us Part", Simone calls his world Tokidoki. A mysterious but sexy tattoo clad woman is often portrayed interacting with the world of cute characters. Tokidoki has become somewhat of a phenomenon, showing up on clothing, toys and designer hand bags. His work is popular enough that counterfeit products now appear in Asian street markets.

Today I bring you a hand full of Tokidoki vinyl figures. I made my first purchase of Tokidoki figures for a very specific purpose. I ordered a set of Cactus Pups in 2008 so I could use them as cake toppers for my wedding. Since then my wife and I have added a few additional figures to the collection. For a closer look, take a peek inside the figures gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities at the Tokidoki Vinyl Figures.

Full steam ahead...

To learn more about Tokidoki, visit the official website.

Toy of the Week Monday, Sept 21, 2009

2009-09-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

When critics asked why the characters in Futurama looked identical to those from the Simpsons. Matt Groening stated "it's the only way I know how to draw." Futurama first aired in 1999 and chronicled the adventures of a 20th century pizza delivery boy who accidentally got cryogenically frozen and then revived in the 31st century.

As you would expect from Groening, Futurama portrays a sardonic and sarcastic view of the future. One of the main characters is an alcoholic robot with the apt name Bender.

Today I bring you a limited release bender tin toy. Sold in comic shops in 2000 This wind up walking robot came in retro packaging and has some interesting features-- it even came in a Gender Bender variant based on an episode where Bender took up a career as a cross dressing pro wrestler.

To see both versions of this unusual modern tin toy, zap into the robots gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities and scan the Futurama Bender tin toys.

Full steam ahead...

Bushido and Fabrication, Japanese sword making, epilogue.

2009-09-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

A tool for a modern urban samurai-- that was my idea for a continuation of my Japanese sword projects. Fabricating the tanto fittings was rewarding and I guess I just didn't quite get it out of my system. I chose a subject of my next project based on the fact that I like the design of modern tanto point blades. One company has done more to popularize Japanese style tanto knives than any other: Cold Steel.

Designed by a martial arts expert in California and manufactured in Japan, Cold Steel tantos are almost legendary in the cutlery world. They resemble a miniature katana, having a simple, graceful curve and a sword-like point. They come in a variety of sizes and styles. The larger models being available in laminated steel, inspired by the folded steel used in traditional Japanese sword making. The smallest model-- simply called the Mini Tanto, was discontinued some years ago. I managed to score a few of these on eBay. The earlier models had brass fittings. The later models had stainless fittings and a tsuba style guard.

Here are some pics of the two styles of Mini Tantos in stock form:

As I mentioned before, I had an idea to blend some more traditional Japanese design elements with a modern tanto design. I modified the stock fittings by forging and soldering copper collars onto the brass parts of a Cold Steel mini tanto. I also added silk tsuka ito in a gold brown color. This is similar to the color of ito on Japanese WWII swords.

Here are some pictures of the custom knife, and a stock one for comparison:

Like any of my projects I may return to Japanese sword making but, for now, I am feeling like this demon has been exorcised and it is time to move back to other projects-- hmm, I think some live steam engines are calling me...

Toy of the Week Monday, Sept 14, 2009

2009-09-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

With astonishing imagery and special effects, the 1927 movie Metropolis showed us an Art Deco World where machines reach through urban society like veins. The movies workers, who operate the gargantuan machines that keep the city alive, struggle against the elite caste of city leaders.

Metropolis portrayed stunning images of Art Deco style blended with mechanical and industrial design. Indeed this movie was a forerunner to a stylistic offshoot of Art Deco known as Streamline Moderne. The style would not reach it's peak until ten years after the films release. Streamlining was partially a byproduct of mass production and mechanization. The style's horizontal lines and rounded shapes facilitated easy mass production. Streamlining continued into the fifties in the United States and influenced everything from radios to restaurants.

Today I am deviating from robots, vehicles, and action figures and presenting one of my prized industrial artifacts. This industrial counter, known as a Productimeter, was salvaged from an abandoned gear factory in the Midwest. It was mounted atop a gigantic lathe that was the size of a small bus. The Productimeter is a hefty device. As you advance it's count, by pulling the bullet shaped lever, it's internal ratchet mechanism returns a satisfying clunk. It is a fine example of Streamline Moderne style and it wears an authentic patina of hard use in an industrial setting.

To get a closer look, head on over to the Artifacts gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities and check out the Productimeter.

Full steam ahead...

Toy of the Week Monday, Sept 7, 2009

2009-09-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

Twenty years ago no one could imagine that there would be a world where wealthy urban hipsters would wander in to galleries that display action figures like fine pieces of art. They would scrutinize them carefully and select the toy that best suited their aesthetic sensibilities. Welcome to the world of Designer Toys. Designer Toys first appeared in the late 1990's. Professional artists and designers began creating the pieces, which are then put into production. Typically, production is limited to as few as 2, or as many as 2000 pieces. The toys are made from a variety of materials such as resin, wood and metal-- but vinyl is the most common. This spawned the term Urban Vinyl, which many use interchangeably with the term Designer Toys.

There are many Designer Toys that will ultimately make their way into the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities. Today I bring you Hazmapo Tri-Yella, an example created by a pair of Oregon based artists in 2004. Tri-Yella is inspired by Cold War era radiation suits. There were three basic sculptures in the first series and two repaints of each, for a total of six styles. You can visit the artists website and veiw the styles that are currently available.

To take a closer look, suit up and stroll into the Figures gallery and peruse the pics of Hazmapo Tri-Yella.

Full steam ahead...

Toy of the Week Monday, August 31, 2009

2009-09-01T00:03:00.000-07:00

They call them "Real Robots". "They" being the Japanese, and "them" being a movement in Japanese robot design started by the legendary series Mobile Suit Gundam that spawned a new genre. The name Real Robot referred to the fact that these giant robot, or mecha designs, were more grounded in reality than previous examples. As I mentioned in a previous post, early Japanese mecha, like Great Mazinger and Tetsujin 28, were gargantuan in scale and preformed supernatural feats. The so called Real Robots were smaller, more mechanical, and had characteristics and features that resembled military vehicles. The stories also placed an emphasis on military tactics.

