I'm touched that people would be worried about me, and I apologize for not keeping in contact with the whistle community.
Presbyopia has set in quickly over the past year or so, which just goes along with graying hair and such as to be expected since I'm about to turn forty.
I have an appointment with an optometrist this Friday, and I'm sure it will be time to start wearing bifocals instead of carrying reading glasses everywhere.
Hopefully I'll be able to see close-up details better with prescription lenses than I can with reading glasses, but I may still have to invest in a magnifying visor when I start back making whistles.
Oh, and hopefully I won't trip over anything and break any bones while getting used to the bifocals!
Yes, I do still plan to return to whistle making at some point... hopefully in the near future, but don't hold me to that.
My overtime hours at Philips have lessened significantly, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's a sign of things returning to normal.
Many of you already know that I've been working on an alternative design in my spare time, which is a departure from the milled blade ramps I've made in the past.
The new design doesn't depend at all on my ability to focus on tiny details, and instead depends entirely on the DRO and caliper readings to get the really important cuts just right.
The perfectionist in me really likes that, as it gives me much more control over consistency than ever before.
I'm also about to start experimenting with ABS plastic as an alternative to acetal, because ABS can be easily glued.
This will eliminate the need for pinning the mouthpiece assembly together, and will also eliminate the problem of condensation seepage coming through from underneath the fipple plug.
If the ABS experiment goes according to plan, I may turn out a limited run of high D whistles with the new mouthpiece design to get a few in circulation and get some customer feedback.
There you have it, a quick update from the old raindog... and I promise not to go so long without posting again.
