Blog Archives

ARTicle: Western Neon Lights Up Seattle

4/30/2018

Rainier, Vita, Uncle Ikes & more: Western Neon lights up Seattle

History is strewn around the room at Western Neon, and it's nearly blinding. You can see it right as you walk up their front stairs: Caffe Vita, Rainier, the Seattle Sonics. In the back it's the Seattle Homestead sign, waiting to be restored to its former glory.

Western Neon

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Weekly⚡Picks + Post-Production of EP 8

4/27/2018

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Hello Lightning Tamers!

Just uploaded the Weekly Picks I posted on instagram from Wednesday!

Also I did a short live video on Taming Lightning Facebook page, showing some of the Post-Prodcution work which invovles solo-recording of the introduction, updates, and outro, and later adding music.

This is a short live video i did, which was cut short due to my internet connection being lost. (may need to consider upgrading my internet in the near future)

Hope you enjoy the Weekly⚡Picks!

Thank You,

Percy Echols II
Taming Lightning ⚡

#weekly⚡picks #TamingLightning⚡ Music: Pancakes - @jeffkaale @trevorninos @colorofneon @matzglass + @btullman @olivia_piazza @abrams_lab_tesla_art #neon #neonart #plasma #plasmaart #neonlight #plasmalight #glowbabyglow #plasmatician #vetroilluminato

A post shared by Percy Echols II (@taminglightning) on Apr 27, 2018 at 5:39pm PDT

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Mondo Neon Podcast - EP 1 Rich Flores

4/21/2018

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Hello Lightning Tamers!

I'm not the only Neon Podcast anymore, I'm excited to share with you Mondo Neons First episode with Rich Flores, please checkout the link below. Max from Mondo Neon reached out to me on Instagran, and we both agreed to do a crossover episode in the future.

Thank You,

Percy Echols II
Taming Lightning ⚡

Episode 1 - Rich Flores

Former disc recording engineer and artistic pioneer Rich Flores is a man whose life and career have changed in real-time with the evolution of neon signs. Rich grew up immersed in radio in the streets of Brooklyn.

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Weekly ⚡ Picks - Upgrades!

4/19/2018

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Hello Lightning Tamers!

This week I went ahead and persued some upgrades that I've been saving since I bought my second vacuum gauge.

Vacuum Gauge adapter with valve
Valve on the tubulation Arm

Essentially, The Vacuum Gauge adapter allows me to add two gauges at the same port, a High Vacuum and a Low Vacuum guages.

The Valve on the tubulation Arm, allows me to pump out two pieces, while controlling which one filled at a time.

I guess I really should get a post going of my Manifold setup, so that the unfamiliar can have a better idea of equipment, as well as terminology. (All coming soon)

A post shared by Percy Echols II (@taminglightning) on Apr 16, 2018 at 8:35pm PDT

Thanks to Mrs. Lori Neu, the scientific glassblower at University of Pittsburgh for her personality, wisdom, and experience, in helping design, and fabricating what I need.

Hope you enjoy the Weekly⚡ Picks!

Thank You,

Percy Echols II
Taming Lightning ⚡

#weekly⚡picks #TamingLightning⚡ Music: The Process - @lakeyinspired @mundymhepburn @sydni_gause @torydipietro @marconycstudio @charly_conn #neon #neonart #plasma #plasmaart #neonlight #plasmalight #glowbabyglow #plasmatician #taminglightning #taming⚡lightning #neonbender

A post shared by Percy Echols II (@taminglightning) on Apr 19, 2018 at 5:25am PDT

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Weekly ⚡ Picks - Gift of Failure

4/13/2018

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Hello Lightning Tamers!

A little update on my troubleshooting for the Tech 22 L7020 plasma driver for the Plasma Globes that were made for the workshop.

After crowd sourcing with the Plasma Art Alliance Facebook community, (which I've am very greatful for) we came up with a couple different solutions for this power supply and few guidelines.