Fang of the Sun Dougram was a Japanese anime series that told the story of a group of rebels rising up and fighting for independence against a dictatorship. Their primary weapon was a powerful military prototype called Combat Armor Dougram. The history of Dougram toys is of particular interest to me and they represent some of my favorite mecha designs. Dougram toys were manufactured in popular military model scales. The intent was to give hobbyists the opportunity to combine Dougram models with existing model tanks, trucks and other vehicles to create scenes and dioramas. The toys often came with painting suggestions, showing how modelers could customize their mecha to be more realistic. This planted the Dougram toys squarely in an older target market. The toys were intended to appeal to those who built plastic models-- generally mid teens to early twenties.

Today I present a rare example of a Boxed set of three robots. Like most of the Dougram toys these are constructed of plastic and heavy die cast metal. this assorted collection of robots comes complete with a vacuum formed plastic diorama base. This is a rare piece, so step into the Robots Gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities and take a look at Combat Armor Dougram, Three Types Assorted Collection.

Full steam ahead...

Related toy of the week: Combat Armor Soltic, 1/72 scale.

bushido and Fabrication, Japanese sword making, conclusion.

2009-08-31T00:33:00.000-07:00

Often as a project draws to a close my interest wanes and I slow down. This was not the case with this project. I sprinted over the finish line on this one. After completing all the components, I was very excited to assemble the final piece.

Before assembly began I had to put a finish on the scabbard (saya). Sayas are traditionally finished in a variety of ways. Lacquer is one of the more common finishes. I decided to go with modern automotive enamels instead of a traditional lacquer finish. I made this decision for a couple reasons. Firstly, traditional lacquer is a process that I am not familiar with-- and I knew I could replicate the look of a lacquer finish with enamels. Secondly, lacquer is quite toxic-- I did use clear lacquer on the metal fittings but it is becoming increasingly hard to find lacquer here in California. The finish on the saya is a combination of four different enamels layered to give the look of lacquer with gold powder embedded in it. I also applied several coats of clear top coat.

The final assembly mostly involves lacing the hilt (tsuka) with a silk cord material called ito. I managed to hunt down instructions on how to lace a tsuka online. These are the best instructions out there. Silk ito comes in a variety of colors. I settled on a color called tetsu which is the Japanese word for iron. The color is a very dark gunmetal blue. I also ordered some tetsu ito in a wider size to use as the lanyard for the saya-- also known as a sageo. The sageo was tied in a fancy knot known as the ronin knot. Now please enjoy a some pictures of the finished project:

Thanks for following this project with me. I am quite satisfied with the results however there are things I learned, and things I would do differently. In the end it was a rewarding study of traditional Japanese sword making techniques.

Thanks for looking.

Toy of the Week Monday, August 24, 2009

2009-08-24T23:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the level of sophistication in a Japanese toy alone is enough to make me purchase it. When I happened across this vintage 1980's robot in a specialty shop in an outer ring suburb of Saint Paul MN, I knew I had to have it-- not for the design of the robot, but for the construction. This minuscule marvel was like nothing I had ever seen in an American toy.

First of all, it was made entirely of metal. It had a satisfying weight, and it felt cold in my hand. It's tiny joints were movable-- in fact its shoulders move in multiple axes-- all told this robot has an incredible FIFTEEN points of articulation. The robot is held together with small screws and steel pins. There are also some details on the robots back that are machined from solid metal stock-- a construction practice that is never seen on American toys. The packaging was befittingly tiny, but impressively high quality. when you remove the inner box from it's cardboard sleeve you realize that the robot is in fact packaged in a miniature hard plastic case with a clear hinged cover. Neatly stowed in the case next to the robot is a tiny metal sword.

This is without question the smallest robot in my entire collection, yet it still manages to be one of the most impressive. It is worth a closer look so I invite you to saunter into the Robots gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities and thoroughly inspect Dynaman Metal Roboss.

Full steam ahead...

bushido and Fabrication, Japanese sword making part 4

2009-08-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

So far my tasks on this project have been pretty basic. I picked out a blade, forged and filed some copper and carved some wood, but my next task was a bit more complicated. There are four more metal fittings on a Japanese sword, and I had to make each one by hand. The fittings I made were the shitodome (pommel), fuchi (collar), tsuba (guard) and the seppa (spacer). These metal fittings are often referred to as "furniture" for the sword and they are considered to be an art form unto themselves. Authentic examples of antique sword furniture are prized by collectors and many examples in museums are considered to be national treasures of Japan. I decided to fabricate the fittings from metals that I could easily form and solder. I chose brass and copper. Copper can be easily softened through heat treatment (annealing), as I mentioned in part 2, and brass can be easily machined and filed.

The fuchi, seppa and tsuba all needed a slot in the center to accommodate the blade. The cross section of my blade is rectangular so I needed rectangular slots in all these parts. The first thing I did was sandwich together two pieces of 1/32" brass and one piece of 3/16" brass. The 3/16" material would become the tsuba, one piece of 1/32" material would be come the seppa and the other one would become the top plate of the fuchi.

The sandwich was soldered together with low temp solder. Then I clamped it in the vise of the milling machine. I used a 1/8" mill bit to cut the slot in the center of the sandwich.

The ends of the slot were squared out with files. Lastly, I took a torch to the sandwich and separated the pieces.

After making these parts I then started forming the copper for the fuchi and shitodome. This process is very similar to making the habaki. The copper is softened and tapped to shape around the wood hilt.

I was essentially making two collars that would fit the hilt.

Once the copper collars were formed to fit, I soldered the seams shut with high temp silver solder. The shitodome had a piece of 1/8" thick brass soldered on top of it to make it into a cap. I then soldered one of the slotted pieces on top of the fuchi. The next step involved a lot of filing and shaping to make these pieces into smooth rounded parts. After they were shaped I bead blasted them with glass beads. I then attached gold plated dragonfly and leaf ornaments to them. The seppa was cut to shape and then the edges were hand filed into a braided pattern. It was then buffed with a Scotch Brite pad.

