pipemakersforum.com

To each his own, but I know of no pro pipe maker that heats the stamp and brands the pipe. The stamp is designed to leave an impression, not a burn mark. Rad Uh oh Rad, look what I found (at 23 sec and a longer version at around 12:30): http://www.servustv.com/cs/Satellite/Article/Fast-vergessen-01...

Speaking of productive...

Ok, so some makers have experienced quality problems with SEM: who else have you guys bought from, and what have your experiences been?

Man, unless it's just a regular tapered or saddle bit stem (no flares or other kind of creative shaping) 25mm is the smallest I can go, and I still have problems every other pipe. I have a bunch of stummels just waiting till I can get my hands on some 2-3" stock. 12mm ebonite? It's like I'm liv...

You guys mind posting or messaging me who these suppliers are. I'm about ready to order a bunch of ebonite, so...

Also, who are some good suppliers you would recommend? I have a hard time finding the stuff sometimes (esp. in larger diameters--I haven't found anything more than like 1.25").

Hi everyone, Is there any reason to stabilize exotic woods when using them for things like shank caps or stem rings etc. other than to be able to more easily turn some of the more difficult to turn woods. What I mean is have any of you had problems with non-stabilized woods cracking etc. after they ...

Thanks guys, I guess I'll try using some of the smaller blocks and see how that goes--I also ordered a few cross cut blocks and they look really old and dry, so maybe I'll give those a shot too (I'm still a little intimidated on trying my first blowfish though). If they are still wet I will follow y...

Ah, thanks for the info Todd. I did get two blocks in the shipment that had 'not dry' written on them, but this was not one of them so I imagined it would be ok. Seeing as it's my only briar at the moment I'm going to have to use it, but I will remember to order early and let it sit next time. I'm s...

Mimmo

Hey everyone, I just got a new shipment of briar in last week, and when I cut into a nice big piece with my band saw today I found that a spot in the middle was still wet (it was a more reddish color with darker streaks and was moist/cool to the touch). I went ahead and rough shaped it anyway, but t...

Sorry to change the subject again you guys, but I find this topic pretty interesting and some of what I've learned may be of help to trad: I think I am getting pretty close to hitting the self-taught wall here and will have to find a professional pipe maker that would be willing to spend a little ti...

Thanks both of you, its good to know what other makers are doing.

I have been getting pretty serious about pipe making lately and have a question for some of you guys that do this (at least partially) for a living. So I really love a good sandblast--but I realize that smooth straight grain pipes are more popular and usually sell for more money. However, when I get...

Thanks Todd, I've actually been doing just that--making my shorter tenons wider and turning them so they are also a little tighter. So I guess I'm all right. Also, thanks for the help everyone else--I ended up just ramping the airhole on the pipe I was working on and it looks a lot better than I tho...

Hey Todd,

What is the shortest length that you would consider making a mortise? Some of mine have been pretty short recently and I was just wondering what other makers are doing.

Thanks.

KurtHuhn wrote:use your drill press instead of the lathe.

Ah, the one tool I don't have, I guess I'll have to look into that.

Well I definitely want the pipe to at least pass a pipe cleaner. How do you go about drilling the tenon at an angle? It does seem like it might be awfully fiddly as Kurt said.

Thanks again.

Hi everyone, I was working on a pipe today and when I went to drill it I realized that if I center the draft hole in the bottom of the mortise (I'm already using a short 3/8" mortise), I would have to notch the mortise so much that the notch would show with the stem on. I know I can get around ...

OK fine Sasquatch--I edited the photos so that you can observe the hole. Thanks for the shellac help by the way.

OK, here are three more quick photos like I promised.







Thanks again everyone.

I appreciate the kind words everyone! I've learned a lot here on the forum, so thanks for putting up with all my questions. From the one picture you've posted, I'd have to say this is one of the best pipes I've ever seen posted on this forum. If I saw it randomly on a table, I would think it could b...