What brand is your lathe

[KurtHuhn]

I've heard good things about the Rikon tools. Now you need a couple chucks!

[scotties22]

I have a rikon 1"x30" belt / 5" disk sander. I love it. Makes quick work of things. I just wish the dust ports were a little bigger. That's what I get for not getting the bigger one.

I bought Mark's oneway with tower jaws. I am going to get a jacobs chuck today. I just ordered my tools. My husband has had a very good week...knocked out a project...and is letting me go on a bit of a spending spree getting tools. Still gotta sell the bike though , he won't let me keep it.

[wmolaw]

Yeah, I haven't tried to make my own stem yet. I am using preforms and delrin for now. I did drill my first piece of acrylic not too long ago. I haven't done anything with it yet...still to nervous. Maybe that will be the first thing I do with the lathe since it comes with a live center and spur center...++

Do you have the stand or is it mounted to a table?

I have the stand, and it works great. I do have to absolutely level it, however. If you have a large piece of briar turning slowly, it will show if you have it perfectly leveled.

I need to buy some long drill bits for the stems, I have two, but need more. One I was fooling around drilling a lucite block and went to fast and the damn thing STUCK, and I mean STUCK!

Ah well, live and learn.

[kkendall]

You don't "need" a Taig to make stems. The critical part is getting the airway drilled - that you can do on your wood lathe.

I have an example where I am making a stem - using a wood lathe. I roughed the tenon section down - drilled with a #30 to fit a tenon cutter, then cut the tenon on a tenon cutter. The reason I roughed down the tenon section first is to reduce the stress on the tenon cutter so it only needed to take a small bite and would make a nicer finish.

Then I opened the airway up to 5/32 (to about 1" from the end) and then came in from the other end with a 1/16"

http://www.penguinbriar.com/cust/make3/

An alternative to this is to flush the end of the rod with a forsner, drill a hole for and epoxy in your delrin tenon, drill the airway, and start shaping.

I bought a Unimat lathe some time back thinking it would be my stem lathe - I may use it from time to time, but not for drilling stems - I do that on the wood lathe.

[ToddJohnson]

At the Briar Studio we have:

1 PM 12 x 36 Gear head lathe
1 PM 11 x 27 VF
2 Jet BD920N's
1 Micro Merk 7 x 14
and several wood lathes--Jet, Delta, and Rikon I believe.

The Precision Matthews 12 x 36 is by far the best, heaviest, most precise, and most capable lathe. Behind that is the 11 x 27VF. Unless you are incredibly serious about this, I think the investment, both in money and space, for the 12 x 36 might be overkill, but I prefer overkill. There are many things that the additional swing over bed allows for--turning extremely long shank pipes, for instance--and it's nice to have a 2" through-hole for very large rod-stock. The "standard" amongst pipe makers is, of course, the Jet BD920N, and it will do 99% of what you need to do on it. The gains you see with a larger lathe are in efficiency and precision, but those gains have to make financial sense.

TJ

[wmolaw]

You don't "need" a Taig to make stems. The critical part is getting the airway drilled - that you can do on your wood lathe.

I have an example where I am making a stem - using a wood lathe. I roughed the tenon section down - drilled with a #30 to fit a tenon cutter, then cut the tenon on a tenon cutter. The reason I roughed down the tenon section first is to reduce the stress on the tenon cutter so it only needed to take a small bite and would make a nicer finish.

Then I opened the airway up to 5/32 (to about 1" from the end) and then came in from the other end with a 1/16"

http://www.penguinbriar.com/cust/make3/

An alternative to this is to flush the end of the rod with a forsner, drill a hole for and epoxy in your delrin tenon, drill the airway, and start shaping.

I bought a Unimat lathe some time back thinking it would be my stem lathe - I may use it from time to time, but not for drilling stems - I do that on the wood lathe.

My next goal, make stems on the lathe, then shape. I have begun to find that I am incredibly limited as to shape of the stummel and shank when I use pre mold stems, but I have still made some pretty/functional pipes that smoke great that way.

I have bought some lucite pen blanks to practice on. I need an extra long 1/16 bit and a long 5/32 taper bit. I have an 11/64 taper, but I think that's a bit too large for the stem, I think, though I do like that size for the draught hole.

Live and learn, live and learn. I will definitely try what you have outlined.

[wmolaw]

I've heard good things about the Rikon tools. Now you need a couple chucks!

so far, so good. Not that I have much experience in this area, but seems to be wonderful. Less powerful motor than the same size Delta, no completely variable speed and no reverse, but for the $400 difference or so in price, that's tools, chuck, tower jaws, and some drill bits, so I ain't gonna complain.

[scotties22]

I drilled a few pen blanks this weekend. as soon as I get the damned stand I'm gonna set this sucker up and try to turn a stem. Should be interesting. I haven't used a lathe since I made a bat my junior year of high school...

[wmolaw]

I drilled a few pen blanks this weekend. as soon as I get the damned stand I'm gonna set this sucker up and try to turn a stem. Should be interesting. I haven't used a lathe since I made a bat my junior year of high school...

I feel completely bereft, it just isn't FAIR!

I took shop every damned year and never, not once, used a lathe.

[scotties22]

Well hell, the next year I made a gun cabinet.....not on a lathe, of course. Very, very small school and I was related to the teacher. I pretty much did what I wanted.

[wmolaw]

Well hell, the next year I made a gun cabinet.....not on a lathe, of course. Very, very small school and I was related to the teacher. I pretty much did what I wanted.

Again, not fair, I'm going to speak to the current admin about this damned nepotism!

On a different note, my Dad had a gun cabinet (8 gun capacity) hand made from Cherry 40 years ago, and it's as beautiful today, as then, more so.