I'm not having much luck with google today. Lee Valley's hardware catalog
seems a dead end.

I could rig something up, surely, but it would be easiest to replace the
original latches with similar parts. I have two old trumpets here with bad
cases. One of the cases (from '48) is fugly, and I'm not worried about
fixing it because I plan to build a new one. The other one (from '69) is
in good enough shape to send the boy off to school with it (as long as no
one in his class notices the gorgeous orange shag carpet lining it...
ugh!), but the latches that keep it closed are broken. Well, one of them
was broken. Now they've both been removed.

I mention the fact that there are two cases because by the look of it, the
parts are of an identical form factor (slightly different locking
mechanisms), even though the two trumpets are from different decades, and
different manufacturers. It looks like the rounded brass-plated steel edge
guards are identical too. These look like off-the-shelf parts from the age
before high-impact plastic (though curiously, the '69 case has a styrofoam
insert... did they have styrofoam in '69? I guess so... I ain't that
old. Sorry all you geezers.)

Anyway, anybody got a clue here? The more stout half of this is 1/2 plywood
with about a 2" long oval hole routed in it (with a 7/8" bit it looks like)
to accept the locking part. The other end just has a little spring loaded
flippy thing that engages with the locking bit, and the part where it
attaches is only about 3/8" thick. Hard to describe, innit?

If I can't come up with something for this, I'll have to come up with a
whole different plan. It's covered with mottled faux leather brown vinyl
stuff. The wood is too thin to do anything creative with, but I'm thinking
walnut might look OK against the vinyl. Maybe attach some kind of extra
mounting pad and use some other kind of hardware on it.

In the latter case, any good ideas (with URLs, preferably) for some kind of
non-OEM rig-something-up replacement hardware that would make for a good,
very secure, spill-free closure of an instrument case? Preferably with
some kind of locking mechanism. (My flute case was always flying open in
middle school. I don't know how many times I dropped that thing on the
stairs. It's no wonder I was 13th chair. I don't want the boy doing the
same to his trumpet.)

And finally on this subject...

That one case is seriously, seriously fugly. I have a dent bag... Um... A
gig bag I can use for the time being, but I want to build a new case for
that horn. I started off with some plywood I have on hand, and by the time
I cut out the parts, I had a 40 pound monstrosity. 3/4" oak ply with birch
faces. (Why birch on the outside, oak on the inside? I'll never know.)

It's too heavy, and it's too light too. Oak wouldn't be much better. What
Daddy really wants for his precious baby trumpet is something done up in
walnut and brass. Oooooh, ahhhhh.

I could use some joinery ideas. I'll never find boards wide enough, so I
figure start by gluing up 3" wide strips or such. Then I have six pieces
to make a box, more or less, but beyond that I'm not quite sure what to do.

I could actually use a gasp plan, I think. I don't want to get too fancy
(no dovetails or anything) but I want it strong and well-built.

I have a long time to think this one over, since I have a walnut budget of
$0 at the moment. Any nifty ideas?

What about hardwaring it up? One thought I have is to do simple double
rabbet or whatever joinery (two interlocked L shapes) and hide the end
grain under brass angles running between brass corner plates. Dremel up
the brass and make it spiff, then cover the whole thing in... well,
probably poly I guess. (Yes Monsieur Jacques, I'm thinking about polying
walnut, because poly is indestructible, and this thing might see some nasty
substances spilled on it.)

That could look seriously cool if I pulled it off right. I want people to
go "holy crap dude, that's an instrument case? why? why on earth do you
have such a gorgeous, ridiculously ornate and spiffy looking thing as an
instrument case?"

Blah blah blah. Thanks for listening.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Subject


"Silvan" writes:

I'm not having much luck with google today. Lee Valley's hardware catalog
seems a dead end.

I could rig something up, surely, but it would be easiest to replace the
original latches with similar parts.
snip

Pick up ye old trumpet case with trumpet enclosed, secure with a couple of
rubber bands, and head for a musical instrument dealer.

They should be able to point you in the right direction.

Here in SoCal, there are lot of these places, since there are a lot of
professional musicians who live here.

