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UberHuberMan wrote:Anyone else ever done this? I've sunk about 13 to 14 hours into this thing at this point. This feels awful.

UberHuberMan wrote:Thanks for the words of encouragement!

Now what is this putty you speak of?

Also, to make myself feel better, I bored the airway and the pilot for the chamber of another stummel that I've almost fully shaped. With a 2mm bore, I connected on the first try! Talk about a way to make me feel better!

I'll try to make a quick video to show the airway connection. This will be the pipe that I'll be working on from here out:

http://www.youtube.com/v/ZbeMnD3NbRQ

Kyle Weiss wrote:Oh man, Uber, I'm so sorry... I didn't even have to read the explanation, I just saw the daylight through the pipe bowl in the picture and my heart SANK...

...well, live and learn, eh?

SO--a tip dear Daniel (tNd) suggested so that might not happen again... after the airway hole is drilled at the shank, at the right angle, at the right length (measured by tip of shank to where you'd like the middle of the bowl to be), THEN you drill the bowl/tobacco chamber. The trick: put a piece of thick copper (or other soft) wire in the airway hole. As you drill, you'll know when you've hit the wire and not go through the bottom, and the soft metal won't decimate your drill bit. Mind you, you're using some funky way to get a tobacco chamber drilled out with multiple holes, and this is specifically for a spoon or other drill bit that makes the chamber in one pass.

I haven't employed this idea yet, but when I get to drillin', you betcha I will be.

Great vids, and good luck! Great shape on the intact pipe, too!!!

Kyle Weiss wrote:Oh man, Uber, I'm so sorry... I didn't even have to read the picture, I just saw the daylight through the pipe bowl and my heart SANK...

...well, live and learn, eh?

SO--a tip dear Daniel (tNd) suggested so that might not happen again... after the airway hole is drilled at the shank, at the right angle, at the right length (measured by tip of shank to where you'd like the middle of the bowl to be), THEN you drill the bowl/tobacco chamber. The trick: put a piece of thick copper (or other soft) wire in the airway hole. As you drill, you'll know when you've hit the wire and not go through the bottom, and the soft metal won't decimate your drill bit. Mind you, you're using some funky way to get a tobacco chamber drilled out with multiple holes, and this is specifically for a spoon or other drill bit that makes the chamber in one pass.

I haven't employed this idea yet, but when I get to drillin', you betcha I will be.

Great vids, and good luck! Great shape on the intact pipe, too!!!

Ocelot55 wrote:I used a nontoxic wood putty. I've heard of a lot of guys using cigar ash and a little water. That stuff sets up pretty well. You just need to make sure you run a pipe cleaner into the bowl when you place the putty so you don't plug the draft hole.

Kyle Weiss wrote:I have a $30 Black and Decker drill clamped to a guitar case--all I need is the spoon bits. If you get something even similar, flexible, rotary "sticky pad" type sanding wheels that fit it and a the same drill/spoon bits, you'll do just fine. Working with my Dremel is almost too small, but I find it handy for finishing work on the pipes.

Geez, this is making me want to start carving something... hmmm...

tyler wrote:For fear of jumping and sounding like the Cliff Claven of pipe making....

Spoon bits, in the context of pipe making, are very strange, particular bits custom made to drill a tobacco chamber on a lathe with the bowl already shaped and in your hand. I don't think that's what you guys are meaning by your use of the term. You guys just need some bits that are ground into a tobacco chamber shape. Most commonly these are SPADE bits that are ground to that shape, and I think the similarity in name causes confusion sometimes.

Anyhoo, sorry. I just thought it would be helpful for you guys to know for future discussion so your weren't misunderstanding or being misunderstood.

Clif--er-- Tyler

tyler wrote:Found this:



The spoon bit in this picture is the the fat, 3-dimensional one in the middle. Most of the rest of them are ground spade bits.

UberHuberMan wrote:Why is a spoon bit better than a spade bit while freehand boring the tobacco chamber?

Are spade bits mainly used in drill presses?

Kyle Weiss wrote:Spoon bit, spade bit... I guess whatever will get the job done. The tobacco chamber just needs that nice U shaped cup at the bottom...since I have a drill, again, clamped to a guitar case, the freehand "spoon bit" is what I was really referring to. I don't have a drill press, nor do I intend to spend the money on one. I