A Spice rack

The Result!

Why?

So don't know about you folks but the state of our dried herbs and spices used to bee a total mess. Some of them where residing: on the hood, others beside the stove and another bunch in a cabinet. This resulted in spices.being bought twice and sometimes even quadruple times while others ended up not being available when needed. One day my girlfriend yelled out in pain: "this mess will never end". So I decided It was time for some action.

Requirements

I Set up the following requirements:

1. Easy access in plain sight. 
2. Each spice should have Its own dedicated place (I believe this Is a necessary to prevent everything from ending up in disarray, but more disciplined persons may not need this).
3. Make use of space otherwise unused (since our kitchen is quite small).
4. Easy to clean. 
5. Have room for at least 40 standard sized jars.
6. Include kitchen roll dispenser (this where not a requirement until I came up with a solution that required that I moved the dispenser in place)
7. Include a Kitchen computer and speakers (This wasn't as much a requirement as me having an unused tablet that I wanted to make use of). 

Solution

One day having dinners at the neighbors I noticed that the lamp fixing and the skirt to hide it built something like 6cm under their kitchen cabinet, but with a lot of unused space around the fixtures.

I thought this was a perfect place to hide our spice jars and a chance to add some extra outlets and some lamps. Since I had a small unused tablet laying around I thought It would be nice to fit that as well.

So I fiddled around with the design for quite some time and came up with some quite elaborated plans, some involving camshafts, levers cogwheels and what not to push the jars out of their dedicated dens, before ending up with the current design.

The verdict

So I have had this spice rack up for something like 2 months and I must say It Is everything I wanted it to be (even tho I ended up scrapping the idea with the kitchen computer). After just a few days I feel that I learned where to find each spice and It's a real time saver.

Room for improvement

Despite the above self-appraisal, I would do some stuff differently If I were to do It again.

This was the first time I made excessive use of the laser cutter at my local maker space In any project. In ore over the possibilities with my new "hammer", I just kept hammering away not really considering if a hammer really was the best solution to every aspect of this build. In retrospect, I believe I somewhat overused it.

After throwing the kitchen-computer Idea overboard the design with the angle is overcomplicated and the modularization into four pizes unnecessary. Today I would probably keep the design of the spice compartments but mount em on one 12mm plywood board with the same size as the underside of my cabinet, this would build another 8mm compared to the current design but would make everything much easier when it comes to mounting straight etc. And for the ease of things, I would just mount a couple IKEA "Utrusta" lamps behind the spice compartments (fitting spacers under so they are in level with the height of the spice compartments) and just use "regular wood" cut to size to fill any residing gaps.

This way of building it Is also more accessible to anyone that doesn't have access to a laser cutter and instead have to rely upon a laser cutting service. 

Other considerations could be to redesign the compartments as well so that they store 2-5 spices (of course keeping the Idea of dedicated placeholders). The advantage of that would be to reduce the number of slots and handles making It a bit easier to keep clean and probably much easier to mount totally straight.

That said the current design Is still a lot tidier than keeping them on a rack directly over the stove and based on the use so far I say the slots are tight enough for easy enough cleaning. It is also very satisfying to just flip down exactly the spice your after.

Finally, after paying for forty times four small neodymium magnets costing a small fortune. I did consider other solutions to keep the compartments up. However, the feeling of the magnets sort of smoothly snap things into place makes it totally worth it.         

Tips  

Be very rigorous when gluing the compartments, make sure they are straight and do not overuse glue. Make a few extra compartments, in case of some turn out less than perfect. Be very picky about the plywood especially the thickness. The design is for 4mm, not 3,7 or 4.4. Make sure to glue the magnets in place before putting the boxes together (oh how I wished someone had told me this). Other than that you should be fine.

The Build   

As mentioned almost everything is laser-cut

 Is sorta like A gigant gigsaw puzze dependent on how one counts it's well over 800 parts

I made a list of all spices I usually use and ended up with 40 spices (Frech herbs, liquids, paste's and roots where naturally not included) Gluing forty compartments was BORING.