The final step was to hand brush black enamel onto all of the fittings and then apply three coats of clear lacquer. In the picture above from left to right you can see the finished shitodome, the fuchi, the tsuba and the seppa is the brass part in the foreground. The fittings came out pretty nice. They wound up looking like machine made parts. In the end, making these parts was a very rewarding process-- though I will admit it was a lot of work. At this stage things became very exciting because there was only one more task to do: finishing and final assembly. Check back soon for part 5-- the finale of this project. Thanks for looking.

toy of the week Monday, August 16, 2009

2009-08-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

Enshrouded in a cloud of dust and the din of clattering metal, threshing machines were the standard method by which grain was processed for well over 100 years. Early models, produced in the mid-late 1800's, were small and made from wood. Later, with the introduction of steam engines on farms, the machines became larger and capable of processing more grain in less time. Larger machines had iron sides. In 1904, the J. I. Case corporation revolutionized the market by producing an all steel thresher with galvanized sides.

I was introduced to threshing machines at an early age in rural Minnesota. My Grandparents were farmers. My mother describes families in their town still using threshing machines when she was a little girl. Indeed threshing machines were still being manufactured even into the 1960's The development of the combine harvester ultimately led to the demise of the thresher. For me, these machines were curiosities and dinosaurs of the past. Like many farm implements that have descended into obsolescence, you could see them rusting away in the corner of a field. This sight was more common than you might think.

Some of these machines have survived and, at an early age, I was lucky enough to see one operating at an antique tractor show. This was also my first close encounter with a steam engine. Giant clanking Case steam tractors were barking out loud rhythmic beats of exhaust and blasting whistles in a white cloud of steam. It was a feast of mechanical motion, sounds and smells. Steam power had instantly captivated me. No doubt this early experience has contributed to my love of mechanical things-- which has heavily influenced my hobbies and career.

Nearly 30 years later, in 2007, I had recently acquired a 1/20 scale live steam tractor. And I set out to find a companion for it. The tractor will have to be added to the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities later. Today I am bringing you an extremely rare hand made toy. This impressive metal masterpiece was meticulously fabricated out of real galvanized steel. It is 18" long. There are not very many of these in existence. When I bought it from Al's Farm Toys I was told that a guy in Minnesota who won the state lottery builds each one by hand-- like an individual piece of art. He makes them because he loves threshing machines-- not for money. The vast majority of his creations have been sold at auction, mostly in Midwestern cities like Minneapolis and Chicago. A few examples make it into specialty shops.

I cant leave anything alone so I have added some custom details to this toy. When I am at live steam meets (steamups), the threshing machine gets more questions than any of my other models. If your curiosity has been piqued then I invite you to take a gander inside the Machinery gallery at the mechanical beauty of the 1/16 Scale Custom Case Threshing Machine. You can also see a mediocre video of a thresher in operation here. God bless YouTube.

Full steam ahead.

Bushido and Fabrication, Japanese sword making part 3

2009-08-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

There are certain parts of any project that are like slipping into a really comfortable pair of shoes. For me that is wood working. Making the scabbard (saya) and the hilt (tsuka) is, for me, a perfect blending of precise geometric woodworking and organic wood sculpting. My tanto blade has a tang (handle) that tapers in thickness so I laminated wood veneers directly on the tang so the tsuka would have a tight fit. On Japanese swords the tsuka is secured to the blade with a conical bamboo pin. Once all the veneers were glued and laid up, I drilled the hole for the pin and shaped the tsuka into a smooth rounded cross section with rasps and sand paper. The tsuka of tantos are typically covered in stingray skin which was considered to be a luxury material from southern Japan. I obtained a stingray hide from a vendor in Los Angeles I cut two pieces of Stingray skin and inlaid them into the sides of tsuka. In the top picture you can see the tsuka. The ray skin is the brown material on the sides. The saya is in the foreground which I will describe next.

To make the saya I selected two pieces of wood. The blade was placed on one of the wood pieces and traced with a pencil. The void that the blade occupies is traditionally carved out with chisels. I decided to use a router because I could achieve the same result much faster. As I mentioned in the last post the blade floats loosely in the saya so I cut out the space to be a loose fit everywhere except where the habaki would rest. I would adjust the fit to the habaki with files once the saya was finished. Once the void was carved out I glued a second piece of wood to the top. The outside outline was then cut on a band saw and the saya was smoothed and shaped in the same way as the tsuka.

Making the wood parts was fun and quick, and In the last photo, you can see I achieved a nice fit of the blade in the saya. The next part of the project definitely has me stepping outside of my comfort zone. Making the habaki was good practice for the next phase where I will be making four different metal fittings. Stay tuned...

Bushido and Fabrication, Japanese sword making part 2

2009-08-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

With a tanto blade in my possession, as I mentioned in the part one, I decided to focus on making one of the metal fittings. Japanese swords do not fit tightly in their scabbards. The scabbards (saya) are made from wood and the blade floats inside them. This protects the valuable surface polish and keeps the blade from getting stained or scratched. To secure the sword tightly in the saya a wedge shaped collar called the habaki was employed. The collar is installed right at the base of the cutting edge. Traditionally the habaki was made from copper. The copper was sometimes jacketed in gold. I decided to go for a more utilitarian design and leave the raw copper color.

The construction practice that I used is very traditional. It essentially consists of heating a strip of copper until it is red hot, allowing it to cool, and then forming it by tapping it with a small hammer. The copper quickly re hardens so you must slide it off of the blade and heat it repeatedly. I heated the collar about ten times before it was completely formed. The habaki is formed directly around the blade itself. This way you get an absolutely precise fit. In Japan this is only done by the most experienced artisans because you are literally hammering a piece of metal just millimeters from a finished blade. Once the habaki was formed I silver soldered the seam closed. The last step is to file and shape it so that is has pleasing lines that compliment the blade. I also put a protective coat of clear lacquer over it so the copper would not tarnish.

