Thank you Pipemakers Forum!

[Nester]

Hi everyone,

I've completed carving my first two pipes from kits and I just wanted to give a big THANK YOU! for all the info I gleaned while lurking around and searching the archives. From suppliers to shaping to finishing, it's all here and you are a very generous group.

Both of these pipes started as plateau kits. My primary shaping tools were a cheap sanding disk, a cheap chorded drill, dremel, and files. No saw touched the briar. I tried a mish mash of contrast staining techniques researched from the archives with about as good a result as a total noob could achieve. I sanded to 600 and buffed with the Beall Buffing System chucked into the drill.

Gonna try and post a few shots of my first two efforts. The poker I made for a good friend and the eggish looking one is for me. The owner of the poker is actually experiencing the stain coming off on the hand problem I read about. The eggish one I have not had a problem with. Interesting because they went though near identical staining/sanding/buffing/waxing regimen.

Thanks again to all that contribute!

Kevan

[Nester]

Well that didn't work. Can anyone inform me how to post a photo. My photos are on Kodak Gallary, maybe I need to use a different site?

Thanks,

Kevan

[ND Pipes]

[ND Pipes]

when you push the "Img" button in your reply you need to post the link in between [img]*link*[/img]... you did that but deleted on on the characters marked bold
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btw. nice pipes keep the good work going

[JMG]

Tremendous first efforts. They look like pipes, and fine ones at that.

[Nester]

[Nester]

Woohoo! Got it. Now I can go to bed. Thanks for the help, tNd.

[ND Pipes]

Woohoo! Got it. Now I can go to bed. Thanks for the help, tNd.

anytime dear Sir anytime...
nice pipe you just posted

[baronstrasil]

very nice pipes sir

[Nester]

One more of the two together.

[R.H.]

Nice pipes and very good finishing.
IMHO two superb first pipes

[Abi Natur]

Hi Nester,
that are some very nice pipes you made yourself there,so keep on the good work!

Best ,
Abi

[Boekweg]

Wow, those are some very good first pipes. Congrats!
I hope this inspires you to keep them coming!

[wdteipen]

The cherrywood/poker is a pretty nice first effort although the stem and shank appear to be on two separate planes and the shank pinches just before the stem. The stem could stand to be a hair shorter. The finish is nice.

The ball/tomato is very amorphic. It lacks any shape definition and, except for the finish, looks like a typical first pipe. The shank needs to thin down drastically where it meets the bowl. The bowl appears very asymmetrical and doesn't seem to know exactly what it wants to be. My suggestion is to work out your vision a bit more in your head and on paper before you touch the briar. Either way, I'm sure you learned a great deal in making this pipe.

They are both better than average entries into the craft. Your homework and research on the site is apparent. Keep up the good work.

[Nester]

Thanks for all for the pats on the back, encouragement, and constructive criticism! Closer inspection of these two pipes would reveal way more than what Wayne has pointed out. I did learn a lot from both of these and am very happy with the way they turned out. Can't wait to do it again!

[Charl]

Great! You've done 2, now go make 20!