Taming Lightning

Podcast | EP 32: Chapter ONE x Notes: Inspiration, The Tell-Tale Truth, and Elements of Plasma

11/26/2020

Hello Lightning Tamers!
and Welcome to Chapter X notes, These are bonus episodes to supplement the Taming lightning X GEEX collaborative series: intro to plasma, where I was inspired to expand on questions or topics from each episode.

In this podcast I will address three topics from Chapter 1, the first being the inspiration behind my drive to learn about plasma, the story and concept behind The Tell-Tale truth, and to expand on the elements of plasma to better transition into chapter 2: Taking Shape, which will involve the functional and aesthetic consideration for making a vessel in glass.

Show Notes

Music:
Intro: Boost by Joakim Karud

Outro: The Process by Lakey Inspired

As mentioned in Chapter 1, Elements of Plasma, is something I came up with as a way to organize the varying knowledge, process, skills, and techniques that goes into the completion of a plasma lamp or sculpture. These Elements are Vessel Crafting, Alchemy, and Technology.

Now it may be a bit confusing since we use the same term, “Element of Plasma” to talk about the parts that make up the plasma vessel, instead we'll substituting with “Anatomy of Plasma Sculpture”.

Now back the Element of Plasma where I define what each of these categories are.

The first category is vessel crafting: the means of facilities, education, materials, and techniques related to glassmaking; contains the topics of vessel shape, structure, size, choice of electrode along with its placement, and leak checking.
The Second Category is Alchemy: the means to which pieces can be processed and filled for plasma; containing topics such as: cleaning, adding phosphors, filling technique, and gas mixtures and recipes.
The Third category is Technology: the facilities and the means to learn, educate, and practice processing and filling, and finishing plasma sculpture; containing the topics of the vacuum manifold, gas transfer system, gauges, equipment maintenance and use, Transformers for plasma, which includes considerations for resolving your sculptures aesthetically, and safely.

So I’m going to stop here, since we are kind of leading up to chapter 2: Taking Shape, where we’ll review the Elements of Plasma, elaborate on why vessel crafting comes first, and contextualized the aesthetic and function considerations in the Anatomy of Plasma Sculpture.

TL x GEEX: Intro to Plasma

We’re hoping to raise at least $2,800 to support the production of this four-episode series. That comes down to 100 listeners chipping in $7 each per episode. We hope you’ll support Percy’s expertise and help us establish a precedent of compensating valued voices in the field. Every donation really counts! Help us reach our goal and donate! Alternatively, Venmo @geexglass your support with the word “PLASMA”.

Thank you for listening to the taming lightning podcast!

I’d like to thank GEEX for inviting me to collaborate for this series. Writing the Chapter Notes was challenging, yet fun, though academically I never found myself enjoying writing, yet I hope to have more feedback I can respond to for the upcoming chapters.

Let me know if my experience helped provide some footing since there is yet to exist a comprehensive resource for guidance. While frustrating, through simple curiosity and spark of passion finding various sources to tackle these subjects can be quite fun.

I will admit in the regards to my announcement last podcast I failed to meet the declared release date for the episode by exactly a week, but in the very least I’m homing in. Writing took much more time than I ever anticipated.

Feel free to share, comment, and subscribe.

And as always be safe, be healthy, and be Strong.

See you next time,

-Percy Echols II, Taming Lightning

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Taming Lightning x GEEX | Anatomy of a Plasma Sculpture

11/23/2020

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Percy Echols II (@taminglightning)

Hello Lightning Tamers!

In Chapter 1 of the Intro the Plasma series with GEEX, I mentioned that the Elements of Plasma, is something I came up with as a way to organize the varying knowledge, process, skills, and techniques that goes into the completion of a plasma lamp or sculpture. These Elements are Vessel Crafting, Alchemy, and Technology.

Now it may be a bit confusing since we also use the same term, â€œElement of Plasmaâ€ to talk about the parts that make up the plasma vessel. I would like to help clarify that mislabeling by substituting â€œAnatomy of Plasma Sculptureâ€. Which comprise o f a glass envelope(vessel), gas mixture, electrode, and transformer.

To the left I've included the instagram post depicting those parts.