It was at this time that I oiled the blade and wrapped it with fabric to protect it from corrosive skin oils. This also serves to protect me from the sharp edge of the blade.

The next step will be to fabricate the wood parts: the scabbard and hilt. Stay tuned...

Toy of the week Monday, August 10, 2009

2009-08-10T00:07:00.001-07:00

My brother and I created epically scaled strategic deployments of green plastic soldiers. That was one of our favorite activities. Having the largest platoon of little plastic army guys was a true badge of honor when we were kids. In a huge technological advance, our molded plastic armies received reinforcements in the way that only the raw power a double "A" battery could provide. Despite our generally peaceful household, our ex-hippie parents temporarily cast aside their ideals and bought my brother and I battery-powered Stomper tanks. Soon these motorized marvels became one of our favorite toys. We would test the tanks' terrain tackling prowess by running them through a barrage of backyard obstacles. Puddles, rocks, dirt, sticks-- there was a true sense of achievement when your tank came through unscathed.

In a previous post, I mentioned how, in 1980, the Schaper company, of Minneapolis MN, had created a hugely successful line of battery-operated trucks called Stomper 4x4's. Stomper trucks were pretty cool but the coolness factor skyrocketed in 1983, when they launched a line of Stomper military vehicles that included three different styles of tanks.

Stomper tanks had a lower gear reduction than the wheeled Stomper vehicles giving them more power and a lower speed. They also ran on a larger chassis than the trucks. In 1984 they expanded the line once more to include two different half tracks and an additional style of tank. The half tracks are by far the rarest of all the Stomper military vehicles. Examples pop up on eBay occasionally. They typically fetch $30-$40. Recently a German Stomper half track showed up that was mint in package. The seller had set an absurdly high buy-it-now price of $299. By the time the auction ended, the bidding had gone up to $125 and the reserve had still not been met. The item was not re-listed.

Fortunately you do not need to spend $30-$40 on eBay because I have examples of every type of Stomper tank or half track produced from 1983 to 1988. Just march into the Stomper Military Tanks and Half Tracks gallery in the Stomper 4x4 section of the Vehicles gallery and you can do a full inspection of these vintage mini military machines in the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities.

Full steam ahead.

Bushido and Fabrication, a project and philosophy 20 years in the making...

2009-08-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

Once a project is started it is never truly finished. I live for projects and I always have-- If I am not building something I am planing to build something. Almost all of my hobbies and professions date back to childhood interests. You name it: steam engines, robots, Jeeps-- even my career as an exhibit builder has roots in my early exposure to The Science Museum of Minnesota.

In 1989 I had just entered high school and I was somewhat disillusioned with religion and government-- I had not yet really "found" myself. It was at this point that I began writing down the things that I truly could say I believed. What I found through this process of self discovery was that my personal system of beliefs was based on learning through experience. By learning through experiential means I felt that I could say that I had a true understanding of that body of knowledge.

Roughly one year later, in 1990, I took an Eastern Civilization class and began learning the basics of eastern religion. I discovered that there were many similarities to my beliefs and many eastern religions. More like philosophy than religion-- these codes of ethics and belief had an immediate appeal. I identified on a deep level with these ideals.

Being an obsessive personality I began researching Taoism, Shinto, Buddhism-- I also became intensely interested in Bushido. Bushido is the code of beliefs to which the Japanese Samurai adhered. Bushido revolves around seven fundamental principles which include compassion, loyalty, honor and truthfulness. Parallel with this research, I exhaustively studied the construction methods of Japanese arms and armor. As I mentioned in my Toy of the Week entry on the Mini Katana, I spent many hours trying to replicate these techniques using only basic tools and materials that I had available to me.

Fast forward to today: I now build exhibits that, every year, allow thousands of children and adults to learn through actual experience. My fabrication skills have become more refined and I now have access to tools and materials that I never could have imagined before. As a result I decided that it was time to re-visit a Japanese sword project. So I don't bore my few blog readers to death, I will post about this project in installments. Lets get started!

Step 1, Selecting a blade:

In ancient Japan, a single sword could be made through the combined efforts of as many as 14 different artisans. Needless to say I have identified my abilities as best suited to make the koshirae or sword mountings and not the blades themselves. so I decided to search for a commercial blade to use as the basis for the project. Due to the fact that I do not have a tremendous amount of space to display a full size katana I decided to fabricate mounts for a tanto. In western terms, a tanto is essentially a dagger or very short sword.

Finding a suitable tanto blade was tricky. I wanted a blade made of layered steel so it would have beautiful surface characteristics and contribute to the overall beauty of the piece. A differently clay tempered blade would also be desirable. There are very few tantos on the market that have folded and clay tempered blades. Most of them are Chinese made and cost around $500. Of course, you are also paying for mountings such as the hilt, guard, pommel and scabbard-- all of these parts I intended to fabricate myself. Eventually I settled on a short tanto blade of modern design. The blade is hand made in India from 500 layer Damascus steel in a raindrop pattern. The blade was attractive, economical-- and it was just a blade, nothing else, which would allow me to fabricate every fitting by hand.

If you look at this photograph, you get an idea of how the modern tanto differs from a more traditional blade. The modern blade (bottom) has a squared off chisel shaped point which actually makes for a very strong blade. There is also a much stronger curvature-- this carries through to the tang (handle) of the blade. The raindrop pattern is also a bit more flamboyant than was traditionally found in the subtle polished surface of true folded Japanese blades. Despite these differences, the blade I chose had it's own unique appeal and I liked the idea of making authentic and traditional koshirae for a modern blade.

With the blade selected the next step in the process is to make one of the metal fittings called the habaki. Stay tuned...

Toy of the week Monday, August 3, 2009

2009-08-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

Outer space is a place where workers smoke, curse, and gripe about percentages of profits. That was the vision that Ridley Scott had when he created the classic science fiction film, Alien. After the release of Star Wars in 1977, it had been proven that the public would embrace-- and take the Sci Fi genre seriously. The creepy biomechanical designs of H. R. Giger almost didn't make it to the big screen though. His designs in the movie Alien are now legendary-- but Fox executives thought they were too "ghastly". In the end, Ridley Scott won out and a classic creature design was born.

