Those Who Make

Make : BTR Fabrications Film : geebeebee media

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:10:21 -0400

Make : BTR Fabrications
Film : geebeebee media

5 Questions for Those Who Make In 25 words or less describe who...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:43:00 -0400

Borough Furnace

5 Questions for Those Who Make

In 25 words or less describe who you are, where you’re located and what you make.

My name is John Truex. I’m the owner of Borough Furnace, a craft manufacturer of cast iron skillets in Syracuse, NY.

What made you want to be a maker?

Coming from the design field, my background was in designing products for other people to produce. I found the most fulfilling projects to be those that were the result of collaboration between the design team and the manufacturer. I started Borough Furnace to explore whether it was possible to create a new production system, on a small scale, where the value of a product is tied up in its making process.

Why should people support your business/products?

We hope that people will find value in the story of our production process – that we use waste materials and alternative fuel to create a long-lasting cooking tool.

Favorite product that you make?

My favorite product is our 9” frying skillet, made from reclaimed scrap iron. I designed the handle to dissipate heat, so it remains cool to the touch when cooking on the stovetop over a high flame.

List five of your favorite tools.

1. The Skilletron – our homemade waste vegetable oil fueled furnace

2. Optical Pyrometer – My dad found this in a pile of discarded equipment at a university physics lab. It’s a scope that allows you to read the temperature of molten iron from the frequency of the light emitted from the metal.

3. Pneumatic sand rammer – Picture a mechanical fist that compresses sand at 1,600 beats per minute (replacing the chunk of 2x4 that we used to use).

4. Sand Muller – The sand muller is a machine that uses a concrete wheel and radial arm to smash and mix together the sand and clay we use to make our reclaimable molds. Building the muller was the first big challenge we hurdled when putting our shop together.

5. Brake drums – We got a load of break drums at the scrap yard for some early furnace tests. Those that didn’t get melted down are pulling their weight all over the shop. We use them as door stops, props to tilt our molds up for a better pour, weights to hold the tops of our smaller molds down, pencil holders, storage bins for old gloves – you name it.

(photographs from Borough Furnace)

Make : The Roastery of Cave Creek Film : Royal &...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:32:28 -0400

Make : The Roastery of Cave Creek
Film : Royal & Design

Make : Storm Wines Film : Dan Addelson

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:58:14 -0400

Make : Storm Wines
Film : Dan Addelson

Make : JoJo’s Sriracha Film : SkeeterNYC

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 09:24:02 -0400

Make : JoJo’s Sriracha
Film : SkeeterNYC

Make : 2Bar SpiritsFilm : Consumption Films

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:17:32 -0400

Make : 2Bar Spirits
Film : Consumption Films

Make : Helen Michetschläger Film : Eamon Urtone

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:29:05 -0400

Make : Helen Michetschläger
Film : Eamon Urtone

Make : Hannah Lawrence Film : Paul Bray

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 08:43:47 -0400

Make : Hannah Lawrence
Film : Paul Bray

Make : Ottone Baggio Film : Another Bureau

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 08:35:16 -0400

Make : Ottone Baggio
Film : Another Bureau

Make : Sweat and Tears Film : aldemoño

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:26:39 -0400

Make : Sweat and Tears
Film : aldemoño

Make : Signal-Return Press Film : The Paddle

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:31:14 -0400

Make : Signal-Return Press
Film : The Paddle

Make : Chris Zammit Film : Hangar

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:50:36 -0400

Make : Chris Zammit
Film : Hangar

Make : Spirit Works Distillery Film : Spirit Works...

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 08:57:24 -0400

Make : Spirit Works Distillery
Film : Spirit Works Distillery

5 Questions for Those Who Make In 25 words or less describe who...

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:56:00 -0400

Issa Dixon of Hollow and Ridge

blend 505 (balance)

5 Questions for Those Who Make

In 25 words or less describe who you are, where you’re located and what you make.