HTH

Lew

Lew Hodgett wrote:
Subject


"Silvan" writes:

I'm not having much luck with google today. Lee Valley's hardware
catalog seems a dead end.

I could rig something up, surely, but it would be easiest to replace
the original latches with similar parts.
snip

Pick up ye old trumpet case with trumpet enclosed, secure with a
couple of rubber bands, and head for a musical instrument dealer.

Yup.

Another possibility is the band teacher. When I broke the latch on my
t-bone case, Mr. Getzgo put a new one on in about 5 minutes -- holes, rivets
& everythng. ;-) I guess I wasn't the first or the last who needed that
repair.

-- Mark

Pick up ye old trumpet case with trumpet enclosed, secure with a
couple of rubber bands, and head for a musical instrument dealer.

He keeps weird hours. I can never catch him "at home" when I am. (Probably
because he's 425 years old, and has been repairing band instruments for 375
of those years. I think he plays a lot of golf or something these days.)

(Yes, "he" as in "the one." I only know one place around here I would trust
to sell me anything more complicated than a pack of guitar strings.)

Yup.

Another possibility is the band teacher. When I broke the latch on my

Don't have a band teacher yet. That comes next year.

What he thinks he's going to be taking to band next fall is a 1948 Getzen
Super Deluxe with **** poor valves, severe pitting and red rot problems
that I fixed as well as I could, dings galore, with most of the intra-valve
tubing caved in somewhat. It's been stripped, and all the pretty tri-tone
metal stuff turns a pukey brown if you breathe on it twice. It sits in a
hideous "tweed" green case that's covered with cigarette burns, gouges,
scratches, and has been to hell and back at least six times. (He's playing
it now. Or, well, he's making really horrible noises with it anyway. He's
taking good care of it, and has no idea it isn't his new baby after all.)

What he's actually getting is a '69 Olds Ambassador with a 95% intact
original epoxy lacquer finish, only one itty bitty ding that's not remotely
worth having taken out, perfect valves and slides, in a comparatively much
more tasteful brown faux leather and orange shag carpet case. Except for
the orange (I hate orange) it looks pretty cherry. It has seen some use to
be sure, but the thing is like a Rolls Royce compared to the battered,
crappy looking thing he expects to be taking with him.

Don't tell him he's getting it.

I'm trying to fix the original case, but I could always just suck it up and
buy him a new one I guess. It seems like this is a difficult thing to make
well at home if you want to keep it light and strong. Maybe I'll keep the
case for me and not send him off with orange shag carpet inside. That's
bound to get him beaten up by someone, don't you think? It looks tres
Austin Powers bayyyyyyybe. Still need to fix it either way though.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Hey Michael,

Try this: http://www.fillmoreco.com/

Google keywords "luggage hardware".

HTH

Rick



"Silvan" wrote in message
...
Pick up ye old trumpet case with trumpet enclosed, secure with a
couple of rubber bands, and head for a musical instrument dealer.

He keeps weird hours. I can never catch him "at home" when I am.
(Probably
because he's 425 years old, and has been repairing band instruments for
375
of those years. I think he plays a lot of golf or something these days.)

(Yes, "he" as in "the one." I only know one place around here I would
trust
to sell me anything more complicated than a pack of guitar strings.)

Yup.

Another possibility is the band teacher. When I broke the latch on my

Don't have a band teacher yet. That comes next year.

What he thinks he's going to be taking to band next fall is a 1948 Getzen
Super Deluxe with **** poor valves, severe pitting and red rot problems
that I fixed as well as I could, dings galore, with most of the
intra-valve
tubing caved in somewhat. It's been stripped, and all the pretty tri-tone
metal stuff turns a pukey brown if you breathe on it twice. It sits in a
hideous "tweed" green case that's covered with cigarette burns, gouges,
scratches, and has been to hell and back at least six times. (He's
playing
it now. Or, well, he's making really horrible noises with it anyway.
He's
taking good care of it, and has no idea it isn't his new baby after all.)

