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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Old Town Glassworks co-operative creates beautiful and unique works of art while recycling glass bottles, and all with a rickety, duct-taped sandblaster, or as staff call it, the "Frankenblaster."

Matthew Grogono, founder of Old Town Glassworks shows off a custom sandblasted cup made using the out of date sandblaster that the cooperative lives off of, affectionately dubbed "The Frankenblaster." - Nicole Garbutt/NNSL photo

This could all change soon if they win the Ugly Sandblaster Contest, in which they are a top-five finalist.

The contest, hosted by U.S.-based sandcarving supply company, Ikonics Imaging, will all come to an end later this month in Long Beach, Cal.

"It would radically expand our capacity to a whole new level of what we could do," said Matthew Grogono, founder of Old Town Glassworks. "We were reordering the materials we use for sandblasting and we just happened to stumble across (the contest)."

After getting the details from his sales representative at Ikonic, Grogono thought the co-operative, and Frankenblaster, would be a shoe in to win.

"We have also been trying to get our rep up here for years, so we thought if we win, he'll have to come up and show us how to use it," Grogono said.

The contest started with a small write up about each of the ugly sandblasters that were being entered, as well as a photo.

From there, it turned to the power of social media. A Facebook voting contest was held and Old Town Glassworks came in second overall.

As one of the top five finalists, Frankenblaster's photo and story will be posted at the Ikonics Imaging booth during the NBM Trade show, scheduled for Aug. 16 to 19 in Long Beach.

The prize sandblaster up for grabs is called a CrystalBlast Elite, which has a retail value of $6,100.

Ikonics Imaging representative Jessica Wetzel said it is a top-of-the-line sandblaster.

"We are trying to raise money to send our sales rep and an Old Town Glassworks employee down to lobby for us," said Grogono.

The NBM Trade Show features leading companies in the field of awards and engraving products.

Trade show participants will vote for which ugly sandblaster they think should win the CrystalBlast Elite.

Frankenblaster is a 16-year-old sandblaster with a few notches under its belt. Grogono bought it off of a former instructor of his, who purchased it from a farmer in Alberta.

"It is spectacular that we are able to maintain it," Grogono said. "It is really just a conglomerate of parts now. Our workshops that we hold have taken off in a way we never imagined, we are maxed out on what we can do with this one."

A state-of-the-art sandblaster would expand the co-operative's business approach, Grogono said.

"Winning this sandblaster would make us a world leader in glass etching, as well as sandblasting," he said. "This is a direction we are moving into - custom engraving. There is an opening for this kind of initiative and custom work in Yellowknife."

A donation jar is set up in the store front of Old Town Glassworks for residents who would like to contribute to the trip.

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