My name is Issa Dixon and I make essential oil fragrances for my company Hollow and Ridge. We blend and distill artisan grade oils and plant material from our workshop in Narberth, PA.

What made you want to be a maker?

Growing up in a self-sustainable community in rural West Virginia taught me the art of “making” at an early age. I had a plethora of talented makers around me. Everything from master herbalists, wood workers, artists, midwives, weavers, naturalists, sliver smiths, we even knew a fella that could build car engines out of melted down beer cans. Not having modern amenities within reach made perfecting ones craft a necessity. Barter and trade within our small community was a way of life. My family used native plants and herbs to treat pretty much all our ailments. Peppermint and Eucalyptus for coughs, colds, and nausea. Lavender for insomnia, fungal infections and burns. Rosemary for arthritis, muscle pain and fluid retention. Our house always had large bunches of freshly dried herbs that eventually ended up as some sort of salve or tincture. My parents believed teaching us kids the importance of sustainability and living off the land was as important as what we leaned in school. My father taught me how to be patient with nature. My mom gave me a green thumb and the basic Aromatherapy building blocks. My love for the art of distillation came from years of watching tabletop plant distillation. Stumbling onto a few backwoods chemistry masters in my youth didn’t hurt either.

Why should people support your business/products?

By supporting Hollow and Ridge, you not only support our beautifully crafted oil fragrances, but you’re also helping the small self-sustainable farms we support and partner with.

Favorite product that you make?

My personal favorite is blend 505 (balance). This blend took the longest to get right. Balancing the right amount of similar therapeutic aromatherapy properties along with a balanced scent was important. Having a blend people could wear all year long was another goal for balance blend 505. I also love this blend because it really is a great fragrance on both men and women.

List five of your favorite tools.

1. Leather Aromatherapy notebook - My Hollow and Ridge notebook is my favorite tool. This is where I write down all my trial blends, batch notes, and directions to my favorite rural gardens and farms. There isn’t a day that goes by I don’t have to reference my notes in this little book.

2. 1972 U-Haul Camper (aka “the egg”) - this is my home away from home. Over the past few years I’ve spent weeks living in this camper while going to Aromatherapy and Healing Practices classes in North Carolina. We frequently pack up the camper with plants and oils.

3. Copper Still - My still was hand crafted in Portugal. A real piece of art. The process of distillation is so rewarding. My still is the muscle behind Hollow and Ridge.

4. Double barrel white porcelain sink - this sink is like a hundred years old. It’s very deep and perfectly fits the plant material basket that I fill and then drop into the still for distillation. Makes for easy, happy clean up. They just don’t make sinks like this anymore.

5. Extra large glass beakers - I love my 2 gallon hydrosol glass beakers. The larger thicker glass beakers are pricey and hard to find. I inherited 2 of these beauties. I am bit of a beaker snob.

(photographs from Dixon Photography)

Make : Phil Timm Film : Fancy Rhino

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 07:46:55 -0400

Make : Phil Timm
Film : Fancy Rhino

Make : Soma Evolutionary RefreshmentFilm : Rama Images

Fri, 31 May 2013 08:42:41 -0400

Make : Soma Evolutionary Refreshment
Film : Rama Images

Make : Willy’s Skateboards Film : Timothy...

Thu, 30 May 2013 08:15:54 -0400

Make : Willy’s Skateboards
Film : Timothy Jongmans

Make : Oversize Me Film : Michaël Fremaux & Tommy...

Wed, 29 May 2013 08:49:00 -0400

Make : Oversize Me
Film : Michaël Fremaux & Tommy Knuts

Make : Fugscreens Studios Film : Yum Yum Studios

Tue, 28 May 2013 07:24:00 -0400

Make : Fugscreens Studios
Film : Yum Yum Studios

Make : Trophy Brewing Film : Arthur Earnest

Mon, 27 May 2013 08:40:17 -0400

Make : Trophy Brewing
Film : Arthur Earnest