Crap...

For discussion of fitting and shaping stems, doing inlays, and any other stem-related topic.
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JMG
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Crap...

Post by JMG »

This is only my fifth hand cut stem. For most of you I'm sure it would be a piece of cake, but it was my toughest one yet. Saddle, tapered, and oval. I was pretty pleased with how it was coming out until I realized I had been filing the top and bottom unevenly. The bottom looked too thin so I did a small "bite test" and it snapped. Crap. So now I get to make a new one. Just airing frustration.

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"No reserves, no retreats, no regrets"

"When you're dumb...you've got to be tough." - my dad
kamkiel
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Re: Crap...

Post by kamkiel »

Hate when that happens
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sandahlpipe
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Re: Crap...

Post by sandahlpipe »

Done that before. More often than I'd like to admit! Try George's method of thin tape around the slot down the sides of the stem and then file a few strokes and look at where the slot is in relation to your sides.
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Sasquatch
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Re: Crap...

Post by Sasquatch »

I stop frequently and look at the stem from the side, aligning my eye with the slot, to determine my top/bottom thicknesses. If my slot is 1.5mm tall, I should be able to file to 4mm in perfect safety every time, and sand from there, shooting for.... 3.85 or whatever. I never sand into the slot. But I check probably a dozen times as I'm shaping and filing. Tapering the edge of the stem (or using a tape line reference) in line with the slot helps too, you can really see that things are flat and straight and doing what you want.
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Joe Hinkle Pipes
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Re: Crap...

Post by Joe Hinkle Pipes »

I've said this before a few times, but i scribe a line with an exact-o knife while the rod is in the chuck. I have a square tool stock in a quick change holder that is set to the centerline of the lathe minus the thickness of the knife blade. it takes about 3 seconds to drop the tool in the quick change, scribe left, right, and across the slot. The slot is always dead center in the rod that way. Then you have a semi permanent line to reference top and bottom while filing. when you're done its very easy to sand or scrape the remaining line away.
LatakiaLover
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Re: Crap...

Post by LatakiaLover »

Not doing that will save time, money, and aggravation.

Hope this helps.

-- Rad's spirit
UFOs must be real. There's no other explanation for cats.
JMG
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Re: Crap...

Post by JMG »

Attempt #2. Not perfect, but it's a stem...

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Last edited by JMG on Tue Nov 29, 2016 10:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"No reserves, no retreats, no regrets"

"When you're dumb...you've got to be tough." - my dad
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Ratimus
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Re: Crap...

Post by Ratimus »

LatakiaLover wrote:Not doing that will save time, money, and aggravation.

Hope this helps.

-- Rad's spirit
I wonder if Rad's related to the famous psychotherapist Bob Newhart...
Ryan Richardson
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Charl
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Re: Crap...

Post by Charl »

I do like Sas. A bit of sanding, filing or whatever, check with the eye. Bit more, check and so on, until you get where you want it to be.
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