       Then there was a lot of sanding thank good for the belts sander at Sthlm Maker Space

Even thou there where some specifications of the magnets I still was i bit worried if they would hold the weight of the spice, here is some initial test

  
Initially there where plans for a small computer and some speakers. My first try ended up having a small but anoying wining noice. Second trial was even more over enginered and ended up as scrap. Making me eventurly abandon that plan.

 
When mounting all toghether you cant have to many clamps

Finally time for mounting under the cupboard.

Bonus Cat

Review of a T-Rex Dual-View Cast Resin Model Kit By Artist Doyle Trankina.

For quite some time i was looking for a Dinosaur skeleton model for my "curiosity cabinet". I wasn't particular about what sort of dinosaur, but i wanted something that was as accurate as possible. I was hoping to find something that where life size but no bigger than a fox or small dog. There are some companies that deliver skeletons for museums and film that have quite neat models but most of them are over my limited budget and or to big. Then there where a lot of models that was aimed at children that did not measure up to my standards. 


So after extensive surfing on the web i was left with a few candidates when suddenly a new kid on the block appeared. I'm no paleontologist but as far as i could judge this seemed by far to be the most accurate model out there. I still hesitated since there where several of my criteria s that where not met by this model. First of all it was a bit on the small side. It was both a skeleton and a "live dinosaur" as opposed to the skeleton model i was looking for. And for obvious reasons It was certainly not life size (1:24). And as it seemed both the model and the company seemed to be brand new. 


Most models i was considering had at least two dozen reviews and could be found by several dealers on the web. However after some more web surfing decided that this guy (Doyle Trankina) seemed to be trustworthy enough to give my honestly earned $199.99 in exchange of this model. 


This is also one of the main reason why i'm writing this review. If there anybody else out there scanning the web in hope of finding a really nice dinosaur model i really like to spread the word that this indeed is a very detailed beautifully crafted model. The price tag might seem hefty but to my understanding resin cast models is more of a handcraft than an industry.

The arrival of the package. 

I used PayPal to pay for my model and got a confirmation that the order was received in my mail. Then i heard nothing for quite some time so wrote another mail and eventually got an answer where Doyle apologized for the late reply and assured me that the highly anticipated package was on its way all the way to Sweden (as it turned out only a few delivery's had been dispatched to outside united states). 

Finaly the package arrive.

Very well packed.

        

The Build.

I must emphasize that i'm not in anyway an expert in the field of model building so taking any of my advice on how to build this model is done on your own risk.

The first thing i did was a field trip to Stockholm natural museum to study real fossils. As it seems there are very few real dinosaur fossils on display anywhere. One of the reason for this is that very few whole skeletons have been discovered (and none in Sweden due to the Ice Age). Most skeletons on display are made from casts from several different findings. The color of real fossil may vary quite a bit dependent on where they where found. The paint scheme i eventually selected for my models skeleton is called "Tar-pit" or at least that's what i think its called. 

As i understand it there have been findings of fossilized skin from T-Rex suggesting that at least for fully grown species there no evidence of feathers and regarding the coloring of the skin all we have is more or less qualified guesses. 

The next stop where at the biggest model supply store in Stockholm wentzels. Where i got some advice on how to build and paint resin models and what colors to use. 

1. A Grey Primer metal-plastic (vallejo)
2. Deep yellow  (vallejo 70915)
3. Flat red  (vallejo 70957)
4. Silver   (vallejo 70.997)
5. Andrea Blue (vallejo 70841)
6. Glossy Black (vallejo 70.861)
7. Gloss Varnish   (vallejo 70.510)
8. White foundation   (vallejo 70.919)
9. Black Glace   (vallejo 70855)
10. Smoke   (vallejo 70939)
11. Brown Glaze   (vallejo 854)
12. Vermillion   (vallejo 70.909)
13. Ice Yellow   (vallejo 858)
14. Epoxy Putty
15. Super Adhesive
16. Some very thin pencils             

Parts before priming

I was told that all parts should be assembled before any painting. I decided that to do some assembly before doing the priming but that assembling the whole model before painting wold have made it cumbersome to work with. Fortunately we have a carpenter/paint room in the building where i live. I used my Dremel to cut out the rib cage from the cast but tried to keep as much as possible as a guide for the assembly. This was quite messy and i'm very happy i didn't have to do this at home. After that all parts where cleaned with first soap an then pure alcohol.   

