The Stone of Equity.

     I mused upon those who went before me, so I visited the graves of my Grandparents. From that place I removed a stone, and carried it with me as I went about. Black as coal, and hard as winter's night. This is the nature of Obsidian.

     I laid the stone upon a mountain top, where no such stone was found. A gift to the mountain. A gift of being.

     In return, the mountain gifted me a stone white and clear with flecks of gold. The stone of Equity. Black for light, known for unknown.

     I am the maker. Every staff needs a stone, and every stone a keeper.

     In my home the feilds bear wind rows. Perpendicular lines of trees intended to mitigate transport of soil. The staff was harvested from an Apple tree, many years beyond care. It's fruit plentiful, but no longer sweet. It stands among many. Some tall, some broken. I ask. "Which branch can serve this stone?" The trees respond, and a selection is made.

     The merits of the branch become apparent. It is sturdy stock twisted by time and forces unknown. It has earned the right. The staff will carry the stone, and the Keeper will wield it.

     Lines of force must be met by eye. The mass must brought to the ground with authority. Improper balance will make the staff unworthy.

     The Staff is equipped with a 3/8 -16 top bolt for attachments, and features a dynamic foot. The patina was preserved as much as possible. After two passes of 80 grit, I finished with two passes of Tung oil. A brass inlay portrays the Vanguard.

     A compound staff must be equipped with a foot to dampen shock that may be transferred to the art piece. Particular attention was paid to the design and machining of the foot.

     First, a 7/16" cold roll steel shaft is inserted into the staff end, and is secured with a 3/16" brass pin. A brass taper is machined to accept the diameter of the compression spring.

     On the foot end, a 1" diameter cold roll piston retains the spring via a recessed stainless steel hex cap nut. The piston provides 20 mm of travel. The spring has 12 active coils, and features a machined aluminum sleeve. (Rubber end cap not shown).

     Yes, this is a tremendously, over-zealous, and over-engineered component. What can I say,  I was on a roll.

     The Bear breaks free of its chains. Nil Nisi Cruce. A shard of Quartz Siderite adorns the eye of the Bear.

A Hydro insulator made by Dominion. Tough and beautiful.

     The natural, and the unnatural collide to create a space for the stone. Darkness and quiet are the echos of the past. Sight and sound is what the stone desires. The keeper is the director, the vessel is the stage.

     Loneliness is a violation of spirit. None of us are free of it. Even a stone requires a companion. Before I took the stone, the mountain was the companion. Now, these companion stones act as surrogate mountains. They are perfect spheres of clear glass, to bring equity to Obsidion.

     The stone of Equity is a Quartz Siderite with significant mineralization of Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Arsenopyrite, Gold, and Bornite. The photo shows its Gold flecks.

     The Stone is a gift. Its value is determined by the Keeper. The Keeper will pass the Stone to the next Keeper, and so on. When there are no more Keepers, the Stone will once again find the mountain.

     Here, the vessel is upside down in its holder as the chamber seal is bonded. When dry, I inject protective fluids (Demineralized water/glycerin) by way of a small drilling. I wait three days for the gasses to purge. Then I top up the fluids, and plug the drilling with a brass screw...no, no, this is not a snow globe. No, not a snowglobe. Nope.

     The Nacelle is turned from Apple in two pieces that work like slip rings. Operating these rings can activate various functions the Keeper may need. Inside the nacelle are the secrets of the stone, and only keepers have the knowledge. Christmas lights look pretty cool though.

     This was a fun project. I suspect that down the road a more appropriate art piece will emerge from the shop for the staff. The "Stone of Equity" may be more comfortable on my desk!