I've been working with Mark Tinsky lately. I have posted a few hints in the WAYS threads, with my pipes set up next to piles of those tiny stars that I make for Mark, that he uses as his logo. But, I've just really been busy and didn't want to jinx it. I know, I know, silly superstitious artist guy. I've also been making bands for Mark and a few other pipemakers, along with a ton of repair bands coming in from pipeshops. It really has been keeping me busy, Resizing diamond rings in the mornings and repairing pipe stems in the evenings. But, a few weeks ago, Mark gave me a new challenge.
A customer of his wanted a windcap, with a flyfishing theme, which is ironic, because I don't know diddly about flyfishing, nor have I ever had a windcap. Is ironic the right word? So, I had to come up with an idea... and buy a few pipes with windcaps.
First off, I assumed that windcaps had to have a screen for the lid, but apparently Peterson and a few other pipe companies didn't.
I guess I could go on and on about how I came up with the idea, but... this is what I made.
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The lid has an overlay with the fisherman on it, and then treated with a Japanese patina to oxidize and carbonize the shadow to give it contrast and make it look like clouds. Also, knowing that the heat will rise up and heat the lid a bit, it should keep adding color to the design, except for the overlay, which has been surface guilded to bring up a fine silver layer over the design, making it impervious to oxidation... somewhat.
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The air holes under the lid were carved to sorta look like the waves on the surface of water, and the hook... well, that was supposed to look like a small fishing hook.
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Hinges... about the hardest damned thing to make, for me. And, that's my makers mark under the lid.
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Another pic, yaddi yaddi... oh yeh, I forgot to say that I had to get Mark to cut me a dado around the surface or the rim for attaching the cap. It was quite amusing, because I think of things in gauges and mm's, and while discussing things like bands, and the cap, we were both constantly translating mm's and gauges into inches... 20 gauge is 3/80"... I guess lathes are set in inch incrimates, or that is just what he is more comfortable with. Anyways, trade humor, ha ha.
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Anyways... I am not making windcaps for the general public. It really is impossible, because I need the rim and top cut for a dado to hold the cap on. But, you should hit up Mark for a pipe with one made for it, if this is something that interests you, then contact Mark.
Anyways, back to the bench. Busy busy busy...
Does this make you want to go fishing? It does me... if I had time... and if I knew how to flyfish...
