Matty Bottles

I'm pretty sure that Two Years Before the Mast references making foul weather gear (though it doesn't specificy what kind) when they're off watch. Dana is very good at outlining the busy work they would have to do to keep them from being idle and mutinous: making twine from old rope, cleaning anchor chains of rust, making clothes, etc. Although it is more than a hundred years late for us, I think it can be useful. So I believe that it's entirely possible they would have found a way to repurpose a shirt once it was too brittle to be effective, and just made a new one to replace it.

Is that the 'frock' they talk about in many inventories? Perhaps a tarred garment similar to a farmer's frock? This image is a little late for us but the garment itself is essentially unchanged.

Why, is this Black jack Shallaq?

Happy Birthday, Captain!

Ha! In Wisconsin we don't get spring until June.

Hey, happy birthday!

hey, different folks get different things out of the hobby. I think from some of the responses to this thread that we all realize that. The key to certain individuals is to be able to control your participation in the interaction. for example, there's a guy I only see for maybe TWO hours a year, over the course of three days of reenactorfest. I rarely see him at other event, or, if I do, we're both too busy to talk. And I am completely fine with that. This guy would be considered a 'stitch nazi,'and over the course of our conversation I learn some stuff, we share some stories, and then I walk away from the interaction satisfied. But if I saw him everyday? That would be a bit much. So I leave when I know I've had enough so that we can remain friendly. Does that make sense? Anyway, back to the thread. It doesn't hurt to just buy the books first.

But the roof idea was very clever - then police can spot it from the air very easily. --Jamaica Rose If you have the paint and template, go ahead. But do the sides first, because to be frank I don't think police spend any time looking for stolen vehicles. They usually just recover them if they identify them as stolen during the course of other duties. EDIT: Actually, probably do the front and tailgate first. That'll make it easier to identify if it is tucked between two buildings or other trailers.

I tried to explain reenacting to a couple from India. It was not a concept that was related easily.

This is not what I thought it would be at all. I thought this would be about us, now, reenacting the FUTURE. I need to start working on my Buck Rogers kit.

Honestly, I've never locked my pistol case anywhere else, which so only includes Wisconsin and Iowa.

Michael, it's the natural culmination of winter time boredom, a steady supply of lumber, and too many power tools. Also, carpentry skills.

No problem. since he doesn't check his email, he has designated me his contact point. I believe you have my email, so send me a message.

So my friend Brian, aka 12-Pound Richard, whom many of you met at PiP last year (or not), made me a pistol box based on the design of the lovely and talented Mary Diamond’s pistol box. Here is Brian (in the ticken and military hat) in his natural environment. Wow! What a nice-looking box! It isn’t discolored. I just had something on the lens. Why, it opens, too! But what’s under the linen? Gosh! Them’s pistols! But how do they stay in there so comfortable? Ingenious! That’s the talented Mary Diamond’s design! She is also lovely. Dovetails? Who needs dovetails? This sucker is rabbited and nailed, like smaller boxes of the period. Even the nails are right. Okay, but what about the hinges? Oh, sniped hinges! And in brass, too! *ooh* *aah* And when I travel in the People’s Republic of Illinois, I can lock this sucker so that the Man doesn’t harass me! That darn Man! So this is a pretty cool project. It’s winter time, which means that Brian stays inside and makes things out of wood. He’s working on a nice table he might bring to RF6 to show off. Thanks Brian!

Since Julie can't drink now, I'm actually drinking for three.

I had no idea this thread would be so delicious...

Dutch, I hope we get another chance to talk inperson. Sounds like you have a rich history.