#weekly⚡picks #TamingLightning⚡ @laurenbakerart @studioglow @aaron_ristau_studio @neon.hart @neonskiltet + @artistreneholm #neon #neonart #plasma #plasmaart #neonlight #plasmalight #glowbabyglow #plasmatician

A post shared by Percy Echols II (@taminglightning) on Apr 12, 2018 at 4:53pm PDT

Given:

The workshop contraints meant that patrons were making softball sized globes.

Problem:

Globes or powersupply would heated up, and would shut off after 15min.

Reasons:

globes were too small = powersupply being too powerful
globes were filled to high of pressure

Solutions:

making larger shapes
filling at lower pressures
using krypton gas to get filamenary
using a powersupply with lower power

There's a lot of different ways to solve it, when it comes to the workshop there's more to be explored.

In the end I had to make a best decision for the workshop, and had cancelled my May Plasma Globe workshop. Reminder this is NOT the summer 5-day intensive taught by Wayne Strattman and Mundy Hepburn. I have to give myself more time to research to allow local novice patrons to experience Plasma at PGC. While is may not fit the format of a 2 day experience, it has potential for multi-week class structure.

Hope you enjoy the Weekly⚡ Picks!

Thank You,

Percy Echols II
Taming Lightning ⚡

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Podcast EP 7 : Mundy Hepburn - Mad Scientist, Alchemist, and Luminous Glass Artist

4/2/2018

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In Today's Podcast, we'll be talking with Mundy Hepburn a luminous glass artist who has been making lights since 1976 with over 30 years of experience working in Plasma. In his work, he embraces his inner mad scientist and alchemist with his studio containing several different tanks of noble gases, tubing, valves, gauges, and other dodads. His approach is especially unique in that he uses soft glass, such that seen in furnace glassblowing, to create life-sized plasma lamps and vessels, as well his use of neon torches for shaping hand pulled glass tubing, creating distinct forms and gestures.

Mundy has been a great source of wisdom, knowledge, encouragement, as well as having a personality of seemingly boundless energy. I appreciate all he's done as a friend and mentor, and very excited to have him as an instructor at Pittsburgh Glass Center this summer.

Without further ado, onto the podcast!

Show Notes

Intro Music: Boost by Joakim Karud
www.joakimkarud.com
https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud
www.patreon.com/joakimkarud

Outro Music: Re-Entry by Lapse
https://soundcloud.com/lapse

How Mundy began in Plasma
Importance of standardizing plasma making process.
How as MONA “This is Plasma” and the Plasma Art Alliance influence him.
Tips
- When making large vessels you want to have your pressures around half atmosphere (at least 200-300 torr).
- Keep your arcs conductive
- Keep your pressures up
- The more gases, the more power you need.
Learning to make your own electrodes, so you won’t be limited to neon electrodes. (tutorial later).
Navigating the use of colored glass vs phosphor powders vs gas mixture
- If you want it to be pretty during the day when the light is not visible, use colored glass.
- Glass color will filter some of the light, so you’ve got play with it and experiment with mixing phosphors.
How Mundy met Wayne?

Thank You for listening to the Taming Lightning Podcast. I'd like to thank Mundy for taking the time to be on the podcast, being very generous with his knowledge and continuous support! Also, I'd like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as a place of research and inspiration, as well as encouraging me to pursue this project, and the Plasma Art Alliance where I have access to the well of knowledge and connects me to some amazing people.

Keep an eye out for more classes at Pittsburgh Glass Center as we work to provide a space for learning neon and plasma.

For more information on the 2- Night Neon and Plasma Globe workshop and Summer Intensive with Wayne Strattman and Mundy Hepburn, please check it out on the web at www.pittsburghglasscenter.org or call our studio at 412-365-2145.

See you next time!

Percy Echols II
Taming Lightning

More Information

Mundy's Lab

Mundy M Hepburn

My vacuum system

Light Up Your World with PLASMA! | Calendar | Pittsburgh Glass Center

Let's have some fun exploring PLASMA!! Wayne Strattman and Mundy Hepburn will be bringing their plasma experience and incredible enthusiasm to teach the art of plasma for those of you who are interested in "lighting up your worlds!"