I used both glue and putty to put the rib cage in place.

Essentially i mounted the rib cage and all parts of the head before priming.

After priming.

The priming was equally messy if you don't have a paint-room i really recommend to do this outside.

After priming

If i had a chance to do it all over again i would have been more causes about removing all residues from the cast before doing the paint, live and learn (especially between the tenths). All surfaces that where to be glued later was masked using some Plastelina clay before painting.

Before doing the the painting of the bones i considered to do them much brighter than i eventually did, to get em to stand out more against the background. For the background of the bone i choose between ether plain black, "meaty" or the sort of "sand-rock" surfaces that i went with. First i applied a thin layer of white (70.919) to all bones and silver to all teeth and claws. Then painting "down" all bones using "smoke (70939)" with small doses of blue, red and yellow in different areas to get it more vivid. All the time trying to emphasize the structures and crackles of the "bone". 


The background was then painted black and painted "up" again using different brownish colors mixed with iron fillings and alum to get the right texture, finally some ocres dry pigment was applied on top of the almost dry paint. Then to get the bones to stand out against the background i applied "Lefranc and Bourgeois" aging and cracking varnish on the bones. 

the bony side

(From my field trip to the natural museum i learned that in the beginning sometimes varnish was applied to fossils in the same way as they had done to preserve natural bones. As i understood it, this is no longer a practice and that, this varnish at length do crack.)

Painting bones
   

Note that the teeth has a silver under-painting causing them to chine a little extra in some angels.

Rex

For the skin i was first thinking of a sort of light brownish color mainly to go well together with my stuffed armadillo but after studying pictures of very beautiful iguanas i decided to add some color to it. The bigger scales on the legs where painted silver and covered with black glace. The scales where emphasized using a glossy black with much water only letting it cover between the scales. Then all was covered with a dry bright greenish color applied very thin on top of the scales. For the yes my original plan was to use a acrylic eye from a taxidermy shop but it turned out that no eye where small enough for my purpose. So i used gold leaf and many layers of varnish instead.

Gold leaf on the eye

Using a tiny amount of gold leaf-base

Many layers of varnish

After this all parts was assembled except the base.

 
Then i applied blue and brown colors in sort of a stripe pattern also adding some dry pigments as dirt and some bright red om the throat. Also used a glue gun to create some saliva in the mouth. After permanently  mounting the T-Rex on it's stand some gravel was applied with glue and some more paint and pigment was used to get the whole thing to work together.  

The final result was to my surprise quite similar to that used by Doyle on his home page (of course i have studied his pictures carefully but i never directly used them during the painting)
  

 In retrospect i really like the educational aspect of the model being "dual.view"

   additional pictures

Vårsalongen över.

Om verket.
I samband med att detta verk skulle ställas ut på vårsalongen så ombads jag skriva något om Gårdvar. De tankar om verket som jag då mejlade till Liljevalchs publicerar jag nu här. (Har valt att stryka de delar av texten där jag presenterar mig själv och min brist på bildning och bara behållit det som handlar om Gårdvars tillkomst.

Detta projekt började med: en artikel (typ hemma hos) om en glaskonstnär (Ulrika Hynman), hon har en mumifierad katt som syntes på någon av bilderna i reportaget; kort efter kom det hem en venetiansk pestmask som jag beställt. Bägge gjorde djupt intryck på mig. De gav utryck för ett slags förstenad hibernerande katastrof som hotar att när som helst blossa upp. Har länge burit med mig och återkommit till en bild ur Gullivers resor, där han som jätte ligger fjättrad med ett virrvarr av tunna trådar. I denna bild finns hotet om världskatastrofen (i lilleputt världen) tillbakahållen av ett komplicerat men bräckligt skyddsverk.

Detta angav grundtonen. Ville även inkorporera kriget som den ultimata symbolen för katastrofen som när den väl väcks löper utom kontroll. Utan att för den skull förenkla. Har själv ur ett moralfilosofiskt perspektiv ytterst få exempel på när våld kan motiveras. Kan trots detta konstatera att våld och hot om våld och makt genom våld kan ha en lockelse (inte bara på mig, genomsyrar snart sagt hela vår kultur; tänker inte slå in öppna dörrar genom att ge några exempel). Varför verket även strävar efter att väcka den typen av åtrå som en stor hund, en stark storebror eller för all del en pansarkryssare kan väcka hos ett lätt hunsat barn –med den hunden vågar ingen vara dum mot mig. Har säkert rent uttrycksmässigt även hämtat inspiration ur ”Métal Hurlant” och ”The unique forms of continuity in space”.

