tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90344896791397114562024-03-05T02:59:36.751-08:00MutantShip"There are no mistakes, only happy accidents" - Bob Rossfreestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-56354453752372507142018-12-23T21:10:00.004-08:002018-12-23T21:11:19.513-08:00The Nod<div class="sodatext">
<br />
<br />
<span class="character">So I recently re-watched "Groove", a movie from 2000 about an underground party</span><span class="character"> in San Francisco. It's been 18 years since that movie, and it's been 5 since I last went to Burning Man</span><span class="character">, and I was thinking about how commercial and mainstream raves have become. But here was a good scene, and it sums up my years in the festival and the last years when I really contributed. I've been both of these people:</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjxZfKLO1M0"><span class="character">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjxZfKLO1M0 </span></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0690263/?ref_=tt_trv_qu"><span class="character">Guy</span></a>:
Why do you do this to yourself? Don't even get paid, risk getting arrested, for what? <br />
<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0888321/?ref_=tt_trv_qu"><span class="character">Ernie</span></a>:
You don't know? <br />
<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0690263/?ref_=tt_trv_qu"><span class="character">Guy</span></a>:
No. <br />
<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0888321/?ref_=tt_trv_qu"><span class="character">Ernie</span></a>:
The Nod. <br />
<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0690263/?ref_=tt_trv_qu"><span class="character">Guy</span></a>:
The Nod? <br />
<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0888321/?ref_=tt_trv_qu"><span class="character">Ernie</span></a>:
Happens to me at least once every party. Some guy comes up to me and
says "Thank you for making this happen... I needed this. This really
meant something to me." And they nod... and I nod back. <br />
<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0690263/?ref_=tt_trv_qu"><span class="character">Guy</span></a>:
[<span class="fine">scoffs</span>]
... That's it? <br />
<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0888321/?ref_=tt_trv_qu"><span class="character">Ernie</span></a>:
That's it. </div>
freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-72399343730822722862014-09-07T18:38:00.001-07:002014-09-07T19:32:25.711-07:00Entitlement: I knew after 2012 that Burning Man had Jumped The Shark<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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(Originally written 9/24/12) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My perspective: worst burn ever</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Be forewarned, what I’m about to say is pretty damning,
negative, and long winded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read at your
own risk.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay, so I have publicly told everyone that I had my “worst
burn ever” and I felt a little sad after sharing my disappointment with
everyone and not keeping it bottled up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I didn’t mean to be that whiny complaining guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But since it’s now out in the open I might as
well further explain what I experienced this year and why I feel about BM2012
the way I do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'll start by asserting that the problem is
participant-demonstrated a sense of entitlement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Ayn Rand defined this: “A code of values accepted by
choice is a morality”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enter the
gates of Black Rock City and are expected to abide by 10 principles, or
values.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the code of Morality at
Burning Man, and most everything else can be left behind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, an insidious development is changing the vibe at
Burning Man, and it goes against it's stated morality. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It's called commercialism,
and it fosters a sense of entitlement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the past, I'd meet all sorts of interesting participants doing their
own thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year, bringing and
operating a large art car, I would say (other than friends), I interacted mostly
with paid workers at the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
there were a ton of them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These are the people working the event for money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commercialism, if you will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me describe some interactions with the
Commercial side of the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
interacted with the Sheriff and BLM rangers when I needed to move the truck and
not run over countless bikes and drunk people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In past years, these were the buzzkill bastards watching over the
Opulent Temple and we'd create a 20 foot buffer circle avoiding them at all
costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year, I noticed that they
were helpful, calm, professional, sober, and doing their job. In other words, I
related a hell of a lot more to them than to all the "participants". </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I started to notice all the other workers who were paid to
be there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The porta-john caretakers/
cleaners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I talked with the guy who
pumped out our RV -- he had driven in from Sacramento at 2 am and had been
working till 6 pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ours was the last
pump-out he could manage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why did I
bring an RV?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was told it's a lot
easier to build and handle an art car when you don't have to hassle with camp
set up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you know what was
sacrificed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Burning Man principles of
Participation and Communal Effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
we took care of ourselves, we made lifelong friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Former campmates agreed that the best memory
was when we all banded together to salvage a dome building effort (2009) and
then the next year perfect it (2010).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
paid some guy to pump our waste and a little piece of the spirit of Burning Man
went down the drain too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You don't need to be radically self reliant when you can
rent a luxurious RV and pay someone to pump your waste and refill your fresh
water tank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is only in the last two
years that fresh water has been available for purchase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ought to stop allowing these services to
require people to be radically self reliant again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There used to be a
complaint that “Burning Man is becoming too commercial” and pumping gray water
and selling fresh water aside, I think there’s more to it than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me, this year it really hit home that the
event has shifted to a consumer mindset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This never bothered me before, but when I brought something big which
took a lot of my personal time, energy, and money, it struck a real nerve.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now I'll be the first to admit this year I did the first 6
days I was at Burning Man 2012 all wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I worked like a slave and it made me miserable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the meaning of sacrifice – to give up
as worthless things of highest value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
had a little fun, but past years were a lot of fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life at Burning Man must not demand
sacrifice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason I say I did the
event wrong is because there is no requirement for anyone to give beyond their
generosity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Burning Man is not
communism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you feel compelled to
sacrifice, to give away more than you can afford mentally, materially, or
emotionally, you are doing Burning Man wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By days 7 and 8, I changed my reaction to it all (by saying "Fuck
it") and was having fun.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the problem of entitlement and commercialism has been
brewing for a long time, it was magnified tenfold this year with high ticket
prices and a shortage of tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
newbie people and long-time Burners who bought tickets at $1000 because they so
badly wanted to go to the best party in the universe felt less desire to
contribute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They looked around at all
the art, pretty lights, mutant vehicles, large scale sound camps, and porta
potties and thought it was still a good value at $1000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They probably had the time of their lives
seeing sights and sounds and possibly helping out in small ways, but why
contribute or participate more when they already spent $1000?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further, every single veteran who went felt
they should be entitled to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am no
exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was used to getting $210
tickets thanks to hacker friends, but that always felt like luck, not
entitlement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It used to be open to
everyone, after all, with no apparent ticket cap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Burning Man tickets are now seen like
driver’s licenses… everyone feels entitled, but really it’s a privilege.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or the “right” to vote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a privilege.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The high ticket prices were like a “tax” to many
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It discouraged less well-off
people from contributing in their own way, and forced them to contribute to a
pool of money which was then redistributed by the Burning Man Organization
according to crony-ism and an arbitrary definition of worthiness, or the excess
went to a scalper and the community didn't even benefit from the high ticket
prices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Notably excluded from the grant process is art cars and
sound camps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has been an issue for
years, but it never bothered me before until the prices got so high and I saw
first hand what it’s doing to less well-off Burners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really think about half the participants
paid so much for their tickets, that they didn’t have extra cash to contribute
in a way that really tapped into their passion, skill, or desires, if they even
knew they were supposed to contribute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a census / survey at Burning Man and no results are ever
analyzed and published to show where the trends are going for spending and cost
to attend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or is that why ticket prices
go up?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Burning Man Organization analyzes
the data and decides what the market can bear for tickets?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, what happened to the core value of
“Decommodification”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I certainly
benefited from this redistribution of wealth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The established camp I stayed with had good connections and history with
the bureaucracy and they got on the 3:00 plaza power grid which kept the art
car lit all night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got hooked up with
scarce tickets and early entry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our camp
dues were ridiculously low, $40, as a result of this in addition to the
generosity and affluence of the camp members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve never been at such an elaborate camp before that cost less than
$100 per person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So why am I
complaining?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because the event has
changed dramatically as a result.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been 7 times now and for several years I helped others
by fixing bikes at “my” camp, Bike-n-Booze, or helping assemble an art car for
a stranger, and didn’t spend a lot of money on stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was expensive getting to Burning Man from
the Midwest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was taught to contribute
in my own way and volunteered a lot, knowing it was impractical to build or
bring an art car or make some huge art project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I finally moved to the West Coast, I kept the same budget but could
bring a $250 keg of beer and spent the better part of three days hauling ice to
keep it cold and happily giving it out to strangers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the $390 ticket I paid for this year busted my budget so
badly that I wouldn’t even be able to do that, or priced me out of the market so I wouldn’t be able to go, then
my contribution might be limited a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
more fortunate than most in that I could afford to build a fairly large art car
on my own. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next problem is acculturation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> There ratio of newbies to veterans is too high. </span>I did my part to tell the newbie I brought
(bless his heart) about what was expected by the community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He rose to the occasion and made me proud for
all the work and contributions he did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Truly he had the Burning Man experience and “gets it”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The work was hard, and he earned his
fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully my art car didn’t burn
him out like it did me, and was a positive experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told me later in the week that the best
part and most fun thing for him was manning the “FuBar”, a kind of confessional
bar at our camp where you have to tell your most fucked-up beyond belief story
and receive a shot if it’s a worthy story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But others just came and consumed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Helped out nada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember that more than anything. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another problem is the bureaucracy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand why bureaucracy happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s inevitable with a large group of
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I hit it hard and with my
art car creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was fortunate to
sail right through approvals for my art car, but it was entirely due to my
inside scoop on what meets the needs of the bureaucracy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I talked with anyone and everyone with art
car experience, and learned a ton about what they wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To give you an idea of some compromises, lets
start with the windscreen on my truck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wanted to cover it all up with plywood and look out small round portholes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was judged by anyone and everyone in the
know as dangerous and not going to be allowed by the BM DMV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m grateful they pointed this out, but in
the olden days I’d have been driving around like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a time in the past when drivers of
large buses (in the shape of a whale or Spanish galleon) would drive blind with
only commands from lookouts above to tell them where to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those cars were amazing to look at, and the
artistic vision wasn’t compromised by bureaucracy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granted, I’d be a fool to drive with only
portholes to peer out of, but I’d have gotten the look I wanted and would have
learned from my own mistakes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other thing that pissed me off was how stuck I was with