What he's actually getting is a '69 Olds Ambassador with a 95% intact
original epoxy lacquer finish, only one itty bitty ding that's not
remotely
worth having taken out, perfect valves and slides, in a comparatively much
more tasteful brown faux leather and orange shag carpet case. Except for
the orange (I hate orange) it looks pretty cherry. It has seen some use
to
be sure, but the thing is like a Rolls Royce compared to the battered,
crappy looking thing he expects to be taking with him.

Don't tell him he's getting it.

I'm trying to fix the original case, but I could always just suck it up
and
buy him a new one I guess. It seems like this is a difficult thing to
make
well at home if you want to keep it light and strong. Maybe I'll keep the
case for me and not send him off with orange shag carpet inside. That's
bound to get him beaten up by someone, don't you think? It looks tres
Austin Powers bayyyyyyybe. Still need to fix it either way though.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

If I can't come up with something for this, I'll have to come up with a
whole different plan.

Check to see if your local mafia is having any garage sales. Sometimes you
can get a slightly used instrument case real cheap.

On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 09:09:07 -0700, "mp" wrote:

Check to see if your local mafia is having any garage sales. Sometimes you
can get a slightly used instrument case real cheap.

They're not easy to find. A friend of mine, a shooter, has been
looking to get a suitable instrument case for ages.

His latest production was "the Black Russian", an enormous
leather-trimmed papier-mache codpiece / riflecase, to suit an equally
enormous .577 Snider. Laid up with brown Kraft paper over a polystrene
foam former it took a huge amount of effort to produce a device of
surpassing ugliness. It didn't smell much better either, owing to the
quantities of xylene used to dissolve out the foam.


Commercial instrument cases (violins and cellos anyway) these days are
rotationally moulded polypropylene. It has _much_ better impact
resistance than all the alternatives, including aluminium or GRP.
Looks cheap, but it preserves your instrument.

Silvan wrote in
:

Pick up ye old trumpet case with trumpet enclosed, secure with a
couple of rubber bands, and head for a musical instrument dealer.

Is there a university nearby, with any kind of a music program? They
always have somebody to whom they can turn, when, to pick an absolutely
random example, the trombone player gets his slide slammed in a band room
door. (That couldn't happen, right? :-0 )

That sweet little Olds you found is a lot like the one my folks bought for
me, back in the early Sixties. It got used as a 'parts horn', when the
budget couldn't hack the reapir cost on a silver Benge, almost 30 years
later. And the Benge was traded against the cost of an Olds Double French
horn, a few years later...

Nothing sounds quite like good, old brass, well played and well maintained.

Keep investing in the kid!

Patriarch

Is there a university nearby, with any kind of a music program? They
always have somebody to whom they can turn, when, to pick an
absolutely random example, the trombone player gets his slide slammed
in a band room door. (That couldn't happen, right? :-0 )

Circa 1974. I played a POS Conn trombone for many years before I'd "earned"
a new instrument from the parents. Finally, in high school, I got a new,
good one. A Yamaha Professional with F-Attachment, somewhere in the
neighborhood of $500 (twice what I paid for a used motorcycle. ;-)

THE VERY FIRST DAY I HAD IT I dropped it on the field in marching band
practice!!!! The slide was sprung, and is still sprung. Several people
worked on it but there is still to this day a slight catch between first and
second position.

I had never dropped or dinged the Conn... sigh

-- Mark

On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 00:49:18 -0400, Silvan
wrote:

I'm not having much luck with google today. Lee Valley's hardware catalog
seems a dead end.

I could rig something up, surely, but it would be easiest to replace the
original latches with similar parts.

Look for briefcase hardware. I've replaced several briefcase latches
and I think they are identical to the ones on my son's trumpet case.
(too far away right now to go look)

As for building the case, you might also look at briefcase plans (I
think Rockler has them) the basic idea is similar and it should get
you going in the right direction at least.

