Newbie questions

[Rikki Sixx]

Hello from sunny FLA.

Long time lurker first time poster. I'm located in Brandon, FL which is just east of Tampa. My main interest is motorcycles but lately I've had the desire to make some pipes for myself so I thought I'd try my hand a carving a meerschaum pipe for my first effort. But I have a few questions.

First off, I've seen some predrilled kits out there that say they are made from meerschaum blocks and others say re-formed meerschaum. What is the difference? Also, I saw an ad from a private seller for a "Turkish meerschaum pipe" that I like but with my limited knowledge I don't know how to tell if it's real meerschaum. What do I look for?

Finally, being new at this I was hoping to find someone in my area that would be willing to give me a first hand look at making a pipe. Randy Wiley is not far from me and I've been in contact with him a few times. He seems like a really nice guy and gave me some good information but he's pretty busy and unfortunately his shop isn't open to the public. Are there any members from the Tampa bay area out there that would be willing to give a peak at the process to a new guy?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[sandahlpipe]

Meerschaum is like carving soap. If it's predrilled, chances are that it's meerschaum dust that has been pressed into blocks. It's not terrible, but it's not going to have the same properties of block meerschaum but it's a ton easier to get ahold of. You can find a few videos on YouTube about making of meerschaum pipes. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot of material out there on how to work with the stuff because it has been illegal to export block meerschaum since the 1960's and the pressed meerschaum isn't of much interest for collectors. Having said that, you could always buy a kit and try working with it. Use sharp knives and go to it. You can also use sandpaper to remove material. When you get close to the finished pipe, use a high grit of sandpaper and get it smooth. Then they are typically plugged in the mortise and chamber and dipped in wax to finish.

As for people who may be able to show you how to make pipes, Walt Cannoy doesn't live too far away. You could ask him if he can show you a few things.


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[scotties22]

The is an entire "process" when it comes to working with Meerschaum. If you have never made a pipe before I would suggest a predrilled briar kit first. See if you like working with briar before you try your hand at something that is harder to carve. If you really do feel inclined to give it a try contact Walt as Jeremiah suggested. He has made several Meerschaum pipes over the past few months and should be able to give you some pointers.

Again, I strongly suggest working with briar (or another wood) first. Meerschaum is an entirely different animal and from what I understand quite difficult to work with. It's about like your first car, really. We all think we can handle an Audi R8 the day we get our license. When in reality our skill is better suited to Mom's 2005 Taurus.

Hope this helps

[i.keenum]

I agree with scottie. I'm still new but even on pipe number 7 I still accidentally drop or send a block flying while using power tool. Most of the time with briar you'll be ok but meerschaum can shatter like glass. I've dropped one of my meer pipes before, it's no fun.

By the way my first car was a 01 taurus and I drove it like it was a forumla 1 race car. Never claimed to be smart, but that car took a beating and kept driving the whole time I had it.

[sandahlpipe]

Make sure you don't send blocks flying. That's a really bad idea and not just for the briar or meerschaum and the machines. If you're sending a block flying on accident, it's preventable. Take the time to learn how to use the machine properly and make sure everything is tightened properly. Local woodworking stores often have demonstrations and woodworking classes they offer for free or very cheaply.

Of course if you have a pit in the chamber of your block for the 3rd pipe in a row, feel free to throw it across the room if it makes you feel better. I recommend a shop wall which doesn't contain tools or supplies with a target painted on it for this purpose.


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[i.keenum]

Definitely never a good idea to do it and avoid slinging blocks at all costs.

Never have a block catch on the sander and it goes flying sandahl? I may need to work on my grip lol.

When I work with any of the saws or drills I'm always extra careful, firm foundation and held down securley and move slowly. With the sander I'm a little less patient but for the most part it only gets you a sanded knuckles , not that feels nice in any kind of way.

[sandahlpipe]

I've removed a few shanks from stummels unintentionally on the lathe. I sand with both hands on the stummel when possible. I have slung a few stummels from the buffer while I was learning.


But that's why I gave the advice to learn how to do it right before you hurt yourself. If you have the option of learning under the guidance of a woodworker or pipe maker, you'll save a lot of frustration.


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[jjpipes]

Rikki Sixx
As you can see this is primarily a briar community, I haven’t made a meerschaum pipe since the seventy’s. If you’re planning to make a few pipes for yourself starting with a meerschaum kit is fine. It’s not really harder than briar just different, in fact in some ways it easier. My second pipe was made from a meerschaum kit (about 1975), It was ugly but it smoked just fine for a meer, the big advantage of making a meer kit is tooling, with some water, a knife some sandpaper, bees wax and some soft cotton cloth, you can make a pretty expectable pipe.

The difference between meerschaum and re-formed meerschaum is that meerschaum is the actual fossil that is mined, re-formed meerschaum is the pounder and maybe small pleases that are pressed together using a type of plaster (my guess would be some type of investment similar to what is used in lost wax casting)to bind it together. Re-formed meerschaum has fooled many collectors’ It is an ok product to make a fine pipe for the non-collector, tough the finished product will usually be a little heavier than true meer but lighter than briar.

Advantages to to meerschaum kits:

Easy to carve
Provides a cool smoke
Adds no flavor to the smoke
Light weight
Little tooling required for shaping

Disadvantages to meerschaum kits:

Fragile
Completely different methods of carving and finishing compared to briar
Usually has small draft hole
Handling a meer pipe requires more care
Adds no flavor to the smoke
Hard to get

Theirs more but that will give you basic idea,
I have three blocks of meer on my bench right now, when I carve them a power tool will not touch the meer even for drilling.

If you choose to make a meer I would suggest you buy a kit That states meerschaum block rather than re-formed meerschaum, but don’t worry about it either way, if you do your part you will end up with a decent pipe. You will learn nothing about carving briar but will take your first step in learning shaping. So make what you want, just have fun and enjoy your efforts.

This is more than I wanted to write so if you have any questions or would like just to talk, PM me and we can arrange it.

[WCannoy]

Are there any members from the Tampa bay area out there that would be willing to give a peak at the process to a new guy?

PM me, or use the contact form on my website to email me. My shop is in Lakeland, so only about 30 minutes away from you. We can plan a day for you to come over.

[Rikki Sixx]

Are there any members from the Tampa bay area out there that would be willing to give a peak at the process to a new guy?

PM me, or use the contact form on my website to email me. My shop is in Lakeland, so only about 30 minutes away from you. We can plan a day for you to come over.

Wonderful, thanks! Will do.