In the movie Alien we are introduced to Gigers vision when the crew of a commercial space towing vehicle makes an unscheduled detour to a planet that is emitting a repeating radio signal. They discover the wreck of an alien craft on the surface of the planet. The vessel is long forgotten-- and in a dramatic scene, we discover a long deceased space traveler who fell victim to his own deadly cargo. The giant being appears to be fossilized and growing out of his biomechanoid chair. In a foreboding clue of what will happen to his human discoverers, he has a hole in his chest where the bones appear to be exploded outwards.

This scene has been immortalized very few times in either toy or model form. Halcyon released an expensive vinyl model kit of the scene, complete with little astronaut figures in the late 1980's. It is still pretty easy to find this kit but you can expect to pay at least $80-- and you need a weekend or two to assemble and paint the model. A pre-assembled and painted statue has also been released. This item sells for hundreds of dollars. The well known Kubrik line of collectable toys from Japan, created a limited run of Alien "Space Jockey" sets that included the alien ship's crew member in his biomechanical throne and four alien eggs. Like other Kubrick toys, this was a limited release. It will now take some work to find one. Mine was acquired from EBay a few years ago as a Buy It Now item.

This kubrick toy is unusually detailed, right down to the hole in the figures chest. The alien egg accessories are nicely done as well-- with realistic paint jobs and eerie translucent plastic. It is worth a closer look, so I recommend you follow the alien beacon into the dioramas gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities and examine the Kubrick Alien Space Jockey.

Thanks for looking.

Water, check. Fire, check. Pressure at 80 psi-- full steam ahead.

Toy of the week, Monday, July 26, 2009

2009-07-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

It is an unfortunate truth that one of the strongest drives in the world for innovation comes from military technology. In ancient Japanese culture, where anything less than perfection in a traditional craft was unacceptable, masters of metallurgy created one of the greatest advances in close quarters weaponry of all time. The samurai sword is so deadly, so simple and beautiful in it's form, that it has achieved legendary and almost spiritual status. As a fabricator and craftsman myself, the attention to detail and perfection in a samurai sword commands awe and respect.

At the age of 15 I began to test my metal as a budding fabricator by studying and replicating traditional sword mounting techniques in my fathers home workshop. Having no ability to make proper blades, I would cut and file steel bars from the local hardware store into blade shapes. I would make mountings for the makeshift blades from copper, brass, aluminum and tin. I would fabricate the tsuka or hilt for the swords from wood. I would wrap the tsuka in leather and flat cotton cord in the traditional braided technique. The examples I would create at this age were crude at best, but they contributed to my development as a fabricator.

I am currently continuing the craft. With decades of fabrication experience under my belt I am now creating uh... slightly more precise fittings and parts for a modern blade. In the second photo you can see the blade and the some of the tools and materials used in fabrication and maintenance of sword fittings.

The best Japanese blades are traditionally

made from a high carbon steel called Tamahagane. This steel was folded several times to create hundreds of layers. The layers are one of the qualities that

contribute to the beauty and subtle surface details of Japanese swords. The other prominent feature visible on Japanese blades is called the hamon. The hamon appears as a wavy line near the edge of the blade. It is created in the tempering process. The blade is first coated in a clay slurry. Tools are then used to remove the clay from the edge of the blade. After this is complete, the blade is heated to a bright orange and then quenched. The clay coated blade and the exposed edge cool at different rates creating a blade that is sharp like a razor blade and yet tough like armor. In modern terms a blade like this is called differently tempered.

To this day I have an emotional connection to Japanese swords because, at a young age, I began to push the limits of materials and methods that I had used while studying these masterpieces. My wife recognised this when we were recently at The Lords of the Samurai exhibit at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. She purchased this miniature Samurai sword for me from the museum gift shop.

It is easy to dismiss this small sword as a cheap toy or trinket until you examine it more closely so I recommend that you take a peek in the artifacts gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities and admire the metal mountings, the lacquered wood scabbard, the silk wrapped hilt and the authentic differently clay tempered steel blade on the Mini Katana. Thanks for looking.

Full steam ahead.

Toy of the week, Monday, July 20, 2009

2009-07-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

"If Japanese toys are normally like pure unrefined coca leaves, then Gachapon are crack: a cheap addictive high bound to lead you to ruin", so says the book Cruising the Anime City, An Otaku Guide to Neo Tokyo. I couldn't have said it better myself actually. Gachapon are small toys that are dispensed in plastic capsules from vending machines. The sheer variety of Gachapon toys is overwhelming. I personally saw figurines ranging from the ubiquitous Hello Kitty, to tiny sushi replicas, and even to little models of... um... certain parts of the female anatomy.

In 2007 Jen and I finally made it to Tokyo, which is arguably the motherland of cool toys. As part of our pilgrimage we decided to seek out the hallowed halls of Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan. This parlor of floor to ceiling vending machines is a sight to behold. When you are in this place it is easy to watch your time, and your yen, flitter away like cherry blossom petals in the spring.

For me, the best way to remember the experience was to bring home Gachapon toys of the machines that dispense Gachapon toys. These mini machines actually dispense little plastic capsules themselves. So head on over to the Artifacts gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities get a better look at the Gachapon machine capsule toys.

Full steam ahead.

Toy of the week, Monday, July 13, 2009

2009-07-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

"Cheaper, faster and better" was the motto of NASA's Discovery program which was started in 1994. Unlike traditional NASA missions this program had strict caps on budget and timeline. In 1997 the world watched as Pathfinder, the second in the cheaper, faster and better NASA missions, landed on an alien world.

The mission captivated the worlds attention, sparking a renewed interest in space exploration and an Internet phenomenon. NASA reported, a record setting, 109 million hits on it's Pathfinder website in the first 24 hours after the landing. 17 hours later, that figure doubled, as earthlings viewed images that the robotic astronaut sent back home.

