Capn' Mac

The Marie le Noir

Some more made of late:

DVD Finally! I’ve jus’ ‘bout worn me VHS copy out from watchin’ this’n. Damn fine pyratin’ film! The poor misguided Capn’ Bartholomew Redd an’ the Frog. Never a finer pair’ o’ jokers in a staked deck by funder!

Please do! Here's yet another...

Yet another...

Here are a couple more I banged out today:

Here are a few more examples I banged out today...

We sure do: www.dirkandarrow.com or you can click on my banner below...

Greetings all! We at the Dirk and Arrow are now proud to offer custom made goods and gear for the discerning pirate, swashbuckler, and buccaneer! Custom Pirate Flags! Fly your very own colors! Our custom made pirate flags are hand dyed, and hand painted with your custom design on both sides. They are made from a medium weight canvas, sturdy and made for use outdoors. They measure 4 ½ feet wide by 3 feet high though we can accommodate any size you might need. They are made with triple re-enforced hanging corners with brass grommets. These grommets can be “button holed” for a more period look. The flags are treated with a UV blocker to prevent fading and are water proofed and made to withstand high winds and the elements. In short they are made to real use whether flying in your camp or raised as your colors on board your water craft of choice. These flags will last for years of hard and rugged use. Prices range from $85 on up depending on artwork. Please contact us for a quote.

So we have an event coming up here and my wife wanted a new pirate bodice and a flag so I’ve been working on these of late. The flag came out nice enough that we are going to start offering custom made, hand painted flags on our website. Here are the shoulder and breast plates for my wife's bodice: Here's her flag:

Is it all a test or is it all in my head?

What timing! I am searching for a good recipe for rum cake. How can I get a hold of this recipe book? Or does someone here have a good recipe they would be willing to share?

Thank ye again all. The wood burning is actually easier than you'd think. I’d recommend picking up a cheap set from a local hobby shop and practicing. It’s fun and oddly relaxing. I got the work done on my smugglers box while watching Master and Commander.

Very nice work mate. Are you going to stain it?

Well it would help if I spelled it correctly to start with. Sorry about that. It’s called Canvak. I buy mine from the local Army Surplus but you can find it at places like Sportsman’s Warehouse or Cabela’s. Here’s a few online resources: http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0005871513996a.shtml http://www.mytarp.com/canvak-waterproofing-compound-gallon-can.aspx http://outfitterssupply.blogspot.com/2006/08/waterproofing-canvas-wall-tent.html I use it with an outdoor sprayer from Home Depot and coat the canvas really well. Leave it out to cure for 24-48 hours but out of direct sunlight. Once it has cured you should be good to go. Reapply a thin new coat each season and you’ll be nice and dry. We did our 8’ x 11’ 12’x 16’ wall tent with 2 and a half gallons and in two days of heavy, heavy rain and a little hail our canvas tent from Panther and our Home Depot painters tarp kept us bone dry.

I happen to have one on hand still in it's package. It says 100% canvas but has no indication as to the what it is actually made of. I can tell you that my wife and I use one as a kitchen canopy that we treated with Kanvac. We had an event over memorial day and were in a pretty constant on and off down poor and I can attest that our canopy did not leak even once. That's why we picked up another so we can add it as a wind break.

There is a fantastic place in Arkansas called the Ozark Folk Center (http://www.ozarkfolkcenter.com/) They have craftsmen selling period wares there. We picked up this broom from the broom maker:

No doubt! That sounds awesome. Let's see some pictures!

Thank ye much! Oh there's not much more on a hot summers day that I like more than a Pimms and iced tea!

Sweet! Can't wait to see the braces. Might be in the market as it were...

Thanks much Patrick! I finished her off today: That's going to be a dead sexy chest Dorian!

So carrying over from the recent projects thread, I've been having much silly fun with boxes of late. I found a great resource for pine wine boxes from the local booze shop as well as Michael's and Hobby Lobby craft stores. So today I finished up my by-level cargo box: This is a recent wine and goblet box: One of my wife's many cook/spice boxes: Our game box: I've two more mine boxes to convert and a crate. Whoohoo!

The baddest bad boys on the high seas, The Real McKenzies!

You can put together a serviceable simple tent easy-peasy leamon squeezy for around $45-$60 if you aren't picky. You need: From Home Depot: 6'x 11' canvas painters tarp two 2"x 2" x 8' redwood poles two 3/8" x 10" screw bolts 1 can polyurethane coating 44 feet of manila/hemp rope 1 wood dowel From Wal-Mart: 1 grommet setting kit From Jo-Anne's or your favorite fabric store: 1 yard duck canvas, natural colored waxed thread From Army Surplus: 10 tent stakes Tools needed: A saw A paint brush A drill A wrench A grinder or bolt cutter A sewing machine or at least a needle and thread Scissors A hammer A sander or just sand paper A wood file The tent: Cut 16 3" by 3" squares out of your yard of duck canvas. These will be used for rip stop support on each corner of your tarp, the two sides and at either end. As so: You will sandwich the tarp between the pieces of canvas and sew as shown. Then grommet each piece. You could use stitching to make it look like a piece of sail or paint it or something as well. The poles: Cut your redwood down to 6' lengths. Sand the bottom. Using the wood file, file off the corners along the top to round it out into a peg and sand. Leave the top flat, as such: Screw in the bolts to the top leaving the haft exposed. Cut off the head with a grinder or the bolt cutters. Seal your poles with poly. The rope: You want four lengths at 11' each. Cut toggles that are about 4" long from your wood dowel. Drill two holes in them with a 3/8" bit. Sand and poly. Feed one end of the rope through each hole in a toggle and tie it off. Tie a simple knot into the other end of the rope, loop it over and tie it together with waxed thread as shown: Simply set up as shown: You can modify from there. Add on tent flaps to the front and back, water proof it with Kanvac, etc. It's not fancy but it will work.

Began my latest silly project today. Picked up a cheapy pine box at Michael's craft store and am going to turn it into a two compartment spirits chest. Made the inside shelf and burned in the artwork today. Here's the outside: This is the mark of my imaginary "mercantile": A compass rose on the lid: This is the inside shelf with a map of the West Indies: And the exposed bottom compartment: Just need to stain and finish it, add the hinges, throw some packing material in the bottom and it will be done. Should hold six bottles quite nicely. Silly, I know.