Red-Handed Jill

Heh - I'm in one hardware store or another at least once or twice a week. But the parts I'm looking for aren't being made anymore. I've got a sketch of what I want and a pretty good idea of all the parts I'd need but I've got to find 'em or reasonable facsimiles. Patt - I have a few things you may find useful for your motorcycle project. My memory isn't what it used to be but if you could remind me a day or so before NorCal...

I've been trying to find antique plumbing parts to make a ray gun - my search continues...

Patt - your ray gun is freakin' amazing!

You definitely have that Alan Quartermaine je ne sais quoi! Good job!

She's more than old enough to truly realise what she was doing. I'd venture to say she's a psychopath and as such, not fixable. I say throw her in the deepest part of the amazonian jungle and see how well she fares against the big cats... At least she would be of some use to something.

My ex's mother was MacArthur's wife's personal nurse during that time. Apparently she was having a nervous breakdown due to the danger everyone was in because of her husband's cowardly incompetence. I learned more about Douglas MacArthur than I wanted to but I can say that anyone who considers him a hero should look elsewhere. So many needless deaths...

I sent Matuzalem's book to Sophia last month (I posted that earlier - it's probably a couple of pages back) and sent Pew's book to her earlier this week. So I have no books.

Lady Jaxx of the Tales crew always puts on a good shindig on Saturday night - and she will be the keeper of the famous rum cake so stop by and have a piece!

Geez - it's a good thing I wasn't drinking my tea when I read this...

Oh - definitely wear it at Ojai Hey - she's got another of the navy stripe ones - this is the same kind that I got (if I get it in time, I'll wear it Sunday at NorCal): Navy pinstripe corset

Wish I could but since I bought it the link is gone. It's the long waist cincher in navy blue.

Great - thanks! Grrrr - a red and white stripe one is now available but it's too big! Waaaah! But... I decided to take the plunge so to speak and bought the navy pinstriped one.

My go-go boots were black faux patent leather - a less-popular variation on this boot. There was NO way I was gonna wear white boots; even as a kid I had SOME dignity. And yay - I guessed right (took me two tries...)

I'm thinking of either the Siren or that navy stripe one. Do they really go in at the waist? I have an hourglass figure, but I've tried on corsets before and so many of them turn me into a cylindrical tube. Could be because my back isn't that wide - I'm top-heavy because of larger breasts, not a larger back. But still, I want to be sure this will conform to my shape rather than disguise it.

I admit those go-go boots were faux patent leather... And the mini skirt was plaid (plaid was SO big in the 60's.) During the 80's I wore cropped shirts, to show off my abs. No spandex, though. Okay - so I'm guessing the wee girl with the determined look in her face, staring straight at the camera.

Well, the second lass from the left is striking a rather dramatic pose... I didn't do the pixie cut in the 60's, but I did have a mini skirt and go-go boots.

I was off about the time - it was in early 2008. And it could be that they didn't do any more because the turnout wasn't as high as it could have been (typical of first-time events.) And Tales wasn't really involved. If memory serves, Ace was hired to be the emcee and Skip Henderson 's band was at least part of the entertainment.

No - they just had the one a couple of years ago (and I was out of town at the time...) None since.

Aye - Jack is a clever lad, he is. Here's a pic I took of him at Ojai last year with a couple of the cannons that he took off the carriages - you can see more detail of the back reservoir:

Aye - we were just saying how we miss those Children's Hospital pirate affairs up thisaway...

A chopped veggie salad: cucumber, beets, corn, olives, edamame, walnuts, fresh basil and Gorgonzola, with homemade dijon balsamic vinaigrette.

Your right (ahem)? Should I PM you with my address so you can send that to me? I should have those pics available in the next few days and will accompany them with instructions. In the meantime, here are the basic instructions: It's essentially an ABS tube with a water reservoir towards the back, using a T-joint, reservoir and a hose clamp. Then you form a second, larger ABS tube around the first, make a V-cut in it and use a heat gun to form it into a slightly conical shape. Drill out two circles on the side to fit in the trunions. The trunions can be made with anything - we used more ABS pipe with a wooden plug in the end and cut on the inside to fit the curve of the inside pipe. Glue the trunions to the pipe, fit the outer tube around the inside tube (this will take some effort but be patient) and clamp it together using hose clamps. The breach is one of those plastic dog jolly-balls (the walls of these are fairly thick) cut in half with a doorknob attached to the back. Glue this to the back end of the cannon and cover the joint with either a strip of ABS or a tubular foam insulation strip cut in half lengthwise. Use spray foam insulation between the two to secure everything together and to create a solid thick wall. The front end is an ABS expander (the kind used to join two sizes of ABS pipe) with a wooden flat-sided donut glued to the end to form the end of the barrel. Then cover the clamps with either more ABS or, if you want rounded barrel decorations, use tubular foam insulation strips cut in half lengthwise. Drill a hole at the top directly above the water reservoir about 1/4 " in diameter and insert a metal tube just long enough to go through to the inside barrel. Glue that into place. Rough up the ABS with sandpaper and spray paint everything matte black (or use textured spray paint, if desired.) The carriage is just your basic naval carriage - you can't see them here because I hadn't put them on yet, but I used leather cut from an old belt for the trunion covers.

I'm sending Pew's book out today.

I may be able to help - my better half Iron Jack has made quite a few carbide cannons. Here's a pic of a couple lashed to the deck of the schooner Aldebaran: I took photos of the process and can send instructions - let me know if you'd like me to send them to you (may take a few days - I have to remember where those photos got to...)

Okay - this event is not quite three weeks off so it's time to start squawking about it. We've got lots of fun stuff planned in the Tales of the Seven Seas camp - beware or some of you may end up married! (Heh.) If you would like to be married, we will have a bower and minister available - schedule a time and it can happen! Patrick Hand will be on, ummm, hand to add that Airship Pyrate je ne sais quoi to our camp on Sunday. Show up in your steamy best and hang out in our Airship Pyrate encampment. Ransom and Chain Shot will be joining us yet again on Aldebaran to fire cannons at all of ye landlubbers during the cannon battle. This is always a pretty exciting - and loud! - battle. I've been told that there will be other boats involved as well; should be interesting! As always, you're welcome to hang out in the Tales of the Seven Seas encampment and join in our mayhem!