I am extremely grateful to the person who is paying me to learn how to do new things. When I talk to this person about certain techniques, like “oh, you just pour the molten pewter onto the chanter and then turn the shape true”, it seems so easy, so straightforward. There are about a score of steps that lead me to even get to this point and I think I know what to do now but I’m out of time. I’ve got to go to Texas tomorrow, it’s 3:30 AM and I need to pack. This will have to wait until April.

Who wants to see a boring completed project anyway? .Let’s see some late night pipe-maker blood.

This is eventually going to be a beautiful chanter with a silvery band between the E and D tone holes, seemingly impossibly fit between the sole and bulb. Not my idea but trust me it’s going to be awesome. It’s going to drive me crazy to have to leave this on the shelf for a month.

There are little pieces of tin everywhere in the workshop. Imagine molten metal being poured onto a spinning lathe.

I’m not that stupid, I just want you to imagine it.  There are pieces of tin everywhere though.