The Tinker - The Mono-cycle. R.Z. Ironfest 2014. Lithgow NSW
The Tinker is part scientist, part alchemist, part magician and unlike the Mad Scientist, they are still in the possession of their mental faculties. While a Tinker toys with the intellectual pursuits of
science and invention, they do not have formally recognised qualifications. They're more like hobbyists, giving them the advantage of exploring and combining more than one
branch of science, and/or magic if you are so inclined. A Tinker is the one who looks for ways to reinvent the wheel.
Leonardo de Vinci would best be described as a Tinker of his time, leading up to today's equivalent, MacGyver. This doesn't mean being a Tinker is any safer than being a Mad Scientist, on the contrary most of the Tinker's work is based on trial, error, and the occasional explosion.
An Assortment of Steampunks: Dr Archer, Sally Nouveau “Queen of Ironfest” and the Steampunk Samurai