Pathfinder represented many firsts for space exploration. It was the first time that airbags had been used to mediate the landing of a space craft, as the lander bounced down onto the Martian surface like a giant beach ball. It was also the first time that automatic obstacle avoidance was used and it was the first of a series of missions to land a robotic rover on the surface of another planet.

The rover, known as Sojourner, was essentially a six wheel drive, robotic geologist, equipped with tools capable of examining and analyzing the makeup of Martian minerals. The public interest in Pathfinder and Sojourner was the catalyst for the release of many toys and products that would capitalize on the renewed interest in space travel. Mattel was no exception, and in 1997 they immortalized the Sojourner rover in their legendary line of toys, Hot Wheels.

The JPL Sojourner Mars Rover, Hot Wheels Action pack featured the lander spacecraft, the Pathfinder base station and the Sojourner rover. They also released a boxed version of Sojourner that was entirely plated in 24k gold. This version is a bit more rare and was aimed at adult collectors.

This toy captures many of the mechanical features of the spacecraft and vehicles used in this historic NASA mission so wheel on over to the Vehicles gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities and take a peek at the the Hot Wheels Mars Sojourner Rover.

Full steam ahead.

Toy of the week, Monday, July 6, 2009

2009-07-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

"It's like Star Wars for Japanese people"-- At least that's how a friend once explained the Japanese anime series "Super Dimension Fortress Macross". The series originally aired in Japan starting in 1982. The story uses Earth's first battle with an alien species as a back drop for a love triangle between the main characters. I think when my friend equated the 36 episode series to Star Wars, he was describing the pop culture phenomenon that it started, more than the actual story. Indeed, Macross has a tremendous, almost cult-like, following in Japan, but what is more remarkable is what Macross did for American audiences.

In 1985 Harmony Gold launched a new series on American television called Robotech. Robotech was composed of three different anime series that had been compiled into one large story. The first installment, known as "The Macross Saga" to American audiences, was one of the first anime series on U.S. television and certainly the first to touch on more "adult" subject matter. Robotech not only described adult romantic relationships and the many issues that can accompany them, it ws also the first U.S. animated series to paint a vivid picture of the real cost of war. Robotech did not glamorize war. Instead we were able to see that soldiers can actually die in battle. In fact, in a tragic twist midway through the series, one of the main characters actually dies.

For mechanically minded folks, like myself, Robotech presented a feast of fantastic machines. Of course many of these wondrous designs were made into toys. Most of the best toys were Japanese imports. Robotech toys were actually one of the first series of toys that I ever collected. Starting around age eleven, I bought up most of the Japanese import toys that were released in the U.S. Most of those toys are still in boxes in my parents attic, so the vintage Robotech toys will have to be added to the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities in the future.

Today I present an incredibly sophisticated Japanese imported toy. This toy was produced in 2006 for collectors. It is an intricate and complicated model of the "veritech fighter" which was the standard fighter used in the Macross Saga. The veritech fighter (Valkyrie in Japan) transforms into a giant humanoid robot, convenient for fighting the aliens in the series, who happened to be a race of giants. This toy is intimidatingly complex and there are many details, movable parts, and opening hatches that I cannot fully discuss here. I advise you to tiptoe into the Robots Gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities and sneak a peek at the Macross Veritech Fighter.

Full steam ahead.

Toy of the week, Monday, June 29, 2009

2009-06-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

In a way the Alien franchise is one of the great tragedies in Hollywood. Long before the concept was reduced to the gratuitously bloody sophomoric splatter fest that was seen in Alien Vs. Predator Requiem, there were two great movies. Many critics disagree about whether Alien (1979) or Aliens (1986) is the better film, but almost all rate these first two movies significantly higher than the subsequent sequels.

I tend to favor Aliens which expertly blends a military themed action movie with science fiction. It is arguable that one of the qualities that makes both of the first two movies so believable-- and in turn so scary, is the art direction. The design of the space craft and hardware is intricate and realistic. I dare say that Aliens remains one of the best designed SciFi movies in history. The machines, weapons and vehicles in the movie are not revolutionary, but instead, evolutionary of what weapons and vehicles look like today. SciFi fans around the world recognize this and there have been many fantastic toys and models of Aliens vehicles, creatures and weapons throughout the years. Some of the most spectacular examples have come out of Japan. You will have to see those in a later installment of The Toy of the Week because today I present an example of a toy that only saw extremely limited release here in the United States.

In the late 1990's Galoob toys launched a line of Alien Action Fleet vehicles. Action Fleet were small vehicles that had opening hatches, cockpits, and detailed interiors. Galoob previously had a successful Star Wars and Star Trek Action Fleet series. Curiously the Alien line never saw a major release in toy stores. You could only get them by ordering them directly from Galoob or in a few select comic shops. The vehicles now fetch close to $100.00 on EBay. There were three Alien vehicles in the line; the space craft Narcissus from the first movie, the Drop Ship and the Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) from the second movie.

The APC is the most scale vehicle in the line. It gives a relatively accurate idea of how big the vehicle wold be in proportion to a person. It came with two small figures and a detailed interior with opening hatches and other movable parts. But don't take my word for it. Head on over to the vehicles gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities and tour the Action Fleet Aliens APC for yourself.

Keep your steam up.

Toy of the week, Monday, June 22, 2009

2009-06-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wished you could split your own legs in half exposing wheels that you could then use to drive yourself around like a car? Or have you ever made best friends with a phone booth, a mailbox and an oven? If you have done any of these things then you either need help getting over your chemical dependency, or you are Robot Hacchan from Japan. I am not sure how the idea for Robot Hacchan emerged but like many popular children's shows from around the world, I suspect that controlled substances were involved.

This vintage, early eighties, robot toy from Japan was based on a live action children's program which chronicled the adventures of the large red and white, egg shaped robot who could drive himself around like a car. We also learned about his friends, who all happened to be anthropomorphized inanimate objects.

