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Date:         Sun, 24 Dec 2006 12:09:51 -0800
Reply-To:     Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Subject:      Re: Come out of the closet, all  (absolutely NVC!)
Comments: To: Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
In-Reply-To:  <5hbed6$a2qq2b@smtp01.lnh.mail.rcn.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"

OK who are John Mc and Bill B?

Inquiring minds...

On 12/24/06 10:34 AM, "Joy Hecht" <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU> wrote:

> Hey, I once apprenticed to a craftsperson too! To a bookbinder, at the > Metropolitan Museum of Art. Naah, we weren't working on the Gutenberg > Bibles, or whatever they have in their rare book collection - just on the > ordinary library books. > > The most fun, actually, was her industrial paper cutter, for cutting through > a whole book (used to trim edges and other things). It was a rather > powerful contraption, which could easily as a guillotine or for rapid > amputations. So the only way it would work was if you had each hand > pressing down on a different lever, so you couldn't possible have one of > them making last adjustments to the placement of the book before you made > the cut. > > I always thought that was pretty creepy. I must have, if I remember it in > such detail 33 years later! > > It sounds like more of us are craftsy than artsy - I've also done a fair bit > of sewing, quilting, graphic design, and layout and paste-up back when it > was about x-acto knives and rubylith and transfer type and hot waxers. > (Anyone else remember all that stuff?) Lately I've been fooling around with > photography (which you know, if you've read my website) and drawing and even > water colors. Those last two take a lot of skills I haven't yet mastered, > though. > > Yeah, and writing, though I don't quite think of that as artsy. > > Of course I make my living mucking with data (GREAT fun!) and writing > analytical reports (definitely not artsy), mostly in weird places like > Mongolia and Malawi and other countries beginning with M. > > I used to what to be John McPhee when I grew up. I've changed my ambition, > though, now I want to be Bill Bryson. > > > > > Joy > > > > **************************************************************** > Joy Hecht > now living in a real house in northern Virginia > and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon > now living in the driveway and resting after two and a half years > lugging Joy and her stuff around... > > For musings about life traveling in the van or living in one place: > http://www.joyhecht.net > > **************************************************************** >   > > > :::-----Original Message----- > :::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf > :::Of neil > :::Sent: Sunday, December 24, 2006 12:55 PM > :::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > :::Subject: Re: Come out of the closet, all > ::: > :::Oh yah forgot to mention this part of my art. > ::: > :::I actually apprenticed (had already gained a few years experience in > :::brass and some woodwind repair) with a local fellow making trombone > :::bells. Yes it's true! This guy had actually designed and made his own > :::mandrels for the bells and associated tubes, for a tenor/bass and > :::trumpet bell. (the most crucial part of the instruments acoustically > :::speaking) I mean talk about an artist. This guy (Joe) was a musician, > :::designer, manufacturer, and repairman amongst other things. > :::Anyway....... > ::: > :::I learned to acutally make a trombone bell from scratch (with his > :::tooling. Quite archaic. i.e. Drawing conical tubes through lead!). > :::Trumpet bells were another thing. Hand hammered they were.......... > ::: > :::Although my memory of the manufacturing process is a little sketchy > :::now, this knowledge has contributed a lot to my music, my skills as a > :::brass playing instrumentalist, (my art) and in fact has helped with > :::repairs to my Westy. I don't repair brass/woodwinds anymore, but would > :::love to get a lathe etc. and keep what I learned alive. > ::: > :::As for "artsyfartsy", I don't like that term. Especially coming from a > :::layman. If another muso/artist used that with me, I'd understand that > :::it was being said with "tongue in cheek". Or sarcastically. > :::(musicians? sarcastic??) Hearing it from the layman is like hearing > :::them refer to a "gig". Another term reserved for musos/artists. > :::Anyhoo....... > ::: > ::: > :::Cheers, and Merry Christmas/happy holidays all! > ::: > ::: > ::: > :::-- > :::Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia. > ::: > :::http://web.mac.com/tubaneil > >


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