SparkFun Electronics - News

Products

The Production Artists Really are Artists

February 16, 2009 |

The production people we have are good at their jobs. Ok, really good at their jobs. I am continually impressed by their ability to produce so many widgets every day. But like anyone else, soldering parts for 8+ hours a day can lead to a few mistakes.

Rather than just toss all the scrap boards/ICs/sensors into a recycling bin, the production artists put on their creative caps and come up with some really cool stuff we like to call "Solder Sculptures." These pieces range from toy soldiers to ornate dragons. Check out the photos below to see some of their best work!

http://www.sparkfun.com/images/newsimages/Dragon-01-L.JPG

This fiery little guy (ha!) is the work of production guru/sculptor extraordinaire Gerry. This picture doesn't quite do him justice as he is probably over a foot long. Pretty amazing work!

http://www.sparkfun.com/images/newsimages/Tanks-01-L.JPG

http://www.sparkfun.com/images/newsimages/Tanks-02-L.JPG

These battle cruisers, ships, and tanks are the handiwork of production artists Tyler and Joel. Complete with metal armor and heavy artillery, these guys are ready to take over Boulder!

http://www.sparkfun.com/images/newsimages/LittleGuys-01-L.JPG

Here we have a series of characters created by Tyler and Joel (again). Vaguely reminiscent of the little green army men so many of us played with as kids, these are some pretty nifty little action figures.

http://www.sparkfun.com/images/newsimages/Bugs-01-L.JPG

Last, but not least, the Tyler/Joel dynamic duo is back at it again with this family of mechanical bugs. Besides looking like something from Wild, Wild West (one of Will Smith's finest pieces of cinema), these guys are as cool and creative as they are scary!

Comments

15 comments

Log in to post comments.

	by Bushman +24 \| February 16, 2009 at 9:25 AM 0
I love your nerdy little heads.

	by ReKlipz +3.4 \| February 16, 2009 at 3:00 PM 0
I don't think I could get a way with spending time at work doing such things, let alone have them posted to a company website for public viewing. Very cool indeed. SFE and the creations.

	by charliefreck +2.1 \| February 16, 2009 at 10:29 PM 0
i know! i waste company time and resources like water, but if i ever showed my boss all the cool stuff i make with it, i would be out the door in a second. no respect... i get can't get no respect!

	by jandirks +2 \| February 17, 2009 at 0:42 AM +0.26
This is why I love Sparkfun so much and come visit the site almost every day. Serious-fun and fun-fun. Please, keep things like this coming guys!

	by SpikeUK +1 \| February 17, 2009 at 1:06 AM 0
Looks like SFE is peopled by artistic as well a technically skilled creatives. Love the scorpion especially!

	by Rubi +8.8 \| February 17, 2009 at 6:26 AM 0
Really cool stuff. Especially the dragon, but I also must admit, I really worry about those poor bluetooth modules. They can't be all bad. :-)

	by Nate \| February 18, 2009 at 5:56 AM
Actually - production does a phenomenal job at building stuff. I think they're better than 98% yield. Those SFE Bluetooth modules were the exception to the rule. And that's over many builds. Some boards just don't work no matter how hard you try!

	by MLCC +1.6 \| February 17, 2009 at 3:07 PM 0
Like the art, possibly a new tutorial or kit on making these???

	by Jassper +15 \| February 17, 2009 at 6:48 PM 0
And people wonder why components are so expensive. ;) I just wonder if it is because of the waste factor or because it is "art". :lol: Cool stuff.

	by ArduinoFun.com +4.1 \| February 17, 2009 at 7:01 PM 0
Working at SparkFun would be a dream job. I like the scorpion and the tree the best.

	by Ameer +1.6 \| February 18, 2009 at 3:27 AM 0
I Loved the spider.... Its for sale ??? Could you plz send the spcefication of it ?

	by p07gbar +1.7 \| February 20, 2009 at 8:34 AM 0
Perhaps you change your motto to "Subsidizing Fun"

	by Attrezzo +3.1 \| February 27, 2009 at 8:30 AM 0
You should sell these things. They really are that good, you could seriously open an art gallery. I know I'd buy some of them.