Duchess

Basically. I call it a plate since I've only been doing them about 3mm thick. Start with a sketch Photograph it, since I don't have a scanner Bring it into photo software, clean it up into a two color image. Convert it to a 3D model (okay there's really like a dozen steps here, but you get the idea.) Print the 3D plate Use a printing press to print the image Paint. This step might involve various stages and resists depending on what I'm going. In this case, the basic image is just the line work of the ship. Everything else is added at the end.

I've been working on a complicated process of designing and 3D printing relief plates. Then using the plates those to create the basis of 1/1 editions with a common printed element. The common element here is ,very loosely, a 16th century caravel.

Hello! I’m Duchess. I’m your Arts of Pyracy Moderator. I spent my childhood summers working with my mom at one of the largest renaissance festivals in the country. I worked there again as an adult for almost a decade. I’ve been involved in a variety of historic, theater and arts related endeavors for much of my life, but stepped away from performing about 15 years ago. I still have most of my gear, living in totes in my small house. It might be angling for a come back or a side step, I don't know yet. I am a physicist by training, an inveterate and intemperate learner of skills by nature, nurture and inclination. I’m thrilled to see the Pub return, having originally joined just a few months after it was opened in 2003. Those of you who have been around might recall that I used to moderate sea shanties and more importantly, organized the annual holiday gift exchange. While I’m moving to moderate Arts (thanks to William’s generosity) I don’t plan to hand off the holiday exchange duties any time soon. Get honing your gift making and package assembly skills and keep an eye out for that this fall! In this space, keep your arts and crafts coming! Share what you’re working on or learning. Be kind. Be constructive. Remember that we were once all novices in our favorite thing and we are presently all novices in something else.

My aged self immediately rebelled at the idea of having to learn how to use discord. But I'll take a look.

What about getting a bunch a hosting a virtual tea tasting? We could have a sign up (small fee to cover the tea?), then send a package and brewing instructions for each signed up person. And do a zoom event for the tasting!

Excellent! My husband and I are avid mountain bikers (he also rides a variety of BMX) we actually stopped riding as much during the pandemic. Our local trails were absolutely flooded with new people who were in way over their heads. It got to the point that we were having to act as first responders nearly every time we went out and when you have to be the responsible adult for everyone else around you, it sort of takes the fun out your adventure escape. We switched to night riding almost exclusively for the first two years. I'm hopeful we'll be able to get back out more in the daylight this summer. A few months ago at an antique store, we found a book on the trails in our region that was published in 1994 (revised 1998). Our summer plan is to revisit trails comparing the the guide to do today. Huzzah to 25 years of change!

Please share some pics of what you make! I've played around with 3D some replacement parts for vintage pens, sections and the like but haven't made a whole pen. I'm working on a replica filling mechanism for vacumatics. It started out as piece for a workshop, so people could practice replacing a diaphragm on something delicate but replaceable. But now I'm thinking I can actually use the thing I designed as a replacement part!

Thank you! It's so satisfying. Particularly the ones that are nearing or over a 100 years old. My husband and I are still running a monthly table top group with a board game focus. It's been running for more than a decade now, which is hard to believe. I did have some angst about it. Giving up/changing identities is always a journey. I don't really drink anymore. My parents wanted the equipment out of their house and the place we bought is far too small to house something I likely would never use again. I passed it off to a former student of mine who is very excited to begin her home brewing journey, which made the transition easier. For the grains, maybe 5-6 cups? I use about a cup per batch of bread. It freezes well.

To be fair I was equally interested in cheese when I lived in Washington. Thank you for this! Bad is not the same as hard. I suspect they were working with quite hard varieties to begin with.

By levels, surely you must mean rows! Is Access still a thing? I was doing some consulting years ago and they wanted an access database built. It was way overkill and none of their people were ever going to learn to use it. Still a fight to talk them out of it! Anyway, point me to any cheese based recipes please.

Very cool! I just gave away the last of my brewing supplies and I miss the process of it all. But I was never much of a drinker and we have very limited space in our house, so off it went. I still have a few cases of mead and porter that just keep getting better with age. Would you be interested in overnighting me some spent grains next time you do a porter? Spent porter grains make an excellent addition to homemade bread. I'll pay the shipping!

Oh my....yes.... It's doubly dangerous since my spouse is also a fountain pen enthusiast. We've got some interesting modern pens and then I completely fell down the vintage fountain pen restoration rabbit hole. I'll even be teaching some fountain pen repair workshops later this year. It's a fascinating application of all my former gunsmithing skills and satisfies my corvid love of shiny things/collecting. Lady Barbossa, have you got a fountain pen collection?

It is a handmade fountain pen from a pen maker named Ryan Krusac. No contributions from me other than saving my pennies for several months.

Of course you do. My ability to believably be shocked at this revelation is unbelievably low.

