Posted on November 7, 2023 November 8, 2023

Animilitia Stickers

Anyone that knows me knows that every few months I get some wild hair and get super into something a little off the wall. I spend hours of my free time pouring over any Youtube videos about it, blog articles and/or podcasts. It’s generally something off the beaten path of what you would expect from a guy like myself: I’m into guns, hunting, whiskey and the like.

A few months back it was home brew kombucha. Which is fascinating, by the way. You basically brew some green tea and then throw a giant booger in it (look up a SCOBY: symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), then wait a few weeks and it turns into a delicious fermented drink.

Before that it was 3d printing. If you’re looking for an awesome hobby that is also amazingly useful, this is the one for you. But lately it’s been stickers. Yes, you read that right. Stickers. Not collecting them, but making them. If you’ve ever ordered something off our website, you know that we always throw in a Schiwerks sticker. So we go through a decent amount of them, and I was curious what it would take to produce them ourselves, rather than ordering them.

Well it turns out, we already had almost everything we needed to do it. So I dove headlong into it, as I do. And before long made some awesome quality Schiwerks stickers. But of course, that wasn’t enough, so I started playing around with designing some other offerings, and for some reason, animals carrying guns popped into my brain. I designed an eagle, because duh, that has to be the first one for a freedom loving fella like myself. Then a panda, a turtle, and a whole line of them. I even made one of the Ice Cream AK gun we did a while back. Could be fun to make stickers out of the crazy theme builds like that we do down the road.

Weird? Definitely, but I enjoy it, so whatever. And I can give guys some awesome stickers. And of course, we needed a good name for the line of stickers, so we figured what better than the “Animilita:” a mash up of animals and militia. What could be more fitting?

So hopefully soon we’ll get these thrown up on the website for any weirdos like me that will enjoy them. *(edit: now live on website HERE.) Or, if you place an order and we have them in stock, we’ll be throwing them in for free. Beings Thanksgiving is in a few weeks already (holy crap where did 2023 go,) I think I’ll be throwing in a heavily armed turkey to a lot of orders.

Anyways, thanks for checking out my article. Until the next one, stay weird and stay free.

~Sam

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Posted on October 9, 2023 October 9, 2023

Benefit Raffle

Meet Michael: a veteran, father, husband and a friend of Schiwerks, who we first crossed paths with 6 years ago, about the time his journey began. He developed severe stomach pains while out with his wife one day, which lead to extremely complicated surgeries, an extended stay in a hospital bed, and has left him battling issues and unable to walk ever since. Throughout this difficult period, his wife has been his unwavering caregiver, along with their four young daughters.

The Upcoming Hurdle: Michael is bracing himself for a significant upcoming surgery that will once again require an extended stay in a hospital bed. During this time, his wife will continue to be his primary caregiver, which means she won’t be able to work and earn an income to support their family. Adding to the stress, their efforts to secure Social Security Income (SSI) have been unsuccessful, and the VA cannot provide assistance due to the issue not being service related.

*Michael playjng cards with his daughters*

In light of these challenges, Michael has reached out for support to ensure that his family can cover their rent and essential bills while he focuses on his recovery. The financial strain of being unable to contribute to his family’s financial stability weighs heavily on his mind, making his healing journey even more challenging.

So we decided to run a raffle and raise money for Michael and his family. We’re raffling off a 16 in AR, cerakoted by us in Black Multicam, with a subtle 8th Infantry Division logo on the left side(Michael’s unit when he was in the service) as well as engraved on the magwell, a Reptilia CQB-L grip cerakoted to match and stippled in our Executive Texture, with a magazine lasered with the 8th Infantry logo to finish off this piece. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased in person at Schiwerks, or on our website. The date of the drawing for this raffle will be announced soon. We’re expecting in November or December, depending how sales go.

Every single dime we raise off this will go directly to Michael and his family, paying rent, utilities and groceries bills. Thank you in advance for your contribution. It is greatly appreciated. If you’d like to donate directly to Michael, he also has a go fund me, found right here.

~Sam

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Posted on May 8, 2023 May 10, 2023

Cerakote Laser Imaging

Cerakote®, if you’re not familiar, is a ceramic-based coating that is known for its durability, corrosion resistance, and large selection of vibrant colors. As a certified applicator, we are always looking for ways to improve the services we offer with exciting options for our customers. Recently, we have been playing with Cerakote laser imaging, and are excited to add this to our list of customization options.

