The McMurphy Page
Remember Jack Nicholson's character in "One Flew Over the
Cuckoo's Nest?" That guy had a serious problem with authority figures.
He pushed the envelope whenever possible, played every angle available, and
always had some sort of scam working.
In the workshop, I'm more like Nurse
What's-her-Name ... in my world, products have names and measurements.
Every now and then, though, one piece or another will rebel ... maybe it'll be a minor rebellion like
demanding to be a half-inch shorter than everybody else. Or maybe it'll be
something more serious, like being a different shape, or finish, or ... well,
you get the idea.
Most of the time, I manage to nip these acts of rebellion in the
bud. The offenders never see the light of
day. Once in a while, though, one of them makes it out.
Don't ask me how, it just happens.
I didn't know where else to put the transgressors, so I created the McMurphy
page. These are the "how did that happen?" pieces that still have
me scratching my head. I've got to admit, they can be a lot of fun
... but I still don't know exactly where they come from.
By the way, McMurphy pieces are one of a kind, so please send an
e-mail
if you're interested in buying one of them.
MM0004
This is a solid (no pick) tamper made from a piece of spalted leucospermum.
The top and bottom accent rings are made from polished black buffalo horn.
The internal brass rod has been extended through the cap, rounded off, and
polished. Click here for
additional pictures of this piece. $40
MM0005 This is one of those pieces that I stared at for a while
until it told me what it wanted to be. The body is made of bloodwood,
which is a beautiful close-grained wood with a deep-red natural color. The
cap is made of a laminate of bloodwood and maple, with an accent ring of ivory
micarta. The internal pipe tool is cut from 3/16" stainless steel. I
cut two narrow beads in the end of the body, just above the tamping foot; don't
ask me why, it just seemed like they belonged there. Overall length is
about 4-1/2" $60
MM0006 Sometimes I put some music on while I'm working ... usually
jazz. I got into a late 50's/early 60's groove, and somewhere between
"Miles Ahead" and "Birth of the Cool" I started thinking about the "Danish
Modern" furniture that was all the rage back then. This is what happened.
The wood is manzanita burl, which is smooth, reddish-brown, and has a fairly
subtle cross-grain pattern. The accent on the cap is made from five thin
pieces of elephant ivory; continuing the musical theme, they were salvaged from
80 - 100 year old piano keys. The internal pipe tool is cut from 3/16"
stainless steel. The brass foot is about 9/16:" in diameter, which is a bit
larger than usual for me. It should work best in larger-bowled pipes.
The overall length of this piece is about 4-1/4" $60