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

Tim Douglass wrote:

Look for briefcase hardware. I've replaced several briefcase latches
and I think they are identical to the ones on my son's trumpet case.
(too far away right now to go look)

Briefcase. Darmnf. I haven't tried yet, but I wager in advance that's
probably the magic word I didn't think to feed google.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Mark Jerde wrote:

THE VERY FIRST DAY I HAD IT I dropped it on the field in marching band
practice!!!! The slide was sprung, and is still sprung. Several people
worked on it but there is still to this day a slight catch between first
and second position.

I had never dropped or dinged the Conn... sigh

Urf. That's why you were supposed to use the old horn for marching band,
doofus!

(Actually, I quit after middle school, so I never did marching band. I was
the 13th chair flute, and the only heterosexual male flute player. I
didn't like band much. Can anyone figure out why?

(That's why the boy's playing a trumpet by dingey. No fruit pipe for him
unless he realllllllllllllllly wants to play one. He doesn't even remotely
want to play one, which is a good thing. Nobody beats up a trumpet player
for being gay. I still catch **** from people as an adult for playing the
flute.)

(Well, except certain large segments of the population who beat up anyone
who's creative or artistic in any way, but at least the people in his band
won't beat him up.

(I hope.)

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Andy Dingley wrote:

Commercial instrument cases (violins and cellos anyway) these days are
rotationally moulded polypropylene. It has _much_ better impact
resistance than all the alternatives, including aluminium or GRP.
Looks cheap, but it preserves your instrument.

Yeah, there's always the $50 ABS case from Giardinelli, but where's the
challenge in that?

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 11:04:36 -0400, Silvan
wrote:


(Actually, I quit after middle school, so I never did marching band. I was
the 13th chair flute, and the only heterosexual male flute player. I
didn't like band much. Can anyone figure out why?

(That's why the boy's playing a trumpet by dingey. No fruit pipe for him
unless he realllllllllllllllly wants to play one. He doesn't even remotely
want to play one, which is a good thing. Nobody beats up a trumpet player
for being gay. I still catch **** from people as an adult for playing the
flute.)

You're not from Northern Ireland, are you ?

Silvan wrote:

(Actually, I quit after middle school, so I never did marching band.
I was the 13th chair flute, and the only heterosexual male flute
player. I didn't like band much. Can anyone figure out why?

I've forgotten almost everyone's name from my 7th grade band class, except
Dan Lacy, the 1st chair flute and only male in the section. This was the
time the hormones were starting to flow and the rest of us males went from
feeing sorry for Dan to being downright jealous. 2x entendreDan was
making out ok./2x.. ;-)


(That's why the boy's playing a trumpet by dingey. No fruit pipe for
him unless he realllllllllllllllly wants to play one. He doesn't
even remotely want to play one, which is a good thing. Nobody beats
up a trumpet player for being gay. I still catch **** from people as
an adult for playing the flute.)

Sounds like you need a more mature and refined group of peers... ;-)

-- Mark

Mark Jerde wrote:

I've forgotten almost everyone's name from my 7th grade band class, except
Dan Lacy, the 1st chair flute and only male in the section. This was the
time the hormones were starting to flow and the rest of us males went from
feeing sorry for Dan to being downright jealous. 2x entendreDan was
making out ok./2x.. ;-)

Not me. There were some gorrrrrrgeous chickies in that flute sextion,
but... Well, I was poor, and they weren't. There was this whole "My Daddy
bought me this new open hole solid silver fancy flute with a gizmo a B foot
and a split E, and you're still playing on that plated brass piece of
garbage, ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww" thing going on.

I almost got a thing going with a girl in the oboe section next door though.
Until my parents found out she was black and put an end to that.

even remotely want to play one, which is a good thing. Nobody beats
up a trumpet player for being gay. I still catch **** from people as
an adult for playing the flute.)

Sounds like you need a more mature and refined group of peers... ;-)

I definitely do, but I *am* a truck driver. It's not that surprising when
you think about it a minute, is it?

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Andy Dingley wrote:

want to play one, which is a good thing. Nobody beats up a trumpet player
for being gay. I still catch **** from people as an adult for playing the
flute.)

You're not from Northern Ireland, are you ?