Like many Japanese toys, the concept is bizarre and wonderful, and the execution of the toy is spectacular. This toy is made of heavy die cast metal and high quality plastic. The wheels that pop out of his legs are machined aluminum with small rubber tires At the very least this toy redeems itself by quality alone.

If you are left wondering, in your chemically induced stupor, how you would steer yourself after you transformed into a car then why not use the steering wheel that pops out of a door in your belly-- that's how Robot Hacchan does it. I mean seriously? Duh.

Visit the Robot Hacchan Gallery in the Robot Gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities.

Full steam ahead.

Toy of the week, Monday, June 15, 2009

2009-06-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Close your eyes and travel back in time to 1985. Picture this scene at the corporate headquarters of a toy company: there are ten or fifteen kids in a room as a focus group. A couple people from the toy company's research department have been asked by the executives to build WHATEVER the kids ask for. When the kids are asked what kind of toy they want to see made, they all begin screaming, and when the dust settles one idea has taken shape. The children have spoken and they want a toy tank that is motorized to go over any terrain, and can actually float in water, and travel like a boat-- oh and it can also travel underwater like a submarine. The toy company researchers are thinking "this is crazy!" "What are we going to tell the executives?" "That's what happens when you have kids help you design toys." "We can't build a toy that does all these things!"

Well, if you are the Schaper Manufacturing Co. from Minneapolis Minnesota You actually CAN build this toy. And they did.

Shaper is best known for creating the game Cootie in 1949. Then, in 1980 they launched a line of small, battery operated 4x4 trucks known as Stomper 4x4's. The Stomper line was later supplemented with military vehicles, semi trucks and a futuristic line that targeted fans of Star Wars and Battlestar Gallactica. Stompers have been re-released throughout the years and have a thriving collector market.

In 1986 a line of Stomper vehicles called Aqua Fighters was launched and they may have been one of the first submersible, amphibious, battery operated toys ever made. Tyco acquired the Stomper line in 1987 and rehashed Aqua Fighters into a line known as Diving Devils If you are even slightly curious to see these rare, vintage machines, then strut on over and take a look at the Stomper Amphibious Crawlers, in the vehicles gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities.

I have additional vintage Stomper vehicles to add to the museum at a later time so stay tuned.

For a real trip back in time take a peek at this compilation of vintage toy commercials on YouTube in which a Stomper Diving Devil commercial appears at the 1:18 mark.

Full Steam Ahead.

IT'S ALIVE!! First run of the new Locomotive

2009-06-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

How does it sound to have an afternoon of noxious fumes from burning fuel, sitting in the hot sun, nearly setting fire to a friends yard, handling lots of greasy mechanical parts and burning your fingers several times? I know-- like paradise right? Well at least for a live steamer it is. Yesterday I got together with my friends David and Henner and we got to test out our new 1:8 scale locomotive. Our Friend Mark also came over to help "supervise". As you can see from the picture above Mark had a hand at running too.

This engine is a model of one of the most well known Shay type logging engines in the world. It is also a model of what could possibly be the oldest surviving Shay in the world. Rumor has it that at one point there was even talk of sending the prototype locomotive to the Smithsonian. I am very familiar with this type of engine because eight years ago I bought a 1:20 scale model of the same engine. The model I am speaking of is well known-- almost legendary, in the small scale live steam community. It is the Accucraft 2 cylinder Shay. If you have not seen this engine before and you have ever thought about owning a live steam train, I highly recommend you have a look at Accucraft's website, find a dealer, and buy one. I have thoroughly enjoyed mine, and at serial number 13, mine is one of the oldest ones out there. It continues to run like a Swiss watch to this day.

Because this locomotive carved out a special place in my heart at a very early stage in my live-steam career, I jumped at the chance to own a larger, ride-on scale, version of the engine. As I mentioned in a previous post, the 1:8 scale engine has a bit of history and had a series of articles in Live Steam magazine, and a book written about it. I cover more of the history in this post on a live steam message board.

If you would like to read some more about our fist experience firing and running the engine please take a look at the topic I started at MyLargeScale.com.

There are additional pictures of the first run of the engine in the gallery here.

The engine preformed admirably and I am sure our experiences will only get better as we learn all of it's quirks. My friend David thoroughly documented the steamup process and shot a bunch of video in HD. I will update when he has posted the new images and video.

Thanks for reading, and full steam ahead.

Toy of the week Monday, June 8, 2009

2009-06-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

If you show me one country in the world that embraces robots more than the Japanese, then I will show you a country that I need to visit-- right before I visit Japan again. Robots have been a part of Japanese pop culture as long as there has been pop culture. Many of the earlier examples were depicted in comics (manga) and animation (anime) as being gargantuan in scale and having almost magical powers. In the early 80's a series known as Dougram began depicting robots as being more reasonable in scale and having weapons and abilities more in line with military machines. The Dougram toys, in my opinion, are also some of the coolest toy robots ever made. This week I bring you one of my all time favorites. This toy has many cool mechanical features.

It is worth a close look, so get thee to the robot gallery in the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities and thoroughly examine the coolness of Combat Armor Soltic.

Keep your steam up at 80 psi!

Mills, Cars and Trains...

2009-06-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

Another very interesting and full weekend. Jen and I were invited by some friends to attend a picnic on a vineyard in Napa held by a the Rolls Royce owners club that they are members of. Aside from an opportunity to take a ride out to Napa in a 1949 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith, I decided to go because the owner of the vineyard we were headed to had a working replica of a water powered mill complete with machines and tools all powered by flat belt pulleys. He was also building a 7.5" gauge railroad around a small lake.

There was a handful of vintage Rolls Royce and Bentley vehicles that attended the event. There are many pictures of the mill, cars and railroad in this gallery. Enjoy.

The other exciting news from the weekend is that a new locomotive has been purchased with the help of my friends David and Henner. We decided to each pay equal shares, making it the first official locomotive of our steam powered railroad; the East Devils Hill Lumber Co. The locomotive is somewhat famous because it was the subject of a series of articles in Live Steam magazine and later, a book titled Logging with Steam. There are more pictures in this gallery. There are also pictures and a posting on MyLargeScale.com describing the locomotive and some of it's history.