What about cousins? Uncles? Other ancillary relatives whose exact relation I've never bothered to suss out? Welcome back!

One of the things I've become interested in over the last few years is fountain pens. I haven't followed a typical fountain pen enthusiast path preferring, as usual, to do things my own way. But I never completely abandoned sea related things, so there was no passing up this glorious pen by Ryan Krusac. Moose antler, ebony and mother of pearl. It's so finely crafted that the north star sits above the prow of the ship when the pen is capped. What's new with you? What's old? What is both?

I did not. I did get a "new device has logged in" message after I returned.

20?! My how much things change and remain the same. Happy Anniversary!

Aw you guys, it is just the three of us and I was actually going to ask if you'd be willing to do as Coastie suggested. Bo, let me know if you're up for two packages rather than one. If not, please don't hesitate to say so! I'll share address and information once I have a definitive on that question. Duchess

Excellent!

I've spent the day digging up the garden and baking apple pies. Not terribly piratical, but indicative of the changing seasons and the impending winter. This changing of the seasons also makes this the season of the Pyracy Pub Gift Exchange! I'm looking for a crew, from far locations, willing to come together for a special mission. This crew will be elite, capable to carrying out the most difficult of tasks...putting things in the post. Sign up now! (Apologies to the Mercury crew I did not visit this summer (you might recall some life events for me this time, that continued through the intervening 12 months, some wonderful others on the opposite end of the spectrum. So, with the best intents, next year?) Those of you who have been around know that participation in this event has waned substantially over the last few years. Last year did not see a change in the tides, but our small crew was successful and happy! I'd love to see a few more folks sign up this year. However, please, before you commit to participating in this event be absolutely sure that you will follow through on the terms as provided below. I'm sure you all can understand how frustrating it is to be the person who is still waiting for their surprise well after the New Year...So don't create that situation. So here's how it’s going to work: Who is eligible: Any current member of the Pub is eligible. If you’ve only been around a few months, I’ll pair you with someone else in equal standing. The understanding being that this would put those newer members on equal footing, as both parties would be taking a risk with unknowns. Regardless of membership status, by signing up you solemnly agree that you will provide some sort of pleasant contact with your designated recipient. If you don't I'll be distinctly displeased with you and highly unlikely to allow participation in the future. What you'll do: Sign up. See below for information about how to accomplish this. After the sign-up cut-off I will PM you the name and address of your Designated Recipient. Sometime in the near future you will put something in the mail, timed so as to arrive before December 25, for your Designated Recipient. What you will send: Often these sorts of arrangements come with a dollar amount limit. I’m not convinced that is appropriate for some place like the Pub, and things have been pretty successful for the last several years without one. Please don't let this lack of specification make you uncomfortable. Also know that you're not buying our friendship, respect or any other sort of attention, so don't bother showing off. We'll just mock you. Things that people have done in the past: Holiday Cards, CD's, dice, a deck of cards, belt pouches, glass pens, etc.... Basically anything goes as long as it is kind and reasonably well intentioned. If this section is really stressing you out PM me, and we'll come up with something or I'll give you quantitative limits to make you feel better. The most successful gifts are often hand crafted. How to sign up: Send me a PM with your name (or something the post office will recognize as a name capable of receiving packages) and an address. Each interested party must contact me themselves, from their own account. I won't sign anyone up on someone else's say so. Simply expressing interest here is like wise insufficient. You must send me a PM with your name and address. This is a test. I MUST RECEIVE YOUR PM BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18th. FOR YOU TO PARTICIPATE! I will then mix up all the entries and pair up everyone, plan on this taking two weeks. I'll then send you a PM no later than December 1st containing the name and address of your Designated Recipient. General Information: Once you have your recipient, you will then find, craft, beg, or barter something for them and post it off to the supplied address. Please let me know when your package has shipped. After the Gift exchange is complete everyone should purge their PM's of sensitive identifying information (like names and addresses) and I will do the same. You're free to open your Gift whenever you get it (or to wait for some special day) and post here in great detail about it. But let’s have the exchange complete before we start identifying ourselves as "giver of ...." You are free to post here, in this thread, general information about what you are interested in to help your Designated Giver. You're also free to remain entirely mum. Personally, I find the nature of the complete surprise present to be most appealing... If you've any questions please post here or send me a PM. Thanks, Duchess.

I happily attest to Patrick's skill in the construction of ditty bags!

Well, I'm a few days late posting this, but I think we can officially lay to rest the 2015 Secret Gift Exchange. With ever dwindling numbers, I salute those of you stuck it through. Despite my some what shoddy level of management this year, you have come together to provide a small measure of happiness to your fellow pirates. Thank you once again for a wonderful year, I wish each of you more happiness in this year than you knew in the last, participant and bystander alike.

Whenever I am concerned about pointless universals, I remember this thread or am auspiciously reminded of it's existence and suddenly pointless universals seem much less important than pointless specifics.