my rudimentary art car plan and how their application process really expects
you to deliver exactly that sketch in life-size form when the car appears for
licensing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I wanted to radically
change my concept… tough luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s too
late once the application is in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I
ran into snags and wanted to scale things back, I’m just damn glad I wrote
exactly the plan “B”s that I intended into my original application.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if I’d changed the ship from say, a
freighter into a Battleship, that would probably have been rejected if I showed
up with essentially the wrong art car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also it was a good thing that I had such a simple concept in the initial
renderings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could have dreamed up
something far more elaborate (and I did, and have all the sketches), but I only
told them what I considered the bare minimum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still, it felt like a gun to my head come August when I couldn’t scale
anything back more, yet in no way did I want to wait another year and bring it
to Burning Man in 2013 for the first time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I guess I’m an anarchist at heart, or a libertarian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Limited government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to say Burning Man is 50% hippy and
50% anarchist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now it seems it’s 50%
hippy, 47% contributing nothing / Communist, and 3% anarchist.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
/ offrant</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Burning Man principle #6 is "Communal
Effort".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it seems to be
morphing into "Communism", taking from everyone and redistributing
the wealth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The future of the event
might as well shift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let them charge
everyone $1000 per ticket and give out grants to anyone with a good idea that
meets their idea of what Burning Man should look like and feel like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unbridled creativity will be replaced by
bridled creativity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If my art car was
accepted as a worthy project, by all means I’ll take $14,000 and happily build
my creation and drive everyone around all week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The “commodification” will have completed it’s course.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gone are the early days when you’d show up and contribute in
the most outrageous way you could, principle #5 "Radical
Self-Expression".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The location is
the same, but the Burning Man corporate sponsorship and infamy / popularity of
the event has changed it irrevocably.</div>
freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-6033768227730261252013-12-15T12:00:00.001-08:002013-12-15T13:36:16.815-08:00Burning Man Burnout<!--[if !mso]>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 2006 I camped with Chillonia and it was their last year
after 8 years in a row.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their complaint
with Burning Man was that “It’s not the same. It’s changed too much”, and their
Burner career was over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I’ve been
the last 8 years in a row and feel the same way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it’s the 8 year itch or something, but
there seems to be a big difference in how I experience the event as veteran
versus a wide-eyed wondering newbie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or
it’s possible I’m just burned out by Burning Man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me explain how it happened and how the
event has changed, and why I’m not going back. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Vehicular amazement at Burning Man changed me forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first step on playa in 2006 was greeted by
a pagoda in the dusty distance, which slowly moved away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later I saw a three-story Victorian house on
wheels sitting under a massive wooden cave with the best party of my life going
on around it; I knew I wanted to build and bring my own vision of creativity to
this event.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My whole life I’ve been into cars and was a gearhead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to engineering school and designed
cars in Detroit, and was doing Fast-n-Furious style tuner cars before the movie
even came out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a certain
creativity to those cars, which aren't mass produced, but unless you’re making your own body kits and tuner
parts, it’s really about mass customization rather than individual
creativity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And someone else’s automotive sculpture formed
the basis for my personalized version.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5fRnQWgnvQ0oreiiDKgFo-iJnxO2VXkhAvqaYjTxl_m05E3tIEOwuzfvAR_KAf9vfqP9yPyIFeVD4Zm-o0O_dUMy8ujefY9hQW_D10yLubq8i4C1iCfG3RHJ6EMwh4tKNN7iJOkuIgY/s1600/P1010511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5fRnQWgnvQ0oreiiDKgFo-iJnxO2VXkhAvqaYjTxl_m05E3tIEOwuzfvAR_KAf9vfqP9yPyIFeVD4Zm-o0O_dUMy8ujefY9hQW_D10yLubq8i4C1iCfG3RHJ6EMwh4tKNN7iJOkuIgY/s320/P1010511.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaN_3tUL_3MX6ag4pEXELTJRIu8oWIKvAuaRyJjg1Bjp5TQNnukvZf-ihjCixbxjrdy4ySUxraPPfhvIFPA-yBglDL7SykeOgRD8f5qKGsxUgsWOF5gCdt4JvbIXe1E-aGeR6Hm2sfZFI/s1600/StealthBomber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How creative is selecting options from a menu of
choices?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, I had a one-of-a-kind
unique car when I was done, and nobody else had what I’d built.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s only one step above the creative level
of choosing if you want a #4 for here or to go, or choosing what color fur to
have someone else apply to your plug-n-play camp’s bike option.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So for the next few years I dreamed of how and when I would
be able to build my own art car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even
rearranged my life to make it possible, by moving from Detroit to
California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually everything came
together and I began the design process and by April of 2012 started the build
process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her name was the M/V Nain
Rouge, and she was to be a 1000 foot ore freighter in 1/25ths scale, sinking by
night and sunk by day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was well
along into the build, I found out there was going to be another sinking ship at
Burning Man in 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“But mine will
move!” I told myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year a
campmate was inspired by my art car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was super-enthusiastic and wanted to build toilet seat car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to tell him, “It’s been done. Not
creative enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back to the drawing
board”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t want to be the person
showing up at the party wearing the same outfit. To this day I tell Burners I
built a sinking ship, and they immediately think it’s the much cooler one at
the pier.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRU-1Byqado6-KJaN0z2TSCU7QjG8SmZjkokvoEjHfvLwp9tE2GPg-kXrxA0VI-TniWK3Oc0nPec3zB2W9K2lS0e-wfT5BSI7OkS4r1JImj9B_Ee0RIt6C8duML-WLCtjczWgHMQ1Wu2w/s1600/IMAG0358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRU-1Byqado6-KJaN0z2TSCU7QjG8SmZjkokvoEjHfvLwp9tE2GPg-kXrxA0VI-TniWK3Oc0nPec3zB2W9K2lS0e-wfT5BSI7OkS4r1JImj9B_Ee0RIt6C8duML-WLCtjczWgHMQ1Wu2w/s320/IMAG0358.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The inaugural year for the Nain Rouge was horrible for me:
my camp didn’t get tickets and didn’t go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My friend and I were two people assembling and building the whole thing,
as well as operating it the whole time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Driving that art car was boring as hell... art cars go 2 mph, and the
party is on the back, not with the driver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I felt much more akin with all the paid service workers at the event:
the porta-potty cleaners, law enforcement, County Health Department workers,
potable water deliverers, etc, except that I had volunteered for this
duty!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d express my woe at being stuck
driving it, and people would all offer to take a shift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when it came time to take them up on the
offer, they couldn’t do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact is
that at Burning Man, everyone is either already fucked up or planning to be in
the very near future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been in
denial about this party-as-sole-purpose aspect of the event for a while, but it
became crystal clear to me when nobody would drive it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I realized that the only reason I didn’t
want to drive was because I desperately wanted a beer from the mobile viewing
platform I’d built 15 feet off the ground.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I felt like a complete sucker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here I had spent over $15K on a large art car
only to rope myself to taxi driver service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I started to understand the meaning of generosity versus sacrifice, and
had definitely crossed the line to sacrifice. I questioned my motivations for
building it in the first place: did I just want to express my creativity, or
was this all about my ego?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least my
dream of having an awesome party around an art car came to fruition.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8GlGA3cqualgOhH8RCfoOsR08vqY-6tC6aqKob08WUe2ngEjPXvVs-m3HhrR1JuBuFxUa5oqylyie_dHdq8zpDmR2Id98fjZSTHh4iMJiiUUuHVV8zUOUtrcJeR4mM1Uo55mkWvtzu0/s1600/IMAG0529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8GlGA3cqualgOhH8RCfoOsR08vqY-6tC6aqKob08WUe2ngEjPXvVs-m3HhrR1JuBuFxUa5oqylyie_dHdq8zpDmR2Id98fjZSTHh4iMJiiUUuHVV8zUOUtrcJeR4mM1Uo55mkWvtzu0/s320/IMAG0529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Year two for the art car went a bit better since my camp
came back one last time and everyone contributed financially to bring the art
car back, but I really resented how it made me feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see, the gift economy isn’t real. It’s a
generosity trap, and Burning Man is set up to suck you dry if you let it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are feeling generous, you give from
your level of generosity and it’s a blessing to the giver and receiver. If you
are coerced to give, the gift becomes less meaningful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually think it becomes a kind of
spiritual poison if a “gift” is received like that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For years and years, Burning Man ticket prices were
reasonable and available in different tiers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you had extra to give, and felt inspired to do so, you could buy the
more expensive tickets and help subsidize the event and purchasers of lower
tier tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then after the 2012 ticket
fiasco, everyone had to pay the highest prices for tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I paid $390 and brought an expensive art car
to Burning Man in 2013, even after being laid off in early April of this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This completely tapped me out, and I really
have to credit my camp, Bike-n-Booze, for financially supporting the return of
the ship this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without their help,
I would not have gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between liability
insurance, the expenses of maintaining and registering a Commercial Vehicle in
California, and the diesel fuel at 10 mpg, you need a good income to afford
this.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everyone who stepped foot on the art car was essentially
getting a $100 ride, if they were to pay the true cost of riding it, and my
generosity was tapped out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was all
sunk cost by the time the art car showed up at Burning Man, so I didn’t
actually resent any person riding it or care at that point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I was pissed at myself for spending so
much money, and giving to an event that didn’t give back in equal measure. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My generous gift became a poison to me.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHl7fGZ3V8wj__tEhSlJTL4IFJk3A56U4ws8nNveWGaOPbI4dkwJntgb3NpIBD2OWmlEtLaHg7BVnnnxisdxgh-H1m9jGlvA2zp5QmZlv5DezJHMMmMihEXaReYEhCXv8C87m5ZchLAg/s1600/IMAG4351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHl7fGZ3V8wj__tEhSlJTL4IFJk3A56U4ws8nNveWGaOPbI4dkwJntgb3NpIBD2OWmlEtLaHg7BVnnnxisdxgh-H1m9jGlvA2zp5QmZlv5DezJHMMmMihEXaReYEhCXv8C87m5ZchLAg/s320/IMAG4351.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got absolutely no support from Burning Man Org for my
efforts, and paid a shit load.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
happens all the time with art cars and sound camps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is perhaps the main reason why I’m not
going back to Burning Man again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where
is my ticket money going?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to the
things I want to support at Burning Man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I learned that I’m not my own wealthy patron, and I learned that people
with the real deep pockets do more for Burning Man than we’ll ever know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our neighbors down the street brought the
amazing Wide Awake art car, which apparently is owned by the guy who runs
Insomniac Events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had to cost $250K
to make, at least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why am I even trying
to compete with that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next time, I need
to be the guy who gets hired to make art cars reality.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And to the entitled newbies that demanded to the door
operator that we stop and give them a ride: Fuck Off and be happy if you ever
get gifted an Art Car ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want
an Art Car to stop, you talk to the driver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For some reason people think the door operator controls everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s like expecting the gangway platform
operator on a cruise ship to be in charge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ask the Captain if you want to ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes the door people have a communication line to the front, but
not always.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it doesn’t hurt to ask
both people, but don’t expect to get a ride on an Art Car by just walking up to
it, especially when it’s moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One guy
was so upset he couldn’t get on that he demanded to know the name of my art
car, like he was going to turn me into the Art Car police. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ok I’ll
step off the soapbox on that subject.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GoLY9sVGjGTqKMjijUfErTgqFAJFE6GfmrCm9WAxIbJNniSOYJCh_CWkH9VX0prlUFqpLNw1e0chMDRcbdrYAvpW5evfGp7UuUY7yfvnxdCpCNH1-JEZIFLjVU1eDSq8SNi5X2LGjHw/s1600/IMAG4565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GoLY9sVGjGTqKMjijUfErTgqFAJFE6GfmrCm9WAxIbJNniSOYJCh_CWkH9VX0prlUFqpLNw1e0chMDRcbdrYAvpW5evfGp7UuUY7yfvnxdCpCNH1-JEZIFLjVU1eDSq8SNi5X2LGjHw/s320/IMAG4565.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="null">So the art car was taken apart and destroyed
at the end of the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I burned all
the wood at Burning Man and scrapped over 450 lb of steel when I got home and
got $13 for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am hoping to recover
about half my $15K in build expenses when the truck sells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned a lot about myself and a lot about
generosity, and became completely burned out on Burning Man. I found I love the
regional events, because they’re small enough and un-bureaucratic enough to
have the vibe of the Burning Man that I loved my first year.</span></div>
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<span class="null">At SD Decom this year I met the guy who
bankrolled an awesome sound camp there... it was pretty tight. Nice lights too.