Full steam ahead.

In the Exhibit Shop

2009-06-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

Six months after The Science of Nature, opened I am starting on final fabrication on the next exhibition. There will be many interesting gadgets in this one and I am working on one of the more complex pieces right now. This Rube Goldberg contraption has many features that allow the visitor to guide a wooden ball through a series of mechanical obstacles. The next component I am working on involves a disc that carries a wooden ball from one track to another-- sort of like a Ferris wheel. The Ferris wheel is actually built up from a stack of discs. I cut the discs out of black foamed PVC sheets. Making discs is pretty basic fabrication but I thought I would go over the process for non-shop folk who may be reading.

A trim router is attached to a strip of plywood. I drilled the plywood to accept flat head screws into the factory holes in the router base. The strip of plywood (circle jig) can be used over and over. A hole is drilled in the jig at the point that marks the exact radius of the disc I would like to make. In this case I wanted a 10" disk so the hole was drilled five inches from the router bit.

The jig is screwed to the material with a single screw through the hole you drilled and the router bit touching one edge of the material. A waste board (some piece of plywood you don't care about) is placed under the setup before cutting begins. You have to brace the jig and router really well when turning it on because the bit is already in contact with the material. But once you are powered up it is a simple matter of rotating the jig and router around the center screw.

Depending on the thickness or hardness of the material and the length of your bit, you may have to make at least two passes to cut the discs.

In minutes you will have some snazzy disks that are about as close to perfect as you can get with hand tools. The screw hole marks the center of the discs. for me this was a benefit because I needed to drill a hole in the center of the Ferris wheel for a 1/2" shaft.

You can see I used an old router jig from a previous exhibit as my waste board. In minutes I cut four perfect plastic discs-- pretty cool.

Thanks for checking in. Full steam ahead.

Toy of the week Monday, June 1, 2009

2009-06-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

Imagine a time when toys were made entirely of metal, and they replicated dangerous things like saws-- and they actually had spinning sharp metal blades. Well that time, whenever it was, is where the toy of the week is from. I actually don't know much about this nice little piece which I won in an EBay auction. It has no manufacturer markings and I have never seen another one like it. But you can now see it in detail in the machinery gallery of The Cabinet of Curious Frivolities. So march on over and take a closer look at the tiny table saw. Full steam ahead.

A main dish of Maker Faire and a dessert of MY OWN PROJECTS!

2009-05-31T23:07:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful weekend out here in the SF Bay Area and an awesome MAKER FAIRE! Jen and I started the weekend by attending a pilot program at Coyote Point Museum. It was an urban astronomy presentation hosted by the museum on Friday night. It was actually really cool. From the grassy knoll behind the museum we saw the international space station, craters on the moon, Saturn's rings, and one of its moons, and lots of constellations.

On Saturday Jen and I attended Maker Faire. It was really great. The first thing I saw was the steampunk area. This Case steam tractor was near the steampunk folks.

The tractor was being run by a couple steam hotties from Kinetic Steam Works:

The Eepy Bird guys gave a Bellagio shaming live show of their now famous viral video starring Diet Coke and Mentos.

Giant pointy, rusty, flame throwing, radio controlled, robot bulldozers Killing a pink Barbie Jeep:

One of the kinetic sculptures:

There is always so much at Maker Faire that I am on a full on stimulus overload. I alwas feel drawn in so many directions. I must go wearing many hats, (no, not literally-- though that wouldn't be out of place) I am there as an exhibit builder, I am there as a steampunker, I am there as a fan of alternative vehicles and bicycles, I am there as a sculptor, etc. By the end of the day I didn't even have time to go into some of the buildings, and I had a headache from dehydration, but it was totally worth it. There are more images here. No captions yet in the gallery but I'll add them later.

There is no better way to unwind from maker Faire than settling into one of your own personal "Make" projects-- so that's what I did today. I ran over to the Coyote Point Fabrication shop and ran some aluminum through the saw. To catch people up on my latest project, I am building a 1:14 scale Mercedes Benz military truck. Right now the model is in a working cab/chassis state.

The rig also has a working hydraulic crane and winch mounted in the front bumper.

I cut some parts for the bed on the table saw using the non ferrous metal blade:

As you can see I have a habit of writing notes directly on my projects in Sharpie. This is all the basic parts for the bed which will have hinged sides and a tailgate. The deck of the bed is cut from 1/4" thick aluminum plate. This should give the model some serious heft. I suspect the truck may weigh up to 20 pounds when it's all said and done.

That's it for now! Look for a new toy of the week tomorrow and I will post something on the exhibit I am fabricating later this week. All I can say about the exhibit is that it involves LOTS of gears, pulleys, belts, cranks, drive shafts and other mechanical goodies.

Keep your steam up at 80 psi!!!

Toy of the week, Monday, May 25, 2009

2009-05-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

God bless the Japanese. Only in Japan can you walk into a convenience store and buy a refreshing bottle of Pokari Sweat or a delicious package of Chocolate Colon, and right next to these fine products you can buy a surprise boxed toy. Imagine my surprise when the box contained a detailed plastic model of one of the worlds most mysterious paranormal phenomena; a cattle mutilation scene. "Mom can I have this toy mutilated cow?" "Yes dear, if you are a good boy."

Visit the Dioramas Gallery in the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities to see the more pictures and descriptions.

Full steam ahead,

First post!

2009-05-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to "Grabiron" (80psi.blogspot.com). Of course I have huge delusions of grandeur regarding all that I can accomplish on this blog but at the very least I hope to add occasional updates regarding my exhibit projects at Coyote Point Museum, personal projects, and entrepreneurial ventures. I will also post about a new online project I am working on known as The Cabinet of Curious Frivolities. This will be an ever evolving virtual museum of my expansive collection of toys and artifacts. I am committing to a weekly update on the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities. I will title these updates in the blog as "The Toy of the Week", so watch for that starting soon. Right now I am laying the infrastructure for the museum.

Thanks for visiting. Full steam ahead!