another billiard...

JMG · Post by **JMG** » Mon Jan 10, 2011 7:32 pm

The stem of this pipe still needs quite a bit of attention, but due to some medical stuff that's come up lately I'm wiped out and going to call it quits on this one. Wayne, warned me that the reverse taper probably would just come across as having a "poor eye" and I totally agree with him as he is the master,

(seriously have you seen this guy's work!) but I just felt like trying something a bit different and really like the way it looks in person. It's a pretty small pipe with only a 5/8" chamber, but should smoke nicely for crumble cakes.

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Mon Jan 10, 2011 7:43 pm

If you did that on purpose, the shaping looks great! It just doesn't work too well on that particular piece.

Good for you for giving it a try!

Reverse tapers work much better on bent pipes.

Rad

JMG · Post by **JMG** » Mon Jan 10, 2011 7:50 pm

RadDavis wrote:If you did that on purpose, the shaping looks great! It just doesn't work too well on that particular piece.

Good for you for giving it a try!

Reverse tapers work much better on bent pipes.

Rad

Yeah, it was on purpose. The piece of ebauchon i was working with was super tiny and I had kind of figured that I wouldn't be able to do much with it and to be honest didn't have high hopes or aspirations for it. So, I figured "what the heck!" and tried the taper. Wayne warned me about it, but since it wasn't going to be a "for sale" pipe I thought I'd give it a shot. Originally, I thought I would make it more dramatic, but then I realized that there was enough briar to make it so. I'll have to give it a shot on a bent shape sometime like you mentioned...thanks for the tip.

Post by **Tyler** » Mon Jan 10, 2011 11:53 pm

I think you are right that the reverse taper doesn't play too great on this pipe. Like Rad said, it does play well on bents. I use lot in that context.

I've said often that getting good at pipe making involves risk taking. You could play it safe and make a shape that you know works, but sometimes you see something different you could try. Then you face the difficult decision of "ruining" a good pipe or venturing out to something new. The good news is, the not-quite-what-you-hoped-for results are usually very appreciated by buddies, or make good shop pipes. It's good to
go for it now and again.

I hope you are feeling better soon!

Dirk_H · Post by **Dirk_H** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 2:38 pm

I think the reverse taper is a good idea on that context, but as Tyler and Rad have said, it doesn't work out so much this time. But in my humble opinion, a good design is the result of many variations of one idea.
I hope you are feeling better soon, too!!

wdteipen · Post by **wdteipen** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 8:41 pm

JMG wrote:Wayne, warned me that the reverse taper probably would just come across as having a "poor eye" and I totally agree with him as he is the master, (seriously have you seen this guy's work!)

Thanks for the kind words but you're not even close. Thirty some odd pipes doesn't make anyone a master. At this point I barely know what I'm doing. Seriously, ask Nate. He's been to my shop and seen me work. Any successes I've had are the result of a modicum of natural artistic ability, stubborness, and a lot of failure. Perhaps someday when I really know what I'm doing and get some more experience I would be more worthy of the title of master but I'm far from it now. Most of the advice I give is just regurgitating advice I've learned from the true masters like Rad, Todd, Kurt, Jack, Bruce, etc. here on this forum.

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