He just was sitting back looking smug, and I was like "you had something
to do with this, didn't you? I recognize that look."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yep. He basically
said, "we spent the whole afternoon tweaking the sound. I paid for all of
this".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one thing I can say,
having been in his shoes, is that it makes you feel like a fucking magician. It’s
the whole "I built this" feeling; it's the accomplishment of real creativity, not creativity like choosing what color ipod cover to buy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We should allow some room for ego at Burning Man. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M</span><span class="null">y first year out with
the art car I kept questioning if I did this out of ego or just to see it out
there, to prove to myself I could build it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first year was purely for the vision, to see creativity come to
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second year: ego, to prove that Burning Man did not defeat me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point, my ego is satisfied.</span></div>
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So who really benefits from getting 600 people to spend
anywhere from $2K - $250K on their art cars? You could say the participants, or
you could say the Burning Man Organization. They jacked up everyone’s ticket to
$390 and don’t fund art cars. BM Org’s Profit: Priceless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some things money can’t buy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For everything else, there’s generous
suckers.</div>
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freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-28306636734670291242012-09-17T20:25:00.001-07:002012-09-17T20:27:34.186-07:00Lessons and RealizationsWell, it's two weeks back and I am feeling the euphoria of Burning Man wear off. The excitement of sharing pictures and videos has subsided and the reality of clean-up is about half dealt with, for me anyway. I still can't fit my car in the garage due to piles of boxes and stuff. Would I do it all over again? Probably yes. I'm really glad I didn't get laid off from my job because the bill for my extravagance was steep. I'm also glad to have had the opportunity to learn new skills and have new experiences, but have the stability of a job that pays for my food and allowed me to fulfill a dream that had been kindled with my first visit to Burning Man seven long years ago.<br />
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About a week ago, before the excitement wore off, I was asked if I'd want to expand and add on to the art car, and I couldn't stop thinking about the idea for a whole following day. I am a bit cooler headed now and am ready to put all additional effort onto the back burner. Just for fun, and to see if this resonates at all with someone, I'll explain the idea. Basically, add a sea serpent to the back of the sinking ship and recreate an epic sea battle on the open playa. Turn the freighter into a sinking destroyer or battleship by simply repainting it and adding some boxes in front and in back shaped like gun turrets, and of course they'd be flame shooting. Maybe after seeing what I built, people will want to get on board and really help out with the operation next year. Because I've decided: next year, other people will drive it. Besides, if I relocate the controls up high then the driver won't be isolated down below and all the visibility problems would be solved. If a crowd doesn't appear, then fuck no it won't get built and the exact same truck will be back.<br />
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Some other lessons have sunk in a bit more. Safety Third has new meaning to me. I put a lot of blood and sweat into this. Tears, not so much, but if I'd had time to go to the Temple this year I might have shed those too. My body was sacrificed in the creation of this truck: my arms were scratched up and down, large bruises, a burn from hot metal fragments while drilling. When it came down to a dirty job that had to be done and required maximum sacrifice, I had to do it. I couldn't ask someone else, and no one was volunteering. Climbing up 14 feet in the air on not-solid-flooring to repair a malfunctioning LED strip was required. If I wanted to see that light strip light up, it was required. Safety 3rd was the way it got done, and ingenuity and resourcefulness. When scaffolding disappeared Thursday night, we used the RV as a work platform to take the thing apart. That seemed a lot better than scampering around on a 21 degree sloping slippery playafied piece of plywood. The single injury was when Yvonne got scratched badly by a screw in the door area which should have been a different length. We duct taped the crap out of everything remotely sharp after that.<br />
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Other realizations: I realize I have a lot more spatial/ visualization/ ability to understand how things work and automotive expertise than most out there, and I like to use it. I.e., I like when shit happens. This is actually pretty sick, because who in their right mind relishes adversity? When the check engine and red flashing check transmission light flashed on the drive up, I bought an OBD tester and made a judgement on if it was okay to drive up. When the turbo hose popped off not once but twice at the highest elevation over the pass, I was able to calmly determine I didn't have a blowout and simply repair the popped-off hose. The ability to fix these problems was directly a result of my experience on turbo cars and the last 5 years designing on-board diagnostic systems. The fact that the only part of the art portion of the truck that broke the whole week was an LED strip tells a lot. I don't know, I guess I'm proud of my ability and want some respect. But forget the pride and recognize that all my efforts were to one goal. I'm glad I put my skills to use. I am very sure that other people had a far worse time with their vehicles at Burning Man. The problems I had you can't just throw money at, either. That doesn't make me lucky... it just proves something. I'm no horse whisperer; more like a vehicle whisperer or something.<br />
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A lot of people helped out. A lot. From herding people to operating the door without knocking someone unconscious, everyone lent a hand to the best of their ability. Even the complete drunks were trying to be helpful by babbling incoherently to me about some pointless shit. When the lights on the sinking ship started flashing on and off after the Wall Street burn, and then turned completely off, the community helped out. The owner of a fine space shuttle let me have some gasoline to get back to camp with lighting on (vital to avoid accidents). This was after the gas ran out on Friday and we borrowed 3 gallons from another camp. Miscommunication is the cause of the gas shortage; I had no gas can. I did have 15 gallons of diesel, but that didn't help. I'm thinking to pick up a small used diesel generator for next year to avoid reliance on multiple types of fuel. I was generously able to borrow a Honda 3000 and it performed flawlessly, but I can't count on anything for next year and I would like to relocate the generator to outside the passenger area. And get that diesel exhaust routed to the back as well instead of trapped underneath because of the side paneling and fabric skirt. I better make a list of redesign priorities.<br />
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So what next? Time to move on. I'm slowly going to finish cleaning and putting everything away. I don't want the alkaline playa dust to wreck all my camping stuff. I probably won't do the RV again... the army tent was as good and way less expensive. I need to repair the 12v outlet on the truck, figure out why the blower fan was groaning loudly after I cleaned out the cab, and buy a new air filter or two. Next year I will reach out to the community in a different way. All the heavy lifting is done and now it's all fun details and enhancements. Collaboration could be arranged in a not-last-minute way, and ideally all changes engineered and executed before summer even starts. The fun part for me was designing and building it, not having it there or taking responsibility like a stern parent the whole time. By Spring, I may just have the energy to start building and designing parts again. The ship has a 2 Burning-Man-year life cycle, and then I set the truck free. Catch and release, I call it. I'm just a steward for it for a couple of years and then it moves on to someone else. Everything is temporary... Black Rock City taught me that. Yes, it's time to move on now.<br />
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Oh, and check out this link. This was after the man burned. I had at least an hour of permanent grin. It didn't make up for all the work, but was pretty damn satisfying anyway.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KakawyZqpfo&feature=share">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KakawyZqpfo&feature=share</a><br />
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<br />freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-48918134352814371832012-09-07T21:35:00.002-07:002012-09-07T21:51:53.617-07:00AftermathWell it's been a few days now since Burning Man 2012 finished so I can laugh a little and relax a lot. The last month leading to the event were crazy and I was basically working a 90 hour week for all of August. It was 50-55 hours at work during weekdays, then a few hours after work, and 8-9 hour days at the shop on weekends. It is laughable now, but I had checklists leading up to departure with to-do items like: finish art car/ steps, buy diesel containers, buy dryer duct (measure?), print early arrival pass, take ticket, change clothes. It was insane. I have never worked so sustainably hard in my life. But it's all in the past now, as is the week of Burning Man.<br />
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So I built my first art car and took it to Burning Man. I have to say it turned out pretty well and looked cool. My only intention was to see it out there, and I succeeded at that. While it's only been a few days since I got back, my initial conclusion is that this was the worst burn ever for me. It comes down to the fact that I worked like a dog for the entire summer and ended up a taxi driver until I finally said fuck it on Friday last week. That was when I took the event back and started to have fun.<br />
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The 2012 event was markedly different in feel compared with prior years (I've been going since 2006). I have never seen such a sense of entitlement from participants. It's like the art car was god's gift to them for showing up or something. I don't understand how a complete stranger can expect a ride on a crowded rolling dance party when I can barely see out the front window and know damn well that the amount of people on the back is probably the limit. Then to demand "what's the name of this art car" like he's going to turn me into the art car police or something for violating his preconceived newbie notion that "that's not the Burning Man spirit". Later on, when I had to yell, "for the love of god, get down from there before you get yourself killed. I built this and know it will fall through", at least people had the sense to listen. There were exceptions, thank god, because without assistance I could not have put the art car together. The main structure requires about 6 people to lift into place, and strangers helped there. I got a lot of encouragement and help assembling and disassembling it from Shane, Gumby, James, and Phil. DJs Fingers, Poptart, and Lighthouse made a major contribution too. Special props to Joe and Maggie for driving it Thursday and allowing me to ride on the back deck for the first time for once, and for Shane driving it too and for Bjorn for generously offering. Of course, everyone that helped build it back in Orange County deserves huge applause too.<br />