Övergav nästan genast tanken på att köpa och avliva en katt för att mumifiera, men umgicks länge med tanken på att mumifiera en räv (har ett par arbetskamrater som jagar och skulle kunna förse mig med liket). Med detta som utgångspunkt började surfandet efter hur man gör en mumifiering (ni är säkert glada att höra att det slutgiltiga verket är helt fritt från köttprodukter). Vissa kommentarer från min sambo samt en del erfarenheter som fanns delgivna på Internet fick mig att överge denna ide (även tanken på uppretade grannar med högafflar som undrar vad som stinker på balkongen bidrog till detta).

Letade länge efter en uppstoppad räv eller liknande (planen var nu att använda en renrakad räv). Efterforskningarna ledde så småningom till att jag kom in på olika hemsidor med försäljning av material för konservering av djur. Fastnade slutligen för en räv ”mannekäng” från det förnämliga Skandia-Hardwood. Nej! Jag visste inte heller vad detta var -färdiga innandömen av olika djur som kläs in med djurhudar av konservatorer, att dessa mannekänger dessutom är ytterligare en produkt där Sverige visar sig vara världsledande hade dittills gått min näsa förbi. www.skandiahardwood.se Efter ett kort samtal med en jovialisk norrlänning var mannekängen inhandlad (killen i andra änden av luren utryckte dock en viss besvikelse över att inte få sälja på mig ett par svindyra rävögon av glas, samt en lätt oförståelse inför att jag inte var konservator).

Mycket tid gick även åt för att välja slagskepp. Valet föll på en japansk pansarkryssare. Är ingen van modellbyggare och uppgiften var minst sagt tålamodskrävande. Därför var det ytterst frustrerande när jag trots den minutiösa urvalsprocessen upptäckte att skeppet inte höll måttet (fel skala). Tvingades börja om med en rysk pansarkryssare från första världskriget. Denna modell var mycket billigare men var om möjligt ett ännu mer mardrömslikt projekt att bygga ihop (även fabrikatet var ryskt), passformen var usel och alla delarna hade en massa gjutskägg kvar (modellbåtarna är ungefär lika stora men den japanska var säker dubbelt så stor i verkliga världen).

Vid fastmonteringen av båten blev min femårige son Måns ytterligt upprörd (i ett vagt ögonblick hade det sagts att båten var våran gemensamma). Måns hade liten eller ingen förståelse för att båten sågades isär för att monteras på ”hund”.

Tänkte mig ännu att verket skulle ha samma textur som den venetianska pestmasken (gulnat ben). Efter montering av mannekängen (kom i sex delar) såg denna ut att vara uppbyggd av plåtar, ursprungsplanen övergavs därför och istället förstärktes intrycket av hopnitade plåtar (bland annat med möbelnubb). Även ett stort antal akupunktur nålar som inhandlats i syfte att fördelas över hunden och förbindas med tunna kopparledningar samlade på kommando bryggan (jämför med Galvani´s experiment med grodlår) övergavs, då räven numera mer liknade en robot än en gigantisk Frankensteinhund.

Istället fick ett par gamla klockverk utgöra det som ”styr” hundens ”rörelser”. Ville dock behålla känslan av något förbenat/fossilerat och uråldrigt. Patineringen inleddes därför med ett lager silverfärg, följt av ett lager ej heltäckande mattsvart färg. På detta las sedan järnfilspån och stålull varpå räven sprayades upprepade gånger med en blandning av citronsyra, salt, alun, hjorthornssalt och vatten vilken sen fick torka i omgångar (saltet bildar kristaller vilka påminner om de koraller som bildas på skeppsvrak). Stålullen togs bort, därpå ytterligare sprayande med saltvatten och slutligen fixerades allt med två burkar vanligt fixativ.

Så kan det gå till.