Equipment investment
Investing in Quality: Our Mat Cutting Journey
Since we opened our shop in 2002, we've relied on a Gunnar computerized mat cutter. This Swiss-made equipment has been an invaluable asset, offering both productivity and quality. The Gunnar has never failed us.
However, relying too heavily on a single piece of equipment isn't ideal for business. If the Gunnar were to fail, we'd need to revert to hand-cutting mats. While we've done this before and it works, it's slow and prone to errors.
That said, investing in a computerized mat cutter is costly. It's not worth buying cheap equipment if it fails or becomes inaccurate.
So, we decided to invest in a Valiani. This substantial piece of Italian-made equipment is larger and more rugged than the Gunnar.
Italian engineering differs significantly from Swiss engineering. The Swiss favor minimalist design, while the Italians excel in over-engineered designs.
We plan to keep the Gunnar for everyday use and utilize the Valiani for larger projects.
Back to energy efficiency
Two years ago we tried LED holiday lights and we were very disappointed. The white lights had an odd blue-ish hue and the lights really did not have very much 'throw'.
Last year we went back to traditional incandescent lamps and the building looked terrific. But, because the lamps are not energy efficient, we had to minimize the amount of time they were illuminated.
This year we went back to LED lights. The lights need to be replaced every year because the squirrels like to chew through the insulation. We opted for a longer icecicles and we are very pleased with the advances of LED technology.
Fall is our favorite time of year
Downtown Red Wing looks spectacular in the fall. The colors absolutely pop and the well preserved buildings look fantastic.
2013 Flyway Film Festival
Flyway Film Festival: A Beloved Annual Event
The Flyway Film Festival remains one of our favorite events each year. It continues to improve annually, and this year will be no exception.
We love participating because we love films.
The Physics of the Acrylic Print
Understanding the Unique Optical Properties of Acrylic Prints
Acrylic Prints have unique optical properties due to the physics of visible light traveling through the acrylic layer.
Visible light, or white light, bends slightly as it passes from one medium (air) to another medium (e.g., water). This bending is called light refraction.
Light refraction affects the observed image in two ways:
Magnification: The bent light causes the observed object to appear slightly magnified, enhancing the image's clarity. This principle underlies optical lens technology used in cameras and microscopes.
Color Vibrancy: The bent light also experiences a slight shift in the visible light spectrum, adding vibrancy to the observed colors.
A simplified example of this phenomenon can be seen with the Acrylic Print:
Incident light (ambient light all around us) bends slightly as it enters the acrylic layer.
The altered and shortened light path travels until the opaque barrier on the backside reflects the light back through the acrylic layer.
The light bends again and travels to the observer's eye.
This shorter travel distance creates a minuscule magnification, enhancing the image's clarity. This is why pencils in water appear slightly larger.
This slight magnification provides enhanced clarity, perceptible subconsciously to the human eye. In essence, the acrylic layer acts like a lens.
The opaque barrier's importance is highlighted here. If light leaks out through the back of the print, the clarity impact is lost because the light isn't reflected back to the eye.
A profile view of the Acrylic Print shows how its construction traps light within the acrylic layer and reflects it back to the observer.
Additionally, bending light causes a slight shift in the visible color spectrum. Each time light bends, the ultraviolet (UV) portion of the spectrum becomes more dominant, and the infrared (IR) portion less so. UV light has more energy and a shorter wavelength than IR light, making it more impactful.
Human eyes are particularly sensitive to UV light, making colors under a UV-dominant spectrum appear especially vibrant. This principle is why diamonds have luster—the light bends multiple times within the diamond, exaggerating the spectrum shift each time.
The result of these principles is an Acrylic Print image with exceptional clarity and luminance. It's truly striking to see firsthand.
Wetter than water
Wow. It has rained nearly every day for the past two months.
We had a very heavy and wet snowstorm in early May and it has been raining almost every day in June.
But this is farm country and this is the growing season, so nobody is complaining.
Go forth and conquer
Recognizing Our Local Talent: Devin and Hailey
We are very fortunate to have a steady source of dependable and reliable workers from the local vocational college.
Minnesota State College Southeast Technical has a unique guitar and mandolin building program. These students typically have an uncommon attention to detail and are always mechanically inclined.
We came to know Devin and his girlfriend Hailey this past year while Devin attended the guitar program. Devin is holding his final electric guitar project and Hailey is holding his mandolin project.
We hired Devin last year, and he was a terrific employee. He finished his program and immediately landed a job in St. Paul at a guitar shop.
We are delighted to have gotten to know both of them and wish them good luck!