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For about one hour on Saturday night, I was on a natural high and had a kind of permagrin. This was the night. That was some cool shit. If I could thank anyone for that, it would be the octopus owner, Heart Deco owner, and all the cool people dancing in front of our art cars.<br />
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But all in all, I have to say the actual event was a sucky experience for me. It was a lot of work, and not a lot of reward, other than my internal gratification for seeing the art car out there. And that is/ has to be enough. But seriously, I didn't realize this until this trip, and it was my 7th burn: Everyone at Burning Man is either drinking alcohol or doing drugs. Why this is a surprise amazes me, but I think it's because I used to generally be completely sane and sober about every other day at Burning Man and somehow assumed everyone else was on a similar schedule. Nope. They're either wasted, in the process of getting messed up, or planning to get intoxicated soon. That was a little bit sad to me. And I guess I was in the same category, because I only noticed this when I was desperately trying to get someone else to drive the damn thing so I could crack open a beer on the upper deck. And generally failed to get anyone to drive it. So I was sober a lot last week. I only partied on Wednesday and Friday nights after parking around 1-2 am and abandoning ship for the night. Otherwise by day or night, I was completely sober. And the drunk people all around could become pretty annoying. I'm really at a loss right now if I want to do this again, but I did always plan to bring the art car to at least two Burning Man events. And since it's finished, I guess it will be no problem to take it back next year. But I'll be with a camp that helps out and has some kind of shift sign-up schedule so it's not all my burden. And even a bad day at Burning Man is better than 99% of other days not at Burning Man. Maybe I'll have a different perspective in a month... I'll post some more pictures and thoughts later.<br />
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<br />freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-23175069037852196792012-08-19T07:40:00.001-07:002012-08-19T07:40:23.455-07:00Progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-29238522619571419212012-08-11T21:27:00.003-07:002012-08-11T21:27:40.646-07:00Not Legal to Drive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ok, at this point, I'm completely weary. 2 weeks until Burning Man and it's not done. The worst part is that I don't have an operating permit from the CA DMV to legally drive it. The truck has full registration and plates since June, but for a personal use vehicle over 10,000 lb gross vehicle weight, you need a "CA" number and Operating Permit. The fine is $2500 and they can impound your vehicle, if caught. It's stupid and only $35, but to find out about this now is very stressful. Well maybe the DMV will come through in time. I plan to hit the road anyway and say "the check and application is in the mail". Plus I put a fancy "NOT FOR HIRE" sticker on the side which basically indicates to the weigh stations that it is a personal vehicle.</div>
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Today I was lucky to have the help of Alex and James and we lowered the front frame and drilled a massive amount of holes. Basically the front upper and side panels are fully drilled and done. No additional work there, except I need to buy some shorter hardware. On Friday night I managed to get the tail a bit more detailed. Missing are the huge rudder and some propellers. The propellers are optional at this point, since I never had them in any of the early designs I submitted to Burning Man. I didn't take pictures, but today I also managed to frame in the door and weld in the lower support. All the wire in the nice welder is used up, so I had to use the not so good one. It makes a huge difference in the weld quality, but I don't have time to wait until a welding supply store opens on Monday. And here are some pics from the last few days:</div>
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<br />freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-41166063544466405102012-08-05T22:49:00.003-07:002012-08-05T22:49:54.447-07:00Two weekends left<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
No details to share, but pictures are worth a thousand words. I am stepping it up a notch. Gonna have to work nights from now till the end of the month.</div>
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<br />freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-47403762263796820742012-08-04T22:04:00.001-07:002012-08-04T22:04:31.610-07:00Work Saturday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So this was the weekend to hang plywood! Instead it was the weekend to weld some framework, finish the smokestack (which looks amazing... sorry no finished pictures to share yet), and see what 5" portholes look like on the plywood. Unfortunately, the cab-over framework had some strange alignment problems and the left side which fit perfectly last week didn't fit today. So that slowed everything down. Anyway, 9 hours later and we had accomplished a lot and enjoyed some burgers and a lot of beers and Coca cola.</div>
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<br />freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-28914011591680340802012-07-22T21:19:00.002-07:002012-07-22T21:19:59.061-07:00Deck. Done!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Alright! So the deck is up and completely mounted. It will withstand at least the 70 mph wind. That thing isn't going anywhere. Special thanks to Ed for cutting some joists, making two runs to Home Depot, and chopping up the metal joist hangars into a useful shape. Without the help, I probably wouldn't have finished the deck today.<br />
<br />
Anyway, it's done. And I sent out the following official invite to the OC Burning Man community for Saturday the 4th! Now I have a deadline.<br />
<br />
<br />
Hi all,<br />
I wanted to give heads-up that in two weeks I'm inviting you to help in raising<br />
the plywood shell around a new Mutant Vehicle. It will be on Saturday, August<br />
4th, from noon-ish till dark or so, at the 2013 SLACerspace in Santa Ana.<br />
<br />
The work that day will include plywood cutting, hanging, drilling, bolting, and<br />
painting. I'll send a reminder out later, but wanted to give people a chance to<br />
save the date! The structure is nearly complete and soon the cosmetic part of<br />
the build can begin.<br />
<br />
<br />
Pictures of the concept and current status are here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sinker9/sets/72157629460598827/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/sinker9/sets/72157629460598827/</a><br />
and<br />
www.mutantship.blogspot.com<br />
<br />
As for what is it:<br />
The vehicle will be a sinking ship, the back half of a freighter specifically<br />
with the front 800 feet under the surface. By day it will look like a rusty<br />
sunken relic on the bottom of a dried out ocean or lake. When in the Black Rock<br />
Desert, I hope it makes people ponder nuclear war, global warming, water<br />
shortages, post-apocalyptic life, the temporary existence of humans, and<br />
experience echoes of the Exxon Valdez, Costa Concordia, Titanic, or Edmund<br />
Fitzgerald.<br />
<br />
By night, the M/V Nain Rouge will be lit up to appear in the process of sinking,<br />
and is no longer the wreck at the bottom. When faced with absolute calamity,<br />
what will her crew do? Abandon ship? Get out the violin and play along with the<br />
string quartet? Dance their worries away?<br />
<br />
That's the plan!<br />
<br />freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-29458164544722482412012-07-21T22:38:00.002-07:002012-07-21T22:38:29.331-07:00Floor, Welding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ok, so this is the truck so far... can anyone see the sinking ship in it except me? I've realized my spatial ability might be different than others. A good woodcarver brings the sculpture out of the wood, by working with the grain and removing material until all that's left is the desired shape. Most people just see a block of wood. In the same way, this blank slate of a truck is being turned into a sinking ship. Just very slowly. And nobody quite gets it yet, it seems. Well you will soon enough. Today I threw some flooring up and attempted to weld some joist beams hangars to the rack. Unfortunately, they didn't tack weld very well so I'll have to end up drilling and bolting them down.<br />
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My welding of these joist hangars was particularly shitty... clearly I need more practice. But it sure looks cool with all the sparks! I didn't even notice noxious fumes coming from the galvanized steel. Actually the hangars welded just fine but the thick C-channel beams didn't melt at all. Like I said, tomorrow I drill and bolt. I do not trust these tack welds to 65mph freeway speed and two 4 x 8 sheets of plywood, 3/4" thick. I don't want to see the floor taking off like a wing and flying onto the car behind me. Some U-channel bolts are also needed. Here are a bunch more pictures:<br />
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Till next time!freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-74985185249965917032012-07-18T21:55:00.000-07:002012-07-18T22:01:51.590-07:00Steel Beam Bumper is less Redneck than 2x4 Wood BumperPlans? Who needs 'em! Well it turns out I do. The beams went together into a fine 9 foot x 9 foot L-shaped structure, but they were too long to attach properly to the top of the rack. So I had to do some additional measurements and it's back to the drawing board, literally. Apparently simulating a 9x 9 "L" shape out of 8'x8' wood that was lying around was not an accurate mockup.<br />
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On the bright side, the end caps welded nicely to the new bumper. I welded the crap out of them so they're not going anywhere. On the not so bright side, I realized during welding that they're stainless steel. And stainless steel not only sucks to weld, but it really sucks to drill. I about wrecked all my large drill bits to get two 9/16" holes cut. Anyway, at least the welding went well! That beam is probably stronger than the bolts used to hold the bumper on. I used the same weldnut threads as normally holds on the plastic bumper. I may put another couple of bolts in there since I think the loads will be pretty high (at least 4-500 pounds or more, depending on if people decide to climb over the cab).<br />
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And last but not least, the 12" subwoofers I ordered last month have arrived. I am temporarily trying them out in my car. They work pretty well with the amp I have and seem to handle the amp just fine. They're rated for the full output of the amp, which is 600W RMS at 2 Ohms. It makes my headlights dim... hopefully the diesel truck with two very large 12V batteries in parallel won't be as affected. These both will be moved to the truck at some point.<br />
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<br />freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-62469063045106447862012-07-07T19:45:00.002-07:002012-07-07T19:45:41.044-07:00The 5 Steps of Project ManagementSo as I sit back outside myself and observe my making of this art car, I can clearly see the stages of project management are moving along nicely. I'm currently on step 2. This hit true when Mike called me out for referring to it as "my fucking truck thing". In case you forgot the five steps, they are:<br />
1. Euphoria and Excitement<br />
2. Disenchantment<br />
3. Search for the Guilty<br />
4. Punishment of the Innocent<br />
5. Reward for the Uninvolved<br />
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<span style="font-size: 9pt;"> </span>So yes, I am well past the wild enthusiasm of step one and well into the frustration of step 2. The search for the guilty has already begun. The guilty is obviously me, since this is all my idea. However, somewhere along the line my way of thinking was shaped which led to the crazy idea in the first place. Now I need to psychoanalyze myself and figure out where society drove me to do this. Clearly step 5, reward for the uninvolved, happens at Burning Man when hundreds of strangers enjoy this thing I create. In the corporate world, the uninvolved get promoted.</div>