No. Southwestern Virginia.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Silvan notes:

Andy Dingley wrote:

want to play one, which is a good thing. Nobody beats up a trumpet player
for being gay. I still catch **** from people as an adult for playing the
flute.)

You're not from Northern Ireland, are you ?

No. Southwestern Virginia.

Ah, the joys of a southern childhood. While my mother's family is from VA, I
was fortunate enough to be born and raised in NY---where pretty much the same
**** went on (don't know about now, but 50+ years ago, PC wasn't in anywhere).

Charlie Self
"Abstainer: a weak person who yields to the temptation of denying himself a
pleasure." Ambrose Bierce

Silvan wrote:

I almost got a thing going with a girl in the oboe section next door
though. Until my parents found out she was black and put an end to
that.

I'm a white guy, 100% Norwegian, 3+ generations in the US. I've been
married to a wonderful woman, white, for 22 years. I hope we're buried
together after a car accident in our 55th year of marriage.

But if she goes before I do, or walks out, or something, in all probability
my next "teddy bear" will be of a "race" other than mine. I've done a lot
of business travel in 25 years -- Europe, Central Asia, Central America,
etc., and the women who have tempted me the most to take off the wedding
ring have not been Caucasian.

My daughter, now a senior in high school, has attempted to shock me by
saying she may be interested in non-white men. I've told her that's fine
with me. After all, the genetic research has revealed that the
pigmentations in the skin are a trivial, ignorable factor. As far as I'm
concerned, my children can marry anyone of the oppostie sex. The color of
the skin does not matter whatever. Besides, if her dad (me) had not flunked
out of a full-ride ROTC scholarship he probably would have been married to a
woman of another race, and she would never have been born! ;-)

Your parents were shortsighted, but it probably wasn't so much their fault
as the era in which they were raised. My personal library contains many
books written prior to 1920. Everyone grew up in a culture, and the writers
of the early 1900's tended to have a "fixation" on the importance of the
"blood" of someone. We now know this isn't true, but they didn't know it
was true then.

politics
I personally have a hard time judging historical figures of another era by
our current knowledge. In most cases, I beleve they would act as I would if
they had access to the same information I have today. Thoughts?
/politics

even remotely want to play one, which is a good thing. Nobody beats
up a trumpet player for being gay. I still catch **** from people
as an adult for playing the flute.)

Sounds like you need a more mature and refined group of peers... ;-)

I definitely do, but I *am* a truck driver. It's not that surprising
when you think about it a minute, is it?

Silvan, you are not just a truck driver. You are a writer, an observer, a
thinker, a commentator. You may happen to currently derive the bulk of
your income by wrestling trucks on the tarmack, but that's not what you ARE.
The many messages you have posted in the newsgroup prove you are much more
than just someone who isn't confused by 12+ gears. Your writings of your
family are worthy of Frost or Wright or any # of other "serious" writers.
Doggoneit, I'm a Mensan, I've done very well in national HS contests, and my
writing still SUX compared to yours and others in the newgroups. You
percieve, you understand, you communicate! I know I'm very good at some
things, Thank You, but I also know you're better than me at communicating!
When I read your discriptions of your small shop, I understand. When I read
my discriptions of my small shop, a week after posting, I go, "Huh?"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I did not watch too much TV growing up. (In western South Dakota we only
got 2 channels, + 1 PBS) But I do recall the one, single episode of
"Banachek" (?sp) I saw. Banachek (sp?) needed to talk to a truck driver,
and Banachek's (sp?) chauffer said, "Let me talk to him instead of you.
We're both 'Knights of the Road.' When Banachek and the chauffer approached
the trucker's apartment, they heard violin music faintly through the door.
They listened for a little, and Banachek knocked on the door. The truck
driver / violin player opened the door, and Banacheck said, 'Your playing of
______ (Mozart/?) ______ reminded me of (Isaac Stern / Pearlman / ______)
196x recording. Can I come in an talk?'

Banacheck's chauffer was flabbergasted. The truck driver wasn't another
"Knight of the Road" but someone who chose something that gave him enough
free time to persue his passion -- Music!

