Wayland

I'm not going to delve too deeply into the science of optics but a quick google for something like "circle of confusion" should illustrate why out of focus point sized objects appear basically round.

As already pointed out, it's odd isn't it that nobody ever noticed "Orbs" until cameras with powerful light sources mounted close to the optical axis came along.

Believe what you will, but I prefer the empirical approach of science to hocus pocus.

Out of focus object or dust close to the camera and illuminated by flash.

No supernatural explanation required. Take it from an ex professional photographer.

Cool! Wayland is doing what many of the people on this board would like to be doing.

Thank you, It may never make me wealthy but I consider myself to be rich in many other ways.

the all purpose ID10t error lol

I haven't heard or seen that one before (for a techie, I am soooo far behind on texting lingo)... I may just use that one... I can hear it now, "Well you see <input user name here>, that is a Eye Dee Ten-Tee error!"

I make plenty of those...

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This is the sort of stuff I do for a living.

I've heard this explanation before but have not been able to track down any historical references to verify it.

W.H.Smyth has various definitions and uses for the word "Monkey" and it's derivatives, but none of them seem to connect to this story.

There is an interesting article here.

I'll forgive your lack of pirateyness on Deviantart for the sheer sake that your photography is FECKING BRILLIANT!

Thank you, landscape photography is what I do when I'm not doing the living history stuff so it's nice to have an outlet like DA or my websites to show it on.

I'm on DA but not as a Pirate I'm afraid.

Waylandscape

Has anyone read X marks the spot: the archaeology of piracy?

I was wondering if it's worth getting?

fingerless wool gloves would be perfectly suited for the period

Knitted or cut cloth?

Oh dear.....What have I started.......

Not sure how useful this info is, but I've just found out that the sulphur dipped spills were actually called "Spunks" pre 1900.

Now I can see why that name has dropped out of use on this side of the pond, but I don't know if it has the same unfortunate connotations over there in the colonies.

Just a short side note here:

It is not uncommon to use cedar spills to light cigars.

Usually these are made by breaking the thin sheets of cedar used to line cigar boxes into strips; no sulphur.

Never heard of a spill plane before. Thanks for the info Mary.

That would certainly work better for borrowing a light from a fire or some such, but the sulphur is used to take a light from just the ember on your charcloth.

I should just add a word of caution.

You don't want to go breathing in the fumes from the burning sulphur, they can do nasty things, especially if you're a bit asthmatic.

Wait for the violet flame to disappear and the yellow flame of the burning wood to take over before you go lighting your pipe with one.

I just cut them with a knife.

Think of a sliver of wood about the thickness of a match stick. Shave the end to a fine point and then dip the point into some melted sulphur. Allow to dry and store in your tinderbox.

I usually shave and dip both ends so I get two lights from each stick.

I don't think I've got a picture of any at the moment and it's snowing outside so I don't really want to go out and take one cos I'm a wuss.

This one?

I think it's an Angler fish. Deep sea fella.

The locals up there think they are lucky I as far as I can tell.

I use flint and steel very regularly as part of my school talks and demonstrations.

My method is here and you can also find a video someone shot of me doing it

Of course that is all based on how the Vikings did it but there is not much difference until the invention of the match.

Linen tow is often used for caulking and good dry oakum would probably do the trick too.

For lighting a candle I usually use a spill of resinous wood, shaved to a fine point at the end and dipped in molten sulphur. These can be stored in your tinderbox and when the sulphur is touched to your charcloth ember, it ignites and if you wait a moment the burning sulphur will then ignite the spill. This method goes back at least to the middle ages.

I carved my initials in my pistol and pretty much did the same thing... after cleaning the gun, I looked at my carving, the gun oil and the pile of burnt crap I got out of the barrel and rubbed it all in... helped cover up the crappy carving job, and gave it a better look... I was pleased :)

That makes very good sense of where an "honest fisherman" would get the sort of materials needed to do the job.

I'm sure this type of thing would have been done back then to mark personal equipment, I just wish I could find the smoking gun.

Lovely shot of you ~ with some fascinating items!

That was a few years back, working in a Viking longhouse in Northern Norway. I had been commissioned to hilt and scabbard the scramaseax you can see in the foreground.

Nah... I be named after the Old Germanic Smith God on account of my surname and a liking for beating metal into submission.

Not the C&W musician?

Nope, never heard of him I'm afraid.

According to the old sources, Wayland the Smith was the son of a giant called Wade and as my surname is Waidson I was given the name many years ago and it sort of stuck. These days I'm better known as Wayland than by my given name, so there you go.

We seem to have a fleet of moderators on this thread. I wonder if some kind soul could correct the spelling mistake I seem to have made in the thread title? It should read "Kolrosing"

Dear God! Someone be named after m' hometown! Frightenin'.

:::shakes head::: anyways.... them be right nice, Wayland. Brilliantly decorated. An' th' image be loverly, too.

~Lady B

Nah... I be named after the Old Germanic Smith God on account of my surname and a liking for beating metal into submission.

I also do Early Medieval living history too.

It actually pulls it right out of the cut, I can see it on my rag. I've got some ideas to try later and will let you know how it turns out.

You've got me stumped.

I've only ever used oil which is the way it's been done for a thousand years or so in Scandinavia.

These new fangled chemical mixtures could be doing all sorts of strange stuff I suppose.

I was doing a single cut. The stock is walnut and I was filling with a really light blue sawdust, the sealant is clear.

Ahh... The oil usually makes the sawdust go darker so that could be why it isn't showing up very well.

I don't know about the sealant but that might well act the same way.

I tried this on a partially sealed gunstock. However each time I went to seal over the design all the powder flushed out. I'm not displeased with the result, more of a tone on tone look, though it isn't what I was trying for. Have you tried this with sealant or just with the oil? I might try it again with some True oil first and see if that helps....

Are you trying to cut a groove or just making a single cut?

The technique works best with a single fine cut, I often use a scalpel blade.

Also the powder needs to be darker than the wood you are working on, it may be that a gunstock is a bit dark and might work better with coffee powder.