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Anyway, today I did get the bumper taken apart, purchased lots of bolts, drilled a bunch more holes, made my ears ring chopping a new bumper beam, and now the rack on the bed is almost 100% freeway worthy. Just have to secure the cross beams a bit better. Those were frustrating because there's a little tab of spring steel that I attempted to drill through, and then quickly remembered from engineering school that spring steel is hard as hell. Definitely should have chopped those off before assembly.</div>
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I spent 5 hours again and accomplished very little. I'm realizing that I need to roughly double the amount of time any particular task takes me. I am just not that efficient! I have a 40 minute attention span, then need to do something different. But I'll spend another fine day tomorrow and will get the damn bumper beam welded up, bolted on, and ready for the vertical beams. For your viewing pleasure:</div>
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<br /></div>freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-48462019033790190252012-07-03T20:46:00.001-07:002012-07-03T20:54:30.953-07:00Drill Baby DrillSo Sunday I spent 5 hours drilling holes. In fact, this was a colossal squandering of time. But I did get all these bolts in. 1/2" and 5/8" holes are a piece of cake once you buy $350 worth of drills and drill bits. I actually enjoy drilling holes now. My old 3/8" chuck drill was unable to make holes of this size, and I decided I didn't trust my welding so bolting was a must. The reason it took so long was because I had to buy the bolts and then experiment with the drill, rearrange the pallet racks, and line everything up. Also I needed to bs with the CORE members and escape the relentless 75 degree heat and sun. And buy bolts from Home Depot. Remaining bolts will be purchased from a reputable bolt seller, and not garbage grade bolts. But frankly with 5/8" bolts the low grade will work. I can say this without any reservations since I have a master's degree in mechanical engineering. Trust me, a 5/8" bolt will handle these loads! Oh, and I concluded that I'm crazy. I can't even explain why I'm doing this anymore... I should be committed. Nonetheless, this will be finished.<br />
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<br />freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-10590667609834106332012-07-01T11:27:00.001-07:002012-07-01T11:27:17.964-07:00Some Assembly Required<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Okay, since it's been a few weeks, so I should show where it's at. I find assembly and collecting all the materials a lot slower than planned. The reason is I have to think through absolutely every detail as I go. The plans are just a guide, and have to constantly be readjusted as the actual recycled materials are found. Yesterday my friend Billy and some of the SLAC / CORE folks helped me put assemble the pallet racks. Currently they're just sitting on the bed (no freeway driving!) but I'll get them bolted or welded down soon, probably later today. There was a lot of discussion on what level to put the floor. I appreciate the discussion, because every perspective helps. I find it really fun to think through the details... these are things I never have to do or consider in my normal work of designing and engineering car parts and systems.<br />
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This view shows you the loose mock-up of the racks and an old pallet thrown on the cross-beams to simulate the height. The brown cylinder is the proposed placement of the smokestack. I am thinking it's too far forward, but maybe when the frame is built around the cab it will be more clear. The height of the beams is currently at 5', and we did try putting them at 6'. Ideally, higher would give a better view and allow people to use the space under the decking. But once we were up that high (10 feet off the ground), the truck could be easily swayed by just one person. The railings were also only 2.5 feet, which made it feel really unsteady. The platform is now at 5 feet and that seems about right for this size of truck. Maybe next year ambitions and construction skills will be for something bigger and higher, but this is it. After setting the height, I then had to notch the uprights to make them fit with the bulkhead of the truck bed. Here's the final positioning after the cutting:<br />
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Here's a view from standing on the new platform. You can see how the framing of the bulkhead on the truck fits nicely with the new pallet rack structure. The notch was required at the base.</div>
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The back end of the space is now 5 feet high. It's probably going to be some kind of lounge / chillout space. Nobody will be able to stand under there. I'm thinking carpeting and a bunch of pillows. Maybe bean bags or something like that.<br />
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The sides will just be clad in 1/4" plywood. That (hopefully) will be the simple part of the project. I also realized that I can't just invite a bunch of people over to get this done. Each part requires too much measuring, planning, and practice with machine tools. Near the end, when it's just plywood cutting and painting, will be the time to enlist a large group for help. Until then, it's going to be just me and the occasional helper. I'll probably need help again to move the rack around to get the holes drilled, but mostly it's a solo project for now. Only 7 more weekends available. Anyway, at least it's shaping up!freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-90845509427328433562012-06-10T23:09:00.002-07:002012-06-10T23:09:50.342-07:00Design and Inspiration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikG8LuS2BOjbKZOZwCM_v06Ow3Z1z1aCYGDbbR_knc0QQxzuHhRzqLBRuZRsFNPMjvEuaogc1GZYAseBzRCg1SgOWJhEhaLe4Y9OEK3fPdogF8luMeDzjCuhQt-8ONB6zvPOhYVrNZi_Y/s1600/IMAG0137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikG8LuS2BOjbKZOZwCM_v06Ow3Z1z1aCYGDbbR_knc0QQxzuHhRzqLBRuZRsFNPMjvEuaogc1GZYAseBzRCg1SgOWJhEhaLe4Y9OEK3fPdogF8luMeDzjCuhQt-8ONB6zvPOhYVrNZi_Y/s320/IMAG0137.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHFjxP4_AcBMeVRX9yDrJlh0ZDQkaIJGF547LJkWfcztihzGmlyHkgvh2M2HbWT6sq8oQiRqYYs-qjbFgVl2hS-LMNjVz22x1ow-GBp0gBkcue1KQMJfXfNIC4BeY7QlQQdlD1bbET_g/s1600/IMAG0138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHFjxP4_AcBMeVRX9yDrJlh0ZDQkaIJGF547LJkWfcztihzGmlyHkgvh2M2HbWT6sq8oQiRqYYs-qjbFgVl2hS-LMNjVz22x1ow-GBp0gBkcue1KQMJfXfNIC4BeY7QlQQdlD1bbET_g/s320/IMAG0138.jpg" width="320" /></a>Well time for another update. I'm slowly finishing up material plans and design details, and will start assembling beams as soon as mid-week. The pallet rack uprights are perfect building materials -- cheaper than scrap steel, and already in the right shapes. But without the cross-beams, they're flimsy and I want to make sure the truck stays freeway capable to be able to get more materials and to help out the CORE project (pictures at left). But that's not to say that I've been idle.<br />
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I've been working on some of the detailing and puzzling design problems. Since I decided to make the narrow version, basically I'm going to be bolting plywood directly to the 8" flange that round around the flat bed. You can see it in the picture at top... it's got the red and white reflective tape on it. But since the ramps aren't going to be built, and I don't want people jumping into the vehicle while it's moving, I had to design up a door. I'm thinking it will be a wooden panel that's hinged at the bottom as in this sketch:<br />
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You would be surprised at how difficult it is to find appropriate hardware such as handles and hinges online. I really need to locate a local industrial supply company that sells heavy duty stuff like that. This fold down version is the one I'll probably go with. But that decision only came after trying a couple other ideas out. I was thinking some 1/5 scale lifeboats disguising simple steps would also work. From a distance, you'd see the lifeboat, but up close you'd step on them. I rejected this idea because 1) it seemed like a lot of work to fabricate and 2) there'd be no way to keep people off the steps/ little boats while the vehicle's moving. So a hatch up high and opened and closed deliberately will keep all the people out that run up to it and want to jump on while it's moving.<br />
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The next question I decided to explore through drawings was the paint scheme. Originally I was just thinking all rust colored for the hull, and white for the superstructure. But I was inspired by that Japanese trawler that floated across the Pacific after last year's Tsunami and showed up as a ghost ship in Alaska. This is one option for some faux rust along all the portholes. That trawler had a completely black bottom from seaweed and rust.<br />
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Actually I have been thinking about this sunken ship art car idea for well over 4 years or more, if I can come clean with you. And it started earlier than that really. I'll start explaining with an oblique reference to my childhood: Star Blazers. This was a Japanese sci-fi cartoon where the Earth has been attacked by aliens and all the oceans dried up by the bombs and radiation, and the humans left have to live underground. So the Earth Defence Force rebuilds a sunken battleship into a spaceship, and in a great scene it comes to life from the flat expanse, breaking free of the dried up ocean floor. It was these images from childhood which inspired me.<br />
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This cartoon was remade into a Japan-only live action movie recently, much to my delight. It's called Yamato, which incidentally was the flagship of the Japanese Imperial Navy. But I digress. <br />
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The idea of a sunken ship appealed to me, and I actually thought about building a giant sunken battleship on the Playa for Burning Man. This leads me to the Murmansk, a Russian ship parked a little too close to shore. Note that it's all rust colored. This will probably be the paint scheme that I want the truck to look like. You can tell that this ship has been there a long time. A little battleship gray remains, but it's mostly red rust. I'm thinking to make mine the same. A lot of red rust over the top of some white.<br />
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Well this was probably back in 2008 when I was fixated on a sunken warship. I started thinking about other sunken ship ideas in 2010. Thus the Great Lakes Ore Freighter idea. Once the project is done, maybe I'll show the evolution of those ideas. Originally I thought the front would be showing, not the rear. But sunken nonetheless. Who doesn't like shipwrecks? This was another inspiration for that idea. <br />
