Greetings...

Joe A.K.A. 80 Grit. I have been a member on TAG for over two years and I am a member of the "yellow" as well.

I was into airguns as a child (as most of us were) and I did not get back into them until the age of 42. It happened while I was surfing the web and I discovered this powerful "scuba tank supplied" airgun called a Condor. I also happened upon a website dedicated to this gun and I began reading all about it. I ordered one in .22 after a few weeks and the anticipation of receiving it made me feel like a kid on the day before Christmas

From that day forward I was hooked! I would say that I am partial to PCP's but I do have a few Co2 guns as well. I've owned a nice San Rafael R1 and I do appreciate spring guns.

Since my journey began two years ago I acquired a BSA scorpion t10 bull barrel, a dragonslayer, a talon SS, a AAA .25 condor from Talon tunes, a .25 Sumatra, a Jack Haley .458, a San Rafael P1, a baretta cx4 storm, a AA S400 custom carbine/pistol, a evanix ar6 pistol, and a 2250 Crosman.

I also caught the Crosman 22xx fever and I built and sold around one dozen carbines/pistols. One of my tactical builds is on AC custom parts website under "customer builds".

Two things happened to me in the midst of my "buying frenzy". First I realized that most where becoming safe queens due not to the fear of shooting them, but rather not having time enough to spend with them all...and Second, I really could not afford all those guns (yes, I made the carnal credit card mistake

I have since recovered most of my funds by selling all but my Condor SS .22, my Condor .25, a custom built 2250 (co2). I also have a Dave G .22 Raven coming (can't wait to see his amazing talent in person) and Darren at PPG is working out the kinks in a high powered .25 stainless pistol that he made for me. I prefer having only a few as I can get more intimate with them this way

I am husband to a great wife (11 years) and father to five wonderful children. I am a full time tattoo artist and I also make assemblage sculptures. Thanks for having me and I wish this sight continued success!

80 Grit

Nice post! Thank you and good vibes back to you as well!

Check your rank, Brother!

Welcome 80Grit! (fellow TAG and Yellow member that you are....) LOL!

80Grit makes some great artwork as well as his airgun customizing.

You should post a link to your artistic talents!!!

Revwarnut

Thanks Rev, I see a few of you TAG hooligans are lending your support here.

For any members wishing to see some of my art you can go to 80gritproductions but be forewarned it is not the kind of art you may be accustomed to seeing

This one is an example of my new "dome series". I have been encasing my monotone assemblages in large skylights...

You've got some pretty kewl stuff out there, Mr. Grit!

People should check you out. I took the liberty of posting a handy link in the pic below direct to the Paitings: I like everything else there too but that caught my eye and wanted to share.

Check out the below link. Click on the picture to go there and take a look!

Thanks Abda, that was nice of you. I enjoyed painting for many years...but I have since gotten into my assemblage phase. My oldest daughter is into pottery so I am hoping to build a kiln in the back yard an possibly get into some Raku....

80 grit wrote:Thanks Abda, that was nice of you. I enjoyed painting for many years...but I have since gotten into my assemblage phase. My oldest daughter is into pottery so I am hoping to build a kiln in the back yard an possibly get into some Raku....

I've always admired and enjoyed the Japanese Gardens but to combine that with the fineness of Raku, that individualism of each piece within a ladies hands, or a lady in the making (my mind's eye seeing my much younger wife at that time) having warm tea, quietly on a crisp humid morning and you have a site wondrous to the eyes. It frames a picture in my mind that I could only wish I could paint like you could probably do in your sleep. I'd put it in the place I keep other pictures to have those quiet moments of reflection looking at it while lost in place for whatever reason of the moment.

But I'm a VERY big fan of the rustic American theme as well: Norman Rockwell comes to mind. But not the type of thing where it's mostly just horses. I like the backgrounds of those pictures better. I know, I'm weird.

