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ScoJo wrote:I need to get this cleared up before I move to one of my better plateaux blocks because I have precious few of those and I would like to not kill any of them.

You can always practice on something other than briar. For instance, I have been known to cut several squares off of a 2X4 and practice new drilling techniques. I always drill into a 2x4 when I shape a new spade bit to see what the chamber will look like and to make sure I got the bit even.

For practicing turning tenons, I would recommend drilling a mortise into a hardwood, as the pine 2x4 is too easily compressed when inserting a too large tenon into a too small mortise. Or, get yourself some more cheapo $6 blocks and have at it till you get your process worked out. (If this were me, I would not proceed to the expensive stock till I had done so).

I actually kept one block for a year after I drilled it as I wanted to get more experience shaping before tearing into such a beautiful piece of briar. I knew the shape I was going to make when I sanded the sides, but I still waited to get more comfortable in my techniques.

I'm cutting my tenons on a Taig. I finally got them smooth (I got a new cutting tool). This pipe had a flared shank on it, so at the mortise the shank was very beefy. I'm surprised I managed to crack it, but I think I did it removing the first broken tenon. I put a screw part way into the tenon and pulled it out. The first time I popped a shank I think the screw was too big and I put it in too far. This time I used a smaller screw and didn't put it in as far. When the tenon came out I thought I had managed to do it and not too any damage. It didn't look cracked. I tried a new stem and cut a new tenon. As soon as I put that one in I heard the crack. Thought I busted another tenon until I looked down and saw that it was much worse...



The first pipes I made, the tenon seemed to fit okay, then over time they became VERY loose (hold onto the stummel while smoking loose). So I thought I had to go tighter at the beginning. I must be going too tight now. I guess I am having trouble determining how much force I should be needing at the start to insert and remove the stem. I've seen some folks working on pipes and you could hear the squeak when they were inserting and removing the stem, so I thought that was okay?

Mine sort of do a squeek (a mild one). I'm usually not fond of a real strong squeak because it means that while twisting it the surface of the mortise and tenon are skipping when they rub.... it's been my experience that the "skipping" causes a significant amount of vibration and THAT can cause the tenon to break.

Being an RA (rank amateur), mind, I don't KNOW, but what seems to work for me is a fit that's barely too tight until I apply beeswax to the tenon, and then the fit seems just about perfect.

Sco... have you tried using delrin for your tenons?

a few times... But I'm more unexperienced with the delrin. I remember a good fit, but can't remember the procedure too well. With delrin, however, it's more a matter of getting a your size delrin and a good mortise bit that matches it very well. The first bit you pull off the rack at home depot may not create a great fit for the delrin you have. So there's some experimenting to be done. I've since changed delrin sizes too so I don't have a current bit/delrin fit that I know of.

My new #9 (starting this weekend, hopefully) will have my first delrin tenon.

I think you'll find the delrin to be a much easier process for tenons, once you get used to it. It only took me one stem to see how much time it took off my process and it eliminated any off-center tenons, which seem to happen frequently with pre-fab stems when I turn the tenons on the lathe.

Sure sounds like delrin's the way to go, once you've matched a drill bit to whichever size you settle on. Looking forward to giving it a try.