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Yeah, I think I see what you're pointing out. That really helps! I want to keep playing with different variations on this shape until I get something that looks good. It will take me a few more pipes to get there, I'm sure. The good news is that it sold quickly. That always gives me a little hope.

Watco Danish oil works great, though I find it a little too thin for my preferences. I now put together my own Danish oil mix (equal parts odorless mineral spirits, safflower oil, and polyurethane) which builds a finish a little better than the Watco. Anyhow, when you use the Watco, don't follow the...

Made this churchwarden on request, after I took a year off of making pipes. It wasn't an intentional hiatus, but I had gotten busy with other things and just left the pipemaking on the back burner. I was a little rusty, but I hadn't forgotten as much as I had feared. In the end, I was okay with how ...

Got to say, I really like the #21 billiard. I think the proportions are very attractive, at least to my eye. I like the very slight forward cant of the bowl. I'd be proud to have made it.

Wow, step away from the forum for a little while, and look what happens! Steve, I had no idea you had connections to PIMO. I'd love to see what you do with the PIMO book. Don't leave that project on the back burner too long, though. Done right, it will be an invaluable resource for years to come. I'...

Nice looking poker! I agree with what's said above, and you can correct it on the next pipe with a simple workflow adjustment.

Let's see some more!

I was shopping online for pipe supplies for the first time in almost a year (I've let my pipe making lie fallow lately), and I see that Steve Norse appears to have acquired Pimo! The website looks really nice, and I'll be putting in an order soon. I'm curious, though. When did this happen? Any inter...

Thanks, Steve! I know I'm exceptionally blessed with a good wife. I try to keep the lines of communication open with her and I had to prep her for 3 years that I was going to need to upgrade the lathe eventually. One of the things I think helps this work out is that I have worked very hard to allow...

Great advice so far. I cut a lot of my wood (not for pipes) out of solid logs, and wood never ceases to surprise me. Sometimes it's really well behaved as it dries, and other times it warps or splits in crazy ways. Cutting and drying your own wood is always a crap shoot, but if you have the time, to...

What's the maximum heat rating on the glue you're using? JB Weld usually lists it on the back of the package. Most epoxies will release at about 150 F. It's entirely possible your sander is heating it up and melting the glue. Regular old JB Weld is much more heat tolerant and will withstand 400-degr...

Yep, you can do it easily on a drill press. I do it all the time, and it's about the only part of pipe making that I actually find easy. Secure the block in a vise or clamp it to a secure fence. Start with a Forsner bit and bore down until you're through the rough top. You don't need to go down more...

I'm back. I hadn't made a pipe for four or five months--got busy with family stuff--so now over the holiday I finally got back to it and made three pipes. I'm a little rusty after the hiatus, but not as bad as I feared I'd be. The first is a diamond shank billiard. I'm still not sure about the overa...

Yep, it's a diplomat. The bowl looks a little big for the size of the shank, or maybe the shank looks a little slim for the size of the bowl. It's a proportion thing.

Execution-wise, the stem really needed to have the tool marks sanded out completely, especially one the sides.

I'm going to have to bow out. Family stuff has completely eaten up my pipe-making time this summer. Maybe next year.

I've got my materials together, and it's all sketched out on the briar block. But what with all the projects in front of it, I won't start putting it all together until the end of this month.

To my eye, the "chin" on the pipe looks okay. Not classic bulldog, but I like it. Your pipes look better than mine, so I hesitate to give any advice. But I'll say this: in principle, the lowest point on the bowl of a pipe is usually (not always) under the back half of the bowl. The lowest ...

That's what really counts.

All wood smoke is toxic--and the current science on the subject suggests that wood smoke (of any kind) is more toxic than tobacco smoke. There's been no research (that I'm aware of) on the various toxicity levels of smokes from different kinds of wood. But that's all besides the point because, after...

I'm still learning (a lot) and I've done a couple commissions. Thus far, IAWS (I agree with Sas). I wouldn't take a commission for a pipe that I wasn't pretty sure I could sell elsewhere. So my commissions are really more like, "I'll make a pipe to your general description, and you get first di...

I'm sure your dad will appreciate it. As said above, it's tough to comment on a freehand, but I'll venture one or two suggestions should you attempt a pipe like this in the future. Pipes with facets can be really cool, but the facets should be symmetrical and parallel. In the top view, the sides of ...