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This was the HMS Love from Burning Man 1999. I love it, and never saw it. I didn't even go to Burning Man until 2006. But that's a pretty clever concept. Last but not least, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Dock. Last year it was very cool, and ship art cars all drove up next to it. This year, there will be a sunken Spanish Galleon at the end, that will look like it crashed into the thing and sunk. Just the rear end! They stole my idea. Grrr. And it will definitely one-up my car, because they have 50 people all from like Disney and Hollywood working on detailing it up. But it won't drive around, will it! Anyway, it's all good. There are no original ideas, right?freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-24637656525607538372012-06-02T16:02:00.001-07:002012-06-02T16:15:09.985-07:00Blank Canvas Finally ReadyIt's on! Construction has begun. So here's the first load of metal, thanks to Mike's resourcefulness:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03HeGKZy_g2aKL2PpsfTH7rQ78Gn6OtvVIfM4DcyezhfUTw-9mMbQySoLiTPfUg-qrbZuf2Ub2mWt5emvomae41PeGZiBm-DWdcPvBYGaCQ5HTbPltRmp8dhLCfkQzyIuMSR6OvMJmJc/s1600/IMAG0095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03HeGKZy_g2aKL2PpsfTH7rQ78Gn6OtvVIfM4DcyezhfUTw-9mMbQySoLiTPfUg-qrbZuf2Ub2mWt5emvomae41PeGZiBm-DWdcPvBYGaCQ5HTbPltRmp8dhLCfkQzyIuMSR6OvMJmJc/s400/IMAG0095.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pallet racks: the perfect mutant ship building material</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The long racks are going into the warehouse space, but the shorter ones are 7 feet long and will make up the upper deck area of the ship. So instead of doing the cab-over framework, the deck will be constructed first, probably next Saturday once some additional materials are purchased since we have only the uprights. And the next great find: smokestack material! Magically some large 55 gallon barrel type containers made out of cardboard showed up next to the dumpster. Painted red with a big white stripe (maybe) and placed on the upper deck, one more detail is figured out. The advantage of these is that they're super light and that'll help to keep the weight down. I may have to rig up some kind of framework inside, they're so light. The next order of business today was to measure the rig.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ghost view from the side, steeper descent angle.</td></tr>
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I'm really starting to enjoy this process, whereas earlier in the year it terrified me.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9034489679139711456" name="1379f4feede10e23__MailAutoSig"><span style="color: #1f497d;">"You
gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you
really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you
think you cannot do." – Eleanor Roosevelt</span></a> <br />
<br />
The biggest question I had was if I'd find the time to build it, not if I could do it. Now I know for sure -- it will be buildable in time for Burning Man. I spent last weekend at Lightning in a Bottle festival and no longer feel any need to do other camping trips or festivals until August. 5 days of camping and partying will do that. Elesium was canceled. After I got back from LiB, I sold my Electric Daisy Carnival ticket on stubhub and actually made a little money on it. And now I have every summer weekend free to build stuff! If I just pick away at little projects, before I know it the whole thing will be finished. Summer in California is going to be great.<br />
<br />
I finally got all the California registration bs finished and got my
license plate and stickers. In case you never knew, the little two
digit number stickers on the side of commercial vehicles indicate how
much weight the truck and trailer can weigh. I got "15", which means
15,000 pounds, and actually could have paid an additional $140 to get a
"20". I don't figure I'll be pulling a fully loaded 12,000 lb truck with
a 6,000 pound trailer, which is the maximum the truck is rated to
pull. If someone needs the truck to pull a heavy trailer like that, by
all means they can pay the extra to get the updated registration (or pay
the fine). Thanks to the DMV, I had to learn about weigh stations and
pulled into an official California Weighmaster with the truck empty. It
weighs 5,960 lb completely empty, so that means I can load it up with
2.5 tons of stuff. Anyway, I got my stickers! <br />
<br />
So what's next? More collaboration! If you love your work, it is supposed to be fun. I am still trying to figure out how to make that happen at my place of employment, but with this project, it's not work. I am meeting people that want to contribute in their own way, and want to extend an open invitation to others to help in whatever way they feel like. This is the vision I had for the project all along. Everyone wins when everyone does what they feel like doing. It all comes together so effortlessly. I'm sure at some point I'll have to do something I don't want to do (like the DMV nonsense), but with an eye on the process and the eventual goal, it'll all get done. So if you want to build some part of this, or have an idea you want to see become real, talk to me! I know what I can do; you know what you want to do. Let's find the happy medium where everything meshes. <br />
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</div>freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-54236615117756106612012-05-20T14:21:00.001-07:002012-05-20T14:33:38.104-07:00Time Schedule - Start in June, Finish AugustIt all begins June 1st. Less than two weeks away. I always figured May or June was going to be the start date, and now it's official. The blank slate, the Tiltmaster, will be back from the repair shop on Monday (A/C picked up a rock in the condenser), and then it will be all set for construction. I spoke with Mike yesterday at the CORE fundraiser, and he can definitely score some metal beams / ladder racks relatively inexpensively. So that will be the framework to start building with. I've decided to plan the construction out in greater detail here.<br />
<br />
I estimate the truck will take approximately 600 person-hours of labor to build, and unless I'm laid off (increasingly unlikely), I won't be able to build it all by myself. At the same time, I hate being asked for help on some crazy project I have no interest in, and really believe in doing unto others as you would have done unto you. Some people don't mind and encourage asking for help, but that's not what I want to see come into the world. Let's face it, as a charity this does not have any direct benefit to improve the human condition like say, volunteering at a soup kitchen. I believe it is a "good" thing to build though, which means it's moral and valuable.<br />
<br />
I am now actively inviting people to collaborate with me on the creation of this to solve the challenges in the most painless possible way. For example, one dilemma I was thinking about was how to operate this thing on playa. So far, it's just me and Shane that are 100% committed to it. That means we would both have to be sane and sober whenever taking it out, with one to drive and the other to man the entry ramp gate and stereo. I don't really want to drive it around; I want to interact with people on it and play music and generally look at it and ride it around and relax with some drinks. Since Burning Man was always better last year (right?), I decided it was time to step it up and contribute. The thing is, I don't want to contribute a taxi service. I want to contribute a taxi. So here's where synergy steps in: Burnagain Campers aren't taking an art car this year. I am. My former camp isn't going, because nobody but me got tickets. Voila! We can collaborate. If we join their camp, suddenly perhaps a crew can be found. Plus rumor has it, they enjoy driving art cars around. I want win-win situations for every dilemma! I know it's possible. Absolutely no one is obligated or coerced into doing anything, but if your project and/or desire aligns with mine let's collaborate.<br />
<br />
So here's the basic framework for the build this summer. I will plan three major build sessions, approximately 3-4 weeks apart. This will allow me to prepare all the materials and plans and organize enough work to make everyone's time productive. It'll kind of be like an Amish barn raising --- everyone shows up, and boom, it's done. Since I know I'm always exhausted weeknights after work, weeknights will be for planning, part ordering, and designing. I'll work every other weekend for construction, with generally 4- 5 hour Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions, and then ramping up through the months of July and August. By my effort alone, that will count for 11 weekends, or 110 hours. The 3 group assembly sessions will count for another 300-400 hours in 5-10 people help out. That leaves just about 200 hours of labor unaccounted for. Worst case, that work takes place on-playa when perhaps more willing helpers can be found. Or, the project is scaled back. So I'm going to keep the work scheduled to avoid the involved hinged ramp detail until the very end, when we can see how it's coming along. If construction is easier than planned, then we can get more elaborate.<br />
<br />
Plan:<br />
Build Session 0 - Saturday 6/2. Cab-over framework. (weekend after Lightning in a Bottle)<br />
Build Session 0.5 - Saturday 6/16 or Sunday 6/17. Hull facade framework. (weekend after EDC)<br />
Build Session 1 - Saturday 6/30. Finish Hull and Cab Framework (weekend after Elesium)<br />
Build Session 2 - Sunday 7/15. Build deck and pilot house Framework. Paint wood paneling.<br />
Build Session 3 - Saturday 8/11. Wood paneling entire vehicle, make smokestack.<br />
<br />
All the rest is detailing. The two additional projects could be: fold-down ramps along the sides, and giant back end of ship extension with curving hull, rudder, and propellers. I would love to do both of those, but just not sure how far the labor will go. I will render this up a bit further and put up pictures.<br />
<br />freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-8079903426248857192012-05-17T20:30:00.002-07:002012-05-17T20:30:47.516-07:00DMV and Balancing the Forces of the Universe<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Even the biggest waves crashing in are neutralized when
there’s normal flow going out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when
not enough is going out, then the wave comes in to overtake you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A life lesson from living on the beach.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
So today I am overwhelmed by the simple task of going to the
DMV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t even feel like writing out
the long boring story in detail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So let
me summarize:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need to find a certified
California Weighmaster and make an appointment with the California Highway
Patrol to have a 2<sup>nd</sup> VIN verification and to make sure the truck
conforms to FMVSS-120 and about three other Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Certifications that are required, because my car didn’t have the appropriate
stickers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They did take my $900+ dollars
though. Oh, and you can’t get an appointment with the CHP unless you show up in
person, and their office closed at 5:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know this because I showed up at 7:00 after working all day (except
for the 2.5 hours I was at the DMV).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
I need to replace the low beam headlight bulb before I bring the truck back,
not that I have an appointment yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tomorrow’s projects: light bulb, CHP appointment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Weighmaster will have to wait till next
Monday I guess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t they know that I’m
the Tiltmaster?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t even get started on building this mutant vehicle if
I can’t legally get it registered for on-road use!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why I never built anything in Detroit: the 2400 mile
drive means your base vehicle better be damn near perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To top all this off, after getting it back
from the service center I have noticed that the A/C doesn’t work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no simple unplugged wires either,
so this clearly has something to do with the exhaust manifold gasket and
attachment stud replacement, or the drive belt replacement from last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First rule of doctors: do no harm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grrrr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So now what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surrender,
clearly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And let it go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I don’t, I won’t be ready for tomorrow’s
wave.</div>
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<br /></div>