I think of you often, Silvan, when I read the newgroups or watch TV. IMO
you're not just a truck driver, but you're someone storing up expericence
and knowlege in huge silos, and will soon present your understandings in
ways that will enrich your readers and yourself.

Go for it!

-- Mark

"Mark Jerde" wrote in message
snip love letter stuff

I think of you often, Silvan, when I read the newgroups or watch TV. IMO
you're not just a truck driver, but you're someone storing up expericence
and knowlege in huge silos, and will soon present your understandings in
ways that will enrich your readers and yourself.

Damn, Bubba ... keep that up and you're gonna have to marry him, instead of
that black chick.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/04/04

Swingman wrote:

Damn, Bubba ... keep that up and you're gonna have to marry him,
instead of that black chick.

g Nope. Charlie Self and Silvain write at one level, the rest of us are
far below. ;-)

-- Mark

Mark Jerde wrote:

Your parents were shortsighted, but it probably wasn't so much their fault
as the era in which they were raised. My personal library contains many
books written prior to 1920. Everyone grew up in a culture, and the
writers of the early 1900's tended to have a "fixation" on the importance
of the "blood" of someone. We now know this isn't true, but they didn't
know it was true then.

72. But the greatest novelty of all was the new
race of /men/. The people whom the Europeans
found on this continent differed in appearance
and customs from all the inhabitants of the Old
World. They were a new family of mankind.

73. Probably every one of you has seen an
Indian. Now the red man of to-day is much like
his ancestors whom the early explorers of America
met three hundred years ago. The Indian is tall,
straight, and well formed. His skin is of a copper
brown ; his hair long, black, and coarse. Colum-
bus, you remember, gave the red men the name
of "Indians," because he supposed the country
that he discovered was a part of /India./

74. The Indians were not a civilized race.
They lived mainly by hunting and fishing, and cul-
tivating patches of Indian corn, beans, potatoes,
and melons. They could make bows and arrows,
and stone tomahawks, and mortars for pounding
corn, and birch-bark canoes, and they could dress
skins ; but that was about all they could do.

....

79. You must not think, from all this, that the
Indians had /no/ good qualities ; for under their
tawny skins beat human hearts, and in every
human heart there is something divine.

Swinton's First Lessons in Our Country's History-Revised Edition, William
Swinton, Copyright (c) 1900 R. W. E. Swinton

(From my great grandfather's collection.)

politics
I personally have a hard time judging historical figures of another era by
our current knowledge. In most cases, I beleve they would act as I would
if
they had access to the same information I have today. Thoughts?
/politics

Um. No, I guess I wouldn't go that far. Historical figures of another era
would probably act like the future historical figures who are making
history today. That seldom coincides with anything I would do myself, even
though they have access to the same information I have today. So I think
we can conclude that powerful people are smarmy no matter what era they
live in.

Sounds like you need a more mature and refined group of peers... ;-)

I definitely do, but I *am* a truck driver. It's not that surprising
when you think about it a minute, is it?

Silvan, you are not just a truck driver. You are a writer, an observer, a
thinker, a commentator.

Yeahbut, I'm still a truck driver. It doesn't define who I am, but it has a
great influence on the people I encounter. My group of peers.

than just someone who isn't confused by 12+ gears. Your writings of your
family are worthy of Frost or Wright or any # of other "serious" writers.

Now you're making me wonder what writings have so enthralled you. I just
spew this stuff out off the top of my head, you know.

Doggoneit, I'm a Mensan, I've done very well in national HS contests, and

Smarter'n I am. I can't pass their test because I'm a math retard.

I did not watch too much TV growing up. (In western South Dakota we only
got 2 channels, + 1 PBS) But I do recall the one, single episode of

We got NBC. CBS was really fuzzy, and ABC only came in during certain
meteorological conditions.

Banacheck's chauffer was flabbergasted. The truck driver wasn't another
"Knight of the Road" but someone who chose something that gave him enough
free time to persue his passion -- Music!

Either that or he majored in foreign languages, and he needed to eat.

Anyway, surely you don't think he would have chosen to drive for the free
time? Ha ha charade you are.