Cerakote laser imaging is a process that uses a laser to etch a design or pattern onto a surface coated with Cerakote. This creates a unique and long-lasting design that is both visually appealing and functional. Laser imaging is particularly useful for creating custom logos, designs, and complex patterns that would be difficult to reproduce the traditional way.

We’ve been testing various laser settings to determine the best combination of power, speed, frequency and hatch settings for creating high-quality images on Cerakote-coated surfaces. After much trial and error, we think we have the perfect settings that produce clean, precise, and detailed images that are resistant to wear and tear.

One of the key benefits of Cerakote laser imaging is that it is a permanent and long-lasting way to customize your items. Unlike other forms of customization, such as stickers or decals, laser imaging will not peel, fade, or wear off over time. And of course, it’s also resistant to scratches, chemicals, and wear, making it an ideal choice for items that will be used frequently.

Laser imaging is an exciting new service that we are proud to offer to our customers. With our years of experience and some bad ass equipment, we can create custom designs that are both functional and visually appealing. If you are interested in Cerakote laser imaging, contact us today to learn more about how we can help you customize your items.

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Posted on March 28, 2023 March 28, 2023

Custom Hex Camo Rifle

One of the things we pride ourselves on is taking a customers vision for their project, and making it a reality. This customer came to us with a specific hex pattern that his company used in some of their marketing that he really liked and wondered if we could use that as a base for some camo. Well absolutely, that’s right up our alley!

So we came up with a design and the colors to go with it, showed it to him, and he had some ideas of how to tweak it, until we came up with this great design. The final product is something we were both extremely pleased with. What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments below.

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Posted on March 20, 2023 March 21, 2023

AR Mag Holders Produced in House!

For the past several months I’ve been posting about AR mag holders. Well, they’re finally live on the website. Check ’em out here. And for a limited time, you can get one free! Just spend $50 on the website and write in the order comments, or message us that you would like one. That’s it.

They’re designed and printed by us, all in house. Now you may be saying to yourself “phft, it’s just 3d printed crap.” And a year ago, I would have agreed with you. But now, seeing how far technology has come in the last few years, I’m absolutely amazed at what these machines can produce.

I got into 3d printing exactly a year ago now. Initially I was interested in it as a way to learn 3d modeling and eventually transition into CNC milling, which has always been something I’ve been interested in. That’s still in the plans. But I became absolutely fascinated that you could design a 3d model on your computer, and in a few short hours, sometimes less, be holding the physical product in your hands. What a world we live in.

I started with the usual entry level 3d printer, a Creality Ender 3v2. They can be had for a few hundred bucks, but I will say that I was blown away at the quality this thing could produce. I even printed a few pistol frames that I’m still using to this day. Yes, you can print gun parts on them, and yes, they are absolutely functional. (Joe Biden be damned.)

The more I learned and the more I printed, the more impressed with the technology I became. And the more I wanted to somehow incorporate 3d design and printing into Schiwerks. My printer is by far and away my favorite piece of equipment in the shop. And that’s saying something, as I have some awesome equipment. Freakin’ lasers man. But that’s a post for another time.

I’ve made jigs that save me a ton of time and effort. Specialty tools for specific projects. An entire attachment system for tools that goes above our workbench. So it just seemed right to make something in house that our customers would enjoy as well.

We invested in a new printer a few months back: a Bambu Labs X1 Carbon. I’ve been absolutely blown away by this thing. It prints 4-5 times faster than our other printer, with some features that make it an absolute dream to run.

This is where all those mag holders will be brought to life. My plan is to expand our offerings to include holders for other magazines (pistol, AR10, etc) and eventually even mounts to mount rifles and pistols on your walls.

It’s not that I’m just looking for stuff to sell. It’s the fact that I absolutely love designing something from scratch and seeing it come to life. And these are things that I personally use and love. So it only makes sense for me to bring these products to Schiwerks.

Wrapping this rather long post up, I would like to encourage you to check out 3d printing. Dip your toes it. It’s a bit overwhelming at first, but it’s an awesome hobby that can transition into so much more. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have. And until then, happy printing!

~Sam