Maker Spotlight: Tim Deagan

Name: Tim Deagan
Home: Austin, Texas
Makerspace: His shop at DeChurch
Day Job: VP of Software Development and Business Intelligence, CORT Business Services

Fire Effects : Metalworking : Electronics : Painting : Sculpting : What Doesn’t He Do!?

Robert A. Heinlein famously said that “specialization is for insects.” If that’s true, then Tim Deagan is a model human, dabbling in countless forms of making. He has chops in electronics and metal work, although he’s probably best known as a fire whisperer. (In fact, he wrote the book on it.)

“Making is my medium, tools are my brush and pen, the hardware store is where I find my art supplies,” he says. “The things around me call to me to be taken apart and reborn as something whimsical or exciting. I love to bend, cut, weld, drill, and melt metal. I delight in motors and valves that make things move. I’m entranced by tiny computers that breathe interaction into static things. I need to paint and sculpt. I crave learning new skills no matter how good or bad I am at them.”

You can find Tim on
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The BiGun is a stationary Arduino-driven flame effect. It shoots patterned fireballs based on adjustable duty cycling of the 1.25″ valve. It’s been to Art Outside, Austin Mini Maker Faire and Burning Flipside.

The NoMobile is a flame effect cart sporting a 100lb propane cylinder, 100psi regulator, two 7.5gal accumulators, and a 1.25″ valve and vent. It shoots 30’x15′ fireballs. It’s been to Maker Faire Austin and Burning Flipside.

One of Tim’s other maker passions is leatherwork. This shoulder bag has interior and exterior pockets, an iPad sleeve, and extensive tooling and dyeing work. “I design and cut my own patterns, tool and dye the leather, and then hand stitch to create things I need like bags, utility belts, wrist braces, phone holders, etc..” he says.

“A lot of my making is driven by my love of art,” says Tim. “I paint and show canvases (acrylics and encaustics) as a way to do figurative art as well as metalwork, flame effects, and microcontrollers.”

Every day we highlight a different maker from our broad community. Meet all the amazing people featured in Maker Spotlight. Want to nominate someone, maybe even yourself? Send a note to makerspotlight@makermedia.com.