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At least I have finally struck a balance between the
overwhelming aspects of my job and my desire to follow my crazy dreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike back in March, I am now perfectly
happy being employed weekdays and free to pursue my obsession at night and on
weekends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When work took over all my
weeknights and weekends, then I was really out of balance and miserable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between the layoffs and stress cause by that,
I pretty much shut down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately I
had already set the wheels in motion on this art project so once the stress
lifted I was ready to start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m now
excited about life and work is not dreadful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everything feels like it’s falling in place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t really expect the DMV experience to
go very well, and it turned out that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Time to regroup and move on.</div>freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-45635658758300116352012-05-15T23:27:00.002-07:002012-05-15T23:27:43.650-07:00Shop Progress. Shrinking the design.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6e6YIbqS71-yC92IdpkrgKPxdf_vMIJNsETEwFK2Z8i0PDio4i3UgSPsyJcEdOhqVxzUenOOWvJFIsekfZGQZwbpd26kPlICoRjW2u1Pwn_tN6ESDSG-6yA0H4j2YmhMHvjcYaoqYW4/s1600/IMAG0055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6e6YIbqS71-yC92IdpkrgKPxdf_vMIJNsETEwFK2Z8i0PDio4i3UgSPsyJcEdOhqVxzUenOOWvJFIsekfZGQZwbpd26kPlICoRjW2u1Pwn_tN6ESDSG-6yA0H4j2YmhMHvjcYaoqYW4/s320/IMAG0055.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
The hacker space (SLAC) has come along nicely and now we've got a work bench and a proper welding table. The welder is a simple wire-feed 110v type, and I think it should be no problem to use. The group actually has two. Between that and the promised 3 or 4 grinders that will show up once the personal shelves are up, I think just about everything I'll need to actually fabricate this art car is now ready.<br />
<br />
For the last 8 days, the donor truck has been at Tom's Truck Center getting routine maintenance and some small repairs done. I'm gonna pick it up tomorrow morning before work, and tomorrow evening it will be at its new home at the hacker space. Then the measuring can begin and final plans can be drawn up. I'm pretty sure I won't be building this to an exact plan... it will be more fabricated on the spot.<br />
<br />
I started this weekend to render a new design using the smaller sized truck I actually bought. The original design was for an 18-20 foot bed Isuzu FTR which is a 26,000 lb GVW truck, when I actually bought what amounts to an Isuzu NPR with a 12 foot bed and only a 12,500 lb GVW. So it's basically half the size and carrying capacity. Also I decided the ship needs to be angled a bit steeper as she goes down, so I wanted the propellers more visible. And ideally the cab can be fully tilted forward for service with all the metal framework in place. Those measurements will dictate the final dimensions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXY07b9AcG85xUeu8kq13-5YL5cJXACci2w8Cm3mdbyhTnRu4ov0n9mNpfVWD0pE0nRqV-V7aLe1b4sCLMUx_wSHWE9ynhY9qHBfPDNDPvbUXmvEyKeFR7KhjcTLn4OyZ0D7awLIWpz34/s1600/Resized_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXY07b9AcG85xUeu8kq13-5YL5cJXACci2w8Cm3mdbyhTnRu4ov0n9mNpfVWD0pE0nRqV-V7aLe1b4sCLMUx_wSHWE9ynhY9qHBfPDNDPvbUXmvEyKeFR7KhjcTLn4OyZ0D7awLIWpz34/s320/Resized_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
As you can see, with the smaller truck, everything has to shrink. The gray box in the background was the original ship's bridge. The overall length will need to be reduced by about 4 feet. In this partial rendering I haven't shortened it yet. The deck of the truck is about 2 feet lower, so everything has to drop. All the platforms and ramps also will drop. I've been thinking long and hard about how to attach the ramps and that seems to be the biggest design challenge so far. The front cab-over section will be hard to construct since the beams are so long, but how to attach the sides / hull with a proper folding hinge section is a pretty difficult design and engineering problem. Anyway, that's all I have to share today.freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-57662575934928990722012-05-11T20:38:00.002-07:002012-05-11T20:38:59.912-07:00Everyone Loves Parades<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9s_s_Cl-oyYFlq3E0gCjEDVV8o5MQQcB5I7DviIka-PBebdIv3cHoWWk0fxfoMEVyw0QeyU5RFufhzbZML20o95mQf49EcQrS5GoSYFNmJ8Orp4NnnX5dOktkmDgFP0_jCKJeURCCDg/s320/IMAG0037.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raul</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Okay, it's been a while and a lot has happened. For starters, last Saturday I flew to Phoenix and met the donor vehicle. After getting up at 4am to catch the Super Shuttle to LAX, I was pretty much exhausted by the time I landed in Phoenix at 9am. Fortunately, Raul, the salesperson at National Auto Mart, very helpfully picked me up at the airport and drove me to the auction house. He was a really nice guy, and clearly a family man. When he asked what I was going to use it for, I explained it was going to be turned into a parade float. This seems to be the easiest way to explain the project. He hadn't heard of Burning Man, but he said if I sent him a picture he'd add it to the wall in the office which had pictures of all the nicest and coolest cars that had been auctioned off there. I told him he'll get a picture of it via email at the end of summer, and that was that.<br />
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So there in the parking lot was my new Tiltmaster, and I immediately hit the road. It was a long day to say the least, and I finally got back to Orange County around 6 at night. I never noticed it before but pretty much all of California has a 55 mph truck speed limit. The truck really didn't like going over 65 anyway, and it was actually a lot less noisy and more comfortable going 55. The CD player is broken, so all I heard was diesel engine for the 380 mile drive back. It gets 11.5 mph completely empty. I filled the 30 gallon tank when it was half empty a few times, since I didn't know how much was in there or if the gauges could be trusted. Aside from the broken CD player and a tendency for it to pull to the right, it performed flawlessly. The ride is a bit stiff while empty, and the transmission cracks off shifts like a rifle. I am sure under some load it smooths out a bit. My first day's impression left me motivated to make the first modification: a pair of fuzzy dice. This thing demands fuzzy dice hanging from the ceiling like no vehicle I've ever owned (there is no rearview mirror). It's like it was speaking to me. Kind of like my old Dodge Ram needed a gun rack and for its driver to get a cowboy hat.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4kc9SJOBHQiilc3UuYinMdVlGoq3btoFPgHhrUW8qYE0M-QkRcv44PrM2ZbB65LnEyLrrbGD1nF3ampKWguOSJl8q4VAxMF_p9rnVI9JlMWuOwkjIKK85N911gIWP99oEYx7Nf2yynU/s1600/IMAG0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4kc9SJOBHQiilc3UuYinMdVlGoq3btoFPgHhrUW8qYE0M-QkRcv44PrM2ZbB65LnEyLrrbGD1nF3ampKWguOSJl8q4VAxMF_p9rnVI9JlMWuOwkjIKK85N911gIWP99oEYx7Nf2yynU/s320/IMAG0036.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3xrzOQbtqe5yv4Ho-TZNBNa6QLeT04x6wxbbbed4_vppJ-3PlxhlxleoFlObLi_H5GbyiYcTKEXZQGBoOVlMqf0LLOCbALI5hTcTcR9g4JuWeor8h9EKLWHMBIDU6b0ZdOgTIrgw0qM/s1600/IMAG0038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3xrzOQbtqe5yv4Ho-TZNBNa6QLeT04x6wxbbbed4_vppJ-3PlxhlxleoFlObLi_H5GbyiYcTKEXZQGBoOVlMqf0LLOCbALI5hTcTcR9g4JuWeor8h9EKLWHMBIDU6b0ZdOgTIrgw0qM/s320/IMAG0038.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
The following Monday I took it into Tom's Truck Center in Santa Ana for some maintenance and an inspection. Once I started noticing trucks, I started noticing that a whole lot of them had Tom's Truck Center mud flaps, and they're a big new truck dealer and I figured they could be trusted. Personally I'm more fond of those Yosemite Sam "Back Off" mud flaps, and have been eyeing those too. All kinds of strange personalization ideas come into my head. Don't get me started on the appropriate license plate frame.<br />
<br />
Anyway, so I quickly learned that medium duty commercial trucks are really expensive to maintain. Try $490 every 26K miles for transmission fluid and $190 every 6.5K miles for engine oil. For either, it takes 13.5l of oil or fluid (about 3.5 gallons). The power steering fluid should be changed every 32.5K. And it keeps going. The drive belts have to be replaced periodically too. I had all those done and later on read the owners manual to find out the differential oil, air cleaner, and valve lash also probably need to be done. Who knows when the prior owners did it.<br />
<br />
The prior owners did maintain the brakes at least. The alignment was less perfect, since it pulled to one side, and plus the front tires were shot. I got two new (next load rating up) tires on there and got it aligned. Now I'd been noticing some diesel exhaust smell in the cab while idling, and sure enough they found a broken manifold stud and an exhaust leak. $700 later that was fixed, since I don't want to drive this around at 5mph and accidentally get asphyxiated. All told, I got all this service and repair done for under $3K after negotiating myself a 10% discount. Plus I think the service guy liked me and gave me a break for explaining that this will become a parade float. Everyone loves parades!<br />
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<br />freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-59479449937442981602012-05-01T21:52:00.001-07:002012-05-01T22:01:48.711-07:00Thief Resistant - New Design CriteriaFor the last several Tuesdays, the group sponsoring the maker's space (SLACerspace is the name... acronym stands for something) have been meeting for beers. And discussing some business. The space will be officially opening this Saturday with a morning garage sale to get rid of excess clutter, followed by fabrication of work benches. I appreciated the chance to bounce some ideas I had off the group.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, there is a design requirement I hadn't even considered in my plans before. I have to make this piece theft-proof during and after the construction phase. I learned that apparently thieves case the warehouse area every few hours and occasionally try to break into the unit. And closer to home, on Sunday, my road bike was stolen out of my garage due to my own forgetfulness when I left the garage door open. That was another harsh reminder. So my idea of building things on the flat bed truck and leaving them there is not a good idea. There is a high likelihood they will get stolen right off the back of the truck if they require under 20 minutes of wrenching to remove.<br />
<br />
This basically means I need to weld all the structure onto the truck. I don't yet have good welding skills, and was planning to do everything with bolted joints, since I'm good at engineering those so they'll work. But now, I need to weld stuff. This is going to be a new challenge. I was just this weekend looking at scaffolding on Craigslist because I thought that would be an ideal way to get the 2nd story platform onto the truck and keep the weight down by getting aluminum tubes. It would sure weigh a lot less than a wooden deck supported by 4 x4s or even steel frame bolted onto the truck bed. Here was my idea for the scaffolding, a 5' x 7' x 5' collection :<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6r40IcpyGP0q65oEuDBtSYQ90-8dOdBJ201dgs4VyqSY9riFzZBPCZlV0dEtIyg8O4oPliWiYGB2OVzGSkWrgFE6GdoyBHpaMUt7EglQEq1erdtsmLvrQMKheC5bpBCN85X_1KWtZv-A/s1600/scaffolding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6r40IcpyGP0q65oEuDBtSYQ90-8dOdBJ201dgs4VyqSY9riFzZBPCZlV0dEtIyg8O4oPliWiYGB2OVzGSkWrgFE6GdoyBHpaMUt7EglQEq1erdtsmLvrQMKheC5bpBCN85X_1KWtZv-A/s320/scaffolding.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Scaffolding would be too easy to remove by thieves. Theft prevention is a new complication and I'll have to factor it into the design. Perhaps I should bolt everything together, but then tack weld the joints to make them permanent. If anything needs to some apart, a quick hit with a grinder may be all it takes. For now, I'm gonna rent some storage space inside the SLACerspace to keep the metal beams and sheets of plywood. If I can get the metal frame onto the truck in a semi-permanent way, maybe I will still be able to bolt things to it without fear of theft. Maybe it's just the obvious loose things which will get stolen. Anyway, it's pretty frustrating. And after losing my nice bike this weekend, I really don't want another financial setback by losing the building materials I haven't even purchased yet.<br />