I think of you often, Silvan, when I read the newgroups or watch TV. IMO
you're not just a truck driver,

Well, of course I'm not JUST a truck driver. I'm a little bit of almost
everything, though I'm taking a pass on gay porn star and politician for
now. (I'm not sure which is worse. Probably being a politician.)

but you're someone storing up expericence
and knowlege in huge silos, and will soon present your understandings in
ways that will enrich your readers and yourself.

Go for it!

I'll just be happy if I can get better at playing this bliffin' trumpet.
I've made up my mind to break the pattern of never having a pattern, and to
practice until I actually get good at something. So far so good. (Ask me
six months from now where my trumpet is. sigh)

Um, thanks for the fawning. It's embarrassing, but maybe a little
encouraging too.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Silvan wrote:
Swinton's First Lessons in Our Country's History-Revised Edition,
William Swinton, Copyright (c) 1900 R. W. E. Swinton

(From my great grandfather's collection.)

I have similar books. ;-)

Now you're making me wonder what writings have so enthralled you. I
just spew this stuff out off the top of my head, you know.

Yeah, you have the gift. When I close my eyes I can almost picture your
shop clearer than mine. ;-)

I have written a lot of dry technical manuals and the like. ("From the File
menu, select ...") I have a fantasy of writing a programming "bestseller"
snicker. I even had one serious tryout with a publisher. But nothing
came of it. If I spend 3 hours on a page, it can eventually become
publishable. But 3 hours per page on 500 pages is way too much time for the
$.

I enjoy reading Charlie Self's posts just because he packs so much
information in so few words. There's a reason publishers want him to write
for them. O'Deen is also fun. After reading one of his typical posts I'm
ready to move to CA and take up surfing. Your posts tend to take me into
your world and look at things through your eyes. I bought a used lathe, and
I'm planning to make a bunch of stupid candleholders. g Wish me luck!

-- Mark

Mark Jerde wrote:

(From my great grandfather's collection.)

I have similar books. ;-)

I only have two.

Yeah, you have the gift. When I close my eyes I can almost picture your
shop clearer than mine. ;-)

Dude, it's a shed with WAY too much stuff crammed into it. What more do you
need to visualize?

(I kinda miss that POS Skil sometimes. At least it had a small footprint.
Until I fire up my saw and enjoy the gentle whisking of Crapsman's finest.)

I have written a lot of dry technical manuals and the like. ("From the
File
menu, select ...") I have a fantasy of writing a programming "bestseller"
snicker. I even had one serious tryout with a publisher. But nothing
came of it. If I spend 3 hours on a page, it can eventually become
publishable. But 3 hours per page on 500 pages is way too much time for
the $.

Now you know my secret. I've been working on "Using Rosegarden" for two
years, and I'm only up to 200 pages. Seven pages a day is good progress,
and I have lots of screenshots to fill up space. When I'm in it with both
feet, I spend eight hours a day on it. Eight hours for what probably comes
down to about five pages of copy.

I enjoy reading Charlie Self's posts just because he packs so much
information in so few words.

Yeah, that's definitely not my gift. I am many things, but I am not a man
who knows how to say things with few words.

I write the same way I talk, incidentally. There's almost no difference.

There's a reason publishers want him to
write
for them. O'Deen is also fun. After reading one of his typical posts I'm
ready to move to CA and take up surfing. Your posts tend to take me into
your world and look at things through your eyes.

I have a long history of being descriptive. I don't remember this, but I am
told that I once went to the principle to report some big female bully for
"descending upon my back with her talons of fire and raking them across me
like bolts of lightning" or some such blather that had "talons" and "fire"
and "lightning" in it.

In my high school, I was voted most likely to wind up driving a furniture
truck. sigh

I bought a used lathe,
and
I'm planning to make a bunch of stupid candleholders. g Wish me luck!

I didn't sell even one stupid candleholder at that show. None of the
mushrooms either. NONE of them. sigh

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Try Ohio Travel Bag
http://www.ohiotravelbag.com

OTB is a wholesaler of luggage and case hardware. If you are not a
business they can point you in the right direction.