I'd love nothing better than to combine that rustic American way with the elements of a Japanese Garden seeing my wife using such Raku say around 8 in the morning with the sun filtered through the carefully placed trees and shrubs. I'd snap a picture and frame it. I think it would be perfect.

Personally, I'm better with wood. Not that I have any real skill but I have a better relationship with it. I *can* sketch if given a million years and careful study of my object to put to canvas. But we've all got that part of it locked up in us somewhere, I suspect.

So I'm reduced to doing things like a back stop made in what will look like the traditional style log cabin wall with tree ring slices. It'll have to smaller walls at a 45% angle to the rear wall for the cup effect. The foliage around it will be carefully chosen and planted with the concepts I spoke of earlier. When I'm done with it it will look good enough to keep the neighbor's jaws from flapping complaint---may even get compliment hard earned from the older generation that lives here with the same mindsets as my wife and I.

I've got a full plate today but I'm going to take a better tour of your site later this evening.

But, I must say: Excellent work and craftsmanship, Mr. Grit!

Abda,

Thanks for hooking up my banner. That was very nice of you. I kind of use my website as means to show people my art. I really don't sell anything on there. Some day I will look to have someone design me a better site. I basically traded a tattoo for the design of my site. I love the barter system.

Your descriptive of your young wife in the garden was very Utopian. I can tell you that I have similar visions/inspirations for a piece be it assemblage or painting..and in the end it takes on a different being. Nonetheless it is sound to start with a good idea for composition. When I was reading your pellet trap idea I envisioned a similar idea in a log cabin dream home of mine. Imagine such a trap suspended on a wall high up, kind of like the stone covered flute of a chimney...and the pellets are funneled to a sand filled screen that actually has an outside the wall access so as not to allow any lead dust inside the house. Every so often you can go outside an collect the lead for resale. The ideal shooting position would be at least 30 yards across the home from my loft of course

80 grit wrote:Abda,

Thanks for hooking up my banner. That was very nice of you. I kind of use my website as means to show people my art. I really don't sell anything on there. Some day I will look to have someone design me a better site. I basically traded a tattoo for the design of my site. I love the barter system.

Your descriptive of your young wife in the garden was very Utopian. I can tell you that I have similar visions/inspirations for a piece be it assemblage or painting..and in the end it takes on a different being. Nonetheless it is sound to start with a good idea for composition. When I was reading your pellet trap idea I envisioned a similar idea in a log cabin dream home of mine. Imagine such a trap suspended on a wall high up, kind of like the stone covered flute of a chimney...and the pellets are funneled to a sand filled screen that actually has an outside the wall access so as not to allow any lead dust inside the house. Every so often you can go outside an collect the lead for resale. The ideal shooting position would be at least 30 yards across the home from my loft of course

Great minds think alike, I've heard it said . . .

Agreed, art, work, anything creative for me always takes on a life of it's own. It's like an idea that you breath life into and it matures and becomes independent, sometimes rebellious regardless of how one tries to tame it. Raising children are that way too. One might even go as far as to say you just give up the genes and it, they, do the rest. In either case, you give part of yourself in the creation.

Anyway, yea, I like the barter system too. If ever you find a need, shoot me a line: I think you'll find me more than reasonable. No problem on hooking you up as is. I think everyone here will be appreciative. Our honor, Mr. Grit.

But I do sort of like your current web site. I've not run across that view type before. Great eye candy for the eye candy. Your guy did a good job.

I'll be taking some shots of my work out there. I'm disabled and have to do things in spurts so this is apt to take me more or less than two years to do---compared to a week or so that it would have otherwise. But, like the air gunning, it's good therapy nonetheless.

Well, Mr. Grit, I've got it tackled now. I put a mouse hover message on it to make sure they know to click on it and know it is approved.

Hope to hear from you in the other forums. Ever need a hand staff is always at the ready and others here can always fill in what we don't know about the air gun stuff as well.

Again, welcome to www.airgunsinc.org!