<br />
Oh, and I am trying to get the truck insured now. As predicted, personal auto insurance will not insure a commercial truck. So Allstate is going to have to write me a commercial policy. Hopefully they won't rip me off too badly. So far we're on day two and I don't have a quote or policy, so this is apparently not a no-brainer. My current thought is to keep registration and insurance through Burning Man, and then put it into proper fenced storage, register it non-op with the DMV and cancel the insurance. Then about 9 months later, fix it up a little over the summer and take it to Burning Man for a 2nd time. Then it's over, the thing gets dismantled and the truck will be sold. It's a temporary thing... as is life.<br />
<br />
I did get my airplane ticket to Phoenix today to pick up the truck. Using 12,500 American Airlines miles, and paying $85 for "last minute ticket issuance fees", I'm able to get out there on Saturday morning. The guy from the auction house offered to pick me up at the airport, so I'm gonna take him up on the offer rather than pay for a 20 minute cab ride. This guy and his company already has my money for the truck, so hopefully my trust was well placed. I did check the BBB on them before wiring the money, so I do think they're legit.freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-70088933237061862342012-04-29T13:25:00.002-07:002012-04-29T13:51:56.093-07:00Transformers: Chevy Tiltmaster to Sinking ShipSo I wired the money to the used car sales place. I'm soon officially the owner of a 2006 Chevrolet W3500 Tiltmaster. I'm gonna just start calling it a Chevy Tiltmaster, so people go WTF is that? After camping Friday night with the OC Burners, I have learned a little more about art cars and heavy trucks. Apparently, I'm going to be surprised by how expensive insurance is. You see, heavy duty trucks are usually used for commercial purposes and therefore insurance companies think they'll be used 24/7 for making money. They don't anticipate someone parking at a parking lot for 4 months turning it into an art project. So I'll probably just keep it registered and insured through Burning Man and then off to storage it goes for a year.<br />
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<br />
<br />
I checked on high-performance alternators today to see if I could run the whole thing and all its lights on 12V power alone from the engine. Nothing really came up, so I'll just have to investigate later. The truck has a 5.2 liter four cylinder diesel engine, but I've seen these things used as ambulances so I'm guessing there must be a high performance alternator out there for it. Or maybe I can just bump up the idle speed and install an ammeter. Art car veteran suggested I hook up a trickle charger from a generator to keep it going. But then I will need a generator.<br />
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<br />
Maybe I should just bite the bullet and get a proper generator, so I don't have to worry about depleting the 12V battery. To really get major concert-level bass from rental speakers, you need 480V anyway. So that's a possibility: get a used really fricking huge generator capable of pumping out 480V. Plus then I could weld anywhere and wouldn't need to be at the shop. So many options.<br />
<br />
And I've been thinking more and more about the design options. I could fairly easily design this thing to be like a giant Transformer toy that unfolds and turns into the ship. Honestly, it's really not that hard for me to imagine and would just have to do some 4-bar linkage calculations. Think about designing a garage door which opens and closes into two positions. It's really not that complicated. What makes a garage door or convertible top on a car difficult to design is predicting the forces needed to do the opening and closing. If I get rid of all the springs and electric actuators, then it's simply a matter of having a few people retract and expand the pieces. After all, why did I get two degrees in Mechanical Engineering? I can assure you it was not so I could calculate and design supersonic flow through nozzles (basic rocket science), although at one point I definitely spent a semester doing just that. No, I secretly wanted to design and make life-size Transformers as a kid. I'll have to sketch some concepts up and attach to a post.<br />
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Oh and I renamed it again: now it's the M/V Abandon. It's rule #18 of Burning Man: When the captain says welcome aboard Abandon Ship. Do that.freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-70266448903395318782012-04-26T21:24:00.002-07:002012-04-26T21:29:41.640-07:00The one that didn't really get awayIt turns out that the truck I bidded up the price on last Sunday has now been offered to me. Apparently the original high bidder was unable to finance the truck with his bank because it has over 200,000 miles, so I got the chance to buy it as the 2nd highest bidder. And I've accepted! So now I just have to get it somehow.<br />
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I've been excited about this all day... what fun, I get to buy a strange truck and turn it into something stranger. The book value on similar trucks seems to be in the $9 - $11,000 range, so I actually think this is a steal. I should be able to get this beast home for around $8200 including California registration, tax, the $80 flight to Phoenix, taxi to the auction place, diesel to drive home, etc. So that means when I'm all done with this adventure in the Fall of 2013 after taking it to two Burning Mans, I won't be losing too much money. Lets face it, this is not about the money. This is about a crazy dream and following it to see where the dream leads me. This is a statement of expression that I am compelled to share.<br />
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I'm relieved that the truck search is now over, because it was starting to get very time consuming. And by choosing to go with the flow and take what the universe throws into my lap, the truck is smaller than my recent ambition. Actually it's more in line with my original ambition, and should be a fairly reasonable size. It's not excessively large. This is not about my ego anyway, at least I hope it isn't. I really want to express my craft of automotive engineering with this thing, and hope I'm not unlike all those other artists at Burning Man who toil away building things that are their passion. This is not about me or making my name, but about having a vision and creating it and bringing it into a collective reality.<br />
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My first year at Burning Man in 2006 was an experience which blew me away. I'll never forget my first day at Chillonia on Esplanade and 2:30, when off in the distance I saw a pagoda. I thought, that's cool, an installation way out there in the dust. Then in the dusty distance, it moved! Right then I was hooked on Mutant Vehicles. I got to see the inaugural year of the Never Was Haul, a 3-storey Victorian mansion on wheels. And last year I was privileged enough to camp and help out Tahoe Twisted, an awesome group out of Lake Tahoe who brought the biggest and baddest Mutant Vehicle ever, Christina the 65 foot Chris Craft on a cement mixer chassis.<br />
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So back to 2006. My vision is really simple. I want this truck to look like a piece of art. And then I want to blow people away when they see it moving. I'm pretty sure very few people have seen a shipwreck. And I am sure that nobody has seen this: A slow-moving shipwreck, coming your way. How's that for a metaphor?<br />
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BTW, here's the link to the truck: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140743976597#description<br />
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<br />freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034489679139711456.post-57086947961287604522012-04-23T22:50:00.001-07:002012-04-23T22:51:06.896-07:00SymbolismSo I will admit over this rainy weekend and Monday evening I've been listening to a lot of lectures about symbolism and astrotheology. Basically there's a field of study which tries to understand all the ancient symbols that are still in use today, and determine where they come from. So many iconic images have roots in astrology, ancient sun and moon cults, and tarot archetypes. So I will put on my scholar's hat and try to explain what this sinking ship could possibly mean, from an unconscious and archetypal point of view. I already explained the overt symbolism in my first blog post.<br />
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So here are a couple of thoughts about what the subconscious meaning could be. If the ship is considered to be in a vast sea of water, often water symbolizes the emotions. The ship represents a belief or idea, but it's sinking in the water of emotions. Basically this archetype says "let go of the idea" because it's going down; it's an idea which needs to be released.<br />
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A similar interpretation could be the sinking ship represents an individual feeling consumed by society. It's a sort of drowning of the individual, because the beliefs (the ship) don't match society (the water). It's a kind of wake-up call to examine the beliefs that you cling to, or at least reexamine them and decide if you're really on the right path. <br />
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Another viewpoint, especially since this will be sitting in a dry lake bed environment, could be that the ship has already been consumed by the water. But the water (emotions) have all dried up and gone away. All that's left is the frozen shell of the ship, as a warning to others.<br />
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There you have it. And as I look at the shadow this casts over my own motivations for building it, I can't help but wonder what the hell is so screwed up in my life that I'd want to build something which represents this. Nevertheless, it must be built. Oh and I've considered that in year 2 that the outer shell should be burned. So people will have seen the truck driving around for 2 years at Burning Man, and then one day late in the week the outer skin could could be removed and placed around temporary support structure. It would be kept all lit up, and to some people it would look like the mutant vehicle they saw all week driving around. Then it would burn. That would be a fitting end. I don't really want to have this thing around for more than a couple of years.<br />
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One last piece of info: so I inquired about moving truck bodies and it's really simple. If I had a bare chassis and no box or flatbed, I could get one installed for $1800 and a beat-up one for $1500. If the truck already had a box, they'd give a few hundred dollar discount if it were a swap. So I figure if I get a vehicle with the wrong body configuration, about $1000 would fix the problem. If it's a nice box with a lift, the cost difference could be even less. And for the record, the contact was Robert at Central Auto Sales at (909)356-0388. So I will reconsider my budget once again, but expand the search to include bare chassis trucks and box trucks. It doesn't have to be a perfect match. Oh and they don't move ladder racks, but they would build/ weld something up to order if I want to pay for it. So there's a lot of options!freestylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858075851157133882noreply@blogger.com0