For All You Newbies...

[d.huber]

Butthole, or not, I think Ernie's advice is good.

I think he'd be less of a butthole if he came up with good advice on his own.

I kid, I kid. Ernie is a really swell guy who makes beautiful pipes and has a strong heart in his chest and a good head on his shoulders.











*snort*

















*snicker*

















Bff.... bff.... bwahahahahahaha!!!!!! I'm sorry *gasps for breath* I'm sorry. I just couldn't say that with a straight face.

We love ya' Ernie.

[RadDavis]

Ernie, you are such a butt hole.

Hope this helps.

Rad

I'm glad you picked up on the fact that this was directed at you, but I'm sorry you're taking it so poorly.

Ernie, I'm sorry I said you were a butt hole. It just slipped out. I hope you'll forgive me.

Rad

[e Markle]

Ernie, you are such a butt hole.

Hope this helps.

Rad

I'm glad you picked up on the fact that this was directed at you, but I'm sorry you're taking it so poorly.

Ernie, I'm sorry I said you were a butt hole. It just slipped out. I hope you'll forgive me.

Rad

Awww... friends?

[Alden]

I'm glad you picked up on the fact that this was directed at you, but I'm sorry you're taking it so poorly.

Ernie, I'm sorry I said you were a butt hole. It just slipped out. I hope you'll forgive me.

Rad

Awww... friends?

Whoa slow your roll there killa. He didnt say anything about friends.

[ronps]

One of the most helpful things in this forum is the comments in the Gallery.
I can look at any finished pipe and read what was done "wrong" and immediately check it out in the pictures. That helps so much.

I second this sentiment. The forum has been tremendously helpful to me and the Gallery has provided both inspirations and good technical advice.

At the same time, it's somewhat intimidating in the sense that the quality of much the work is so exceptional that I've been reluctant to post student work there. I've just started making pipes as a project for a sculpture class at the local community college. The reading and watching on this forum has been extremely helpful and I can see improvement, although there's still a long way to go.

Thanks all.

[Sasquatch]

It is intimidating, absolutely, and I think a lot of the kidding that goes on around here is a sort of lame attempt at making the place seem a little less serious or scholarly. But it's still really hard to post up a pipe you spent 20 hours on knowing that someone is going to come around and basically say "Hey, good job, that's a piece of shit." but the big thing is that no one here is secretly laughing, there is no pleasure being taken in pointing out the areas of improvement in any particular pipe, other than that we like to share information and be a little helpful in what is a fairly difficult process. We've all been on the receiving end. You don't get better without.

[Alden]

sort of lame attempt at making the place seem a little less serious .

Your mother is lame.

[d.huber]

sort of lame attempt at making the place seem a little less serious .

Your mother is lame.

That's the lamest "yo mamma" joke I've ever heard. Put some effort into it next time.

[d.huber]

ronps,

I agree with Sas absolutely. It's definitely intimidating to post your work up when there are a lot of other people doing the same. If you see someone's work on the forum that you find particularly good, take a few minutes and look back through the thread history here. If photos haven't been deleted from sheer embarrassment, you'll find that every single person on this forum who is able to make a half-way decent pipe started out making pipes that looked like a turd with a stick in it.

Like Sas said, we've all been there and feedback is important. If you want feedback, this is the best place to get honest feedback that will help you improve. If you haven't read Tyler's "Letter to New Pipe Makers" I highly recommend it. I read it every now and then as a reminder.

[millerman]

I have to say, overall, great advice. I really appreciate it. I'm definitely a newbie. I've only done 5 pipes so far. I'm having a lot of fun doing it too. I'm kinda limited at this point in my equipment, like I said I'm just starting out. While reading the "rules" I realized I have not done any classic designs so far. I think, for me, I thought everyone has seen thousands of those let's do something different. But while reading this, I realized the classics are probably where I'm going to learn and perfect the basics so I can get as good as I want too. You have too crawl before you can walk, right. Well I started a pipe over the past week or so, and I've gotten some different bits and stuff that I've been playing with on this one. Just trying to learn some things about how to use and make them work in different ways. So it's not going to be much of a classic. And a friend at work drew his own idea of a pipe he wants me to make for him. It's not a classic design either. Should I keep these to myself when finished or if I share them will be exhiled completely from the forum. I've taken the advice to heart and plan on attempting classics after these next two. My big question is what should I start with? Is there a particular design that would be best to start with?

[Ocelot55]

millerman, the point of working on classics is that they have a generally agreed upon shape. It is easier for us to evaluate them and offer critique. If your billiard bowl has straight walls you did it wrong. If the shank on your bent billiard has a bulge at the stem/shank junction you did it wrong. The freehand designs are difficult to comment on.

If you want to get good faster I'd start focusing on the classics. If you just want to do your own thing and have fun, that's fine too, just don't expect us to be able to offer much more than just general critique on things like polish, fit, ect.

[millerman]

Thanks. I'll start on more classics after these two.

[e Markle]

Should I keep these to myself when finished or if I share them will be exhiled completely from the forum. I've taken the advice to heart and plan on attempting classics after these next two. My big question is what should I start with? Is there a particular design that would be best to start with?

We will ostracize you! This is really directed at people who want to establish a name at more main stream pipe making. If you just like making pipes and purple flames (or green stain ) is something you're ok with then by all means make them. For that matter, if you just want to produce totally off the wall stuff, then have at it. You'll have trouble progressing going that route though. It's really difficult to evaluate a shape called "Double Headed Porpoise Rides the Moon". That presents a major challenge for those who critique you, but it's probably more challenging to your own ability to see the proportion, flow and balance in pipes.

Thinking outside the box is great, but in order to think outside, you first have to know what's inside.

[Alden]

[quote="UberHuberMan"] Put some effort into it next time.[quote]

That's what I told yer mom.

[The Smoking Yeti]

Put some effort into it next time.

That's what I told yer mom.

BOOM!

[d.huber]

Put some effort into it next time.

That's what I told yer mom.

My mom mentioned that you'd come over. She put a lot of effort into that meal she made you, trying to make you feel welcome. How ungrateful. For shame, Ryan. For shame.

[ronps]

Sas and Uber

I appreciate the advice and encouragement. I will be posting some pics shortly.

My point on the Gallery section was along the lines that a great deal of the work posted there is top notch professional quality. I've been impressed even with some of the "firsts" which has been posted.
I almost feel like I'd be polluting the pool with the amateur hour stuff. All the same, I'll give it a try.

Many thanks.

[Alden]

My mom mentioned that you'd come over. She put a lot of effort into that meal she made you, trying to make you feel welcome. How ungrateful. For shame, Ryan. For shame.

I was talking about the BJ.
Dinner was good.

[kkendall]

Thanks for sharing that Ernie, I will try and follow that advice as perfectly as I can. One of the issues I have been dealing with is my first pipes were "weird" and I have a lot of people wanting me to make "weird" pipes for them. I feel like this allows me to get paid to learn, which is kind of cool. But I do want to try and do a lot more work learning how to make traditional shapes. What would you advise someone like me who is getting constant commissions, and most (but not all) wanting freehand shapes, blowfish and what not? I was thinking of maybe just putting a space between each commission whether it is traditional or not to make a billiard, canadian, dublin or rodesian?

And #7 hurts my heart, it is my favorite shape

[d.huber]

My mom mentioned that you'd come over. She put a lot of effort into that meal she made you, trying to make you feel welcome. How ungrateful. For shame, Ryan. For shame.

I was talking about the BJ.

Now, Ryan. I though you'd know by now that using roofies to get what you want usually ends in a poor experience.