Commodore Swab

Well to me the barrel looks to be all clean and shiny, how long it will stay shiny may be in question as anyone who works with bronze/brass knows. It is a beautiful worm I wish I had something that nice for my simple small barrel.

Nice to see your going to make it Matt, if you need a crew you are welcome to the Crimson. Remember also there is a place for you to crash before or after PiP if you want. Although I will be heading out to the Ft after PiP most likely but Shay will be at the house.

I know it as well and will sit back and let someone else get this one The Studabaker does have style in its own particular way though . . .

Lest we forgot about the Portuguese . . .

Aye that looks to be a screw press coin, if so that should be pretty rare. Can you tell us about it?

As an update I have a friend working on some clothes for me that should be Europeanbut with an Asian flair. This year at PiP I will be a Portuguese sailor turned pirate in India. We sailed throughout Aisa where I met my wife (still working on her clothes but I have some ideas from old artwork photographed in Bangkok) and married so she will be a combination of Thai/Chinese. Here is a picture as an example . . . I will be wearing clothes that were made using their fabrics but made to my preference so they will look PC but since I was sailing in the Orient I used the fabric available. We then sailed from Aisa to Central America where we were given the oppurtunity of an English Pardon but chose to sail on until we could get a Spanish pardon. I am basing my character on actual events which led to the creation of the character known as Long John Silver

Thats why I was offering our place as one to crash at since we are at the very top of the keys only about 25 miles south of Homestead.

Well times are hard and I need to come up with money to finialize my wifes visa and get her over here and as work isnot paying out enough I need to make up the difference so I am selling my cannon. 22 inch Bronze Cannon vertically cast using bronze recovered from a German Minesweeper steering gear. This is a early 1700's late 1600's pattern with correct rings. This cannon was cast with the Viceroy at his foundry using his master pattern. The carriage is made out of Ipe, a form of iron wood so it is heavy and very durable. The barrel is 22 inches long with a 1 inch bore. I can have the barrel patined or polished $800 for the carriage and cannon

Prepare for a long slow drive down the Keys, I wouldnt be surprised if it takes you an hour and a half to get to the keys and another 2-2 and a half hours to KW from there.

Perhaps this gives a better representation of the scale of the howitzer . . .

Aye tis hollywood at its finest (actually that might be the totally wrong word), although I almost dies laughing about "bat country" but as a sailor myself being stranded in sand with no wind is hell . . .

Nice turks heads, did you tie them yerself?

You can add Joni and Dave to the crimson crew, more to come soon probably. Unsure of which days they will be coming though they will be there and participating bringing arms and even a cannon. That makes 2 cannons for the crimson crew . . .

Hmm personally I would love a Chadwick touring but Im not sure if there are any left. She was good for 100 mph off the showroom floor in 1910 with roads being the way they were, first production car supercharged (3 stage) using a 12L inline 6 engine. Other cars I've driven on a daily basis or owned include a couple model T's, a model A, Mercedes 300 SLR (replica of course), 66 Pontiac, 55 Cad eldorado convt, and a 64 cad convt. I am hoping to get my friends '59 Chrysler from him and use it as a family car/driver when I live in Thailand. Of course when it comes to boats how about this . . . Of course if money werent an issue

Ive seen this topic many times but just passed it by as I havent needed to start making my tent just yet. I did however have an idea that just came to me. I realize many of the tents available for purchase use this pin design, but wouldnt it be more PC to employ a yoke like a spar on a schooner would have? This would still have the advantage of shorter poles and might look a little better, then again it might not.

Thats the one, tis intestering the message the movie puts across as well as how close it fits to where our society is going today.

Lest you not forget about all those tools used for stoking a fire, not only are they often iron but also heavier on one end resembling more of a club. Of course pulling one out of a fire opens up an entirely new realm of possibilities.

Actually I was well aware of their "reputation" and dearly hope to be able to report that they are accurate on their delivery estimate. I first called them to find out what locks they might have either assembled or the parts in stock already cast. This did have a considerable bearing on which lock we chose, estimated delivery was between 4-6 weeks (surprising me that we could actually possibly get something from them within a month). However, upon paying apparently somebody hadn't looked carefully and the lock we needed was already there and assembled so the delivery time changed to a few days. I will believe it when I see it, personally I wouldn't be surprised if it took a couple months at least. If it does arrive I will let you know as this will be the first time I have ever heard of them delivering something promptly.

Another thought on a machete is this. When I was in Thailand last they have some very simple blades there that are used for hacking down bushes to breaking open coconuts. They appear to be something that may of transitioned thru the ages without much of a change at all. The end is squared off with a wide (about 3/16") flat section opp the blade that is used to hit on to drive it thru whatever might be needed to. The handle is nothing more than the steel rolled over in a circle. All in all a very simple rugged utility blade. As for lock I am using a snaphaunce lock on the musket I am starting work on. My thoughts are that it would of been more common to find in the 1660's with evidence they were in wide circulation as late as 1700. I know the doglock, flint lock (french), and english lock were being built at this time but I feel the bucc. would of looked for something they knew and trusted that was cheaper and more available than the newest ones on the market.

My bad, I should of mentioned that nationality of the piece was not something I was concerned about. As for era portraying I am looking for something that would of been available and used in the carribean roughly 1660's. Update: After talking with the rifle shop based on what is available and in stock as far as castings (as well as knowing their "normal" time frame) I came to a decision of a English Snaphaunce.

Well it appears as though I am going to have to build one myself. I am looking for wood and pricing steel for the barrel now. I am trying to collect as many pictures as possible and working on sourcing a lock from the rifle shop. Most likely I will go with something they have in stock to reduce the weight as I would like to have it done by PiP this December along with my other arms. I am still undecided on what style of lock to use although I am leaning toward 1. Snaphaunce 2. Miquelet 3. Wheel lock 4. English/Jacobean I figure they would of all been seen and available during the bucc period with the english being the most desireable at the time. However, as this is something that will be kept for wall hanging mostly the other lock styles being more unique become more desireable. What are your thoughts?

Where does one go to find a good inexpensive hat blank to work with?

Sorry for the delay in posting another hint but here goes . . . "Voila In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity is a vestige of the vox populi now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance a vendetta held as a votive not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose. So let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you . . ."

For those of you interested here is a picture of a cannon out of the same mold on a carriage made by the Viceroy with the cap squares and dolphins.

Anybody who might be an expert or knowledgeable please contact us helping to identify a wreck