-Percy Echols II, Taming Lightning

TL x GEEX: Intro to Plasma

Weâ€™re hoping to raise at least $2,800 to support the production of this four-episode series. That comes down to 100 listeners chipping in $7 each per episode. We hope youâ€™ll support Percyâ€™s expertise and help us establish a precedent of compensating valued voices in the field. Every donation really counts! Help us reach our goal and donate! Alternatively, Venmo @geexglass your support with the word â€œPLASMAâ€.

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Vlog | PGC Light Lab UPDATE Oct 26 - Nov 5, 2020

11/9/2020

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Remodeling and Upgrade for the Plasma Lab are funded by the Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowment in the reception of the 2019 Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh Grant, and residency hosted by the Pittsburgh Glass Center.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Percy Echols II (@taminglightning) on Nov 9, 2020 at 10:37am PST

Music Credit
Grateful - @beatsbyflare
Arcade - @beatsbyflare
Mystic - @jeffkaale

Hello Lightning Tamers!

This is a vlog right? Like this counts a vlog, not really just a video. We'll here's a conclusion of sorts to my journey rebuilding and remodeling the Manifold and Cart system now known as the PGC Light Lab. Still some tweaks and fine tuning remain!

Glass Cleaning, Backstreaming / Debris Trap repair, and Final Manifold Installation

Special thanks to the Wisdom and support of Bruce Suba @brucesuba and Tim Drier @driertim.

Curiosity, Passion, Purpose,

-Percy Echols II | Taming Lightning

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Vlog | PGC Light Lab UPDATE: Plumbing the Gas Transfer System

11/6/2020

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Hello Lightning Tamers!
Plumbing the Gas Transfer System and installing acrylics and brackets.

Music Credits:
Happy Holidays - Jeff kaale

Embers - Kubbi
---
Documenting my updates on the Plasma Lab aka PGC Light Lab at the Pittsburgh Glass Center

Remodeling and Upgrade for the Plasma Lab are funded by The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments in the reception of the 2019 Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh Grant, and residency hosted by the Pittsburgh Glass Center.

-Percy Echols II | Taming Lightning

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Video | PGC Light Lab UPDATE Oct 8-12, 2020

11/5/2020

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music: views - @iksonmusic
Hello Lightning Tamers!

Documenting my updates on the Plasma Lab aka PGC Light Lab at the Pittsburgh Glass Center.

Reassembly and Placement of Manifold parts, tools, and equipment.
Preparation for plumbing Gases to Valves

Remodeling and Upgrade for the Plasma Lab is funded by the Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowment in reception of the Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh Grant, and residency hosted by the Pittsburgh Glass Center.

-Percy Echols II | Taming Lightning

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Video | Chapter 1: Plasma Primer with Percy ( Taming Lightning x GEEX)

10/29/2020

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Hello, lightning tamers!

In this new collaboration with GEEX, Ben Orozco and I are producing a 4-part series for people new to the plasma process, introducing elements of plasma in an easy-to-apply format and touching on my journey as a self-starter and alchemist. Podcast episodes will premiere every other monthly, on every third Thursday, with the next chapter released in December.

Stay tuned, I'm inspired to make intermediate podcast to follow up questions or topics I feel need to expressed before moving to the next chapter!

Stay curious,

Percy Echols II | Taming Lightning

TL x GEEX: Intro to Plasma

We’re hoping to raise at least $2,800 to support the production of this four-episode series. That comes down to 100 listeners chipping in $7 each per episode. We hope you’ll support Percy’s expertise and help us establish a precedent of compensating valued voices in the field. Every donation really counts! Help us reach our goal and donate! Alternatively, Venmo @geexglass your support with the word “PLASMA”.

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Podcast | EP 32: Chapter ONE x Notes: Inspiration, The Tell-Tale Truth, and Elements of Plasma

Show Notes

TL x GEEX: Intro to Plasma

Taming Lightning x GEEX | Anatomy of a Plasma Sculpture

TL x GEEX: Intro to Plasma

Vlog | PGC Light Lab UPDATE Oct 26 - Nov 5, 2020

Vlog | PGC Light Lab UPDATE: Plumbing the Gas Transfer System

Video | PGC Light Lab UPDATE Oct 8-12, 2020

Video | Chapter 1: Plasma Primer with Percy ( Taming Lightning x GEEX)

TL x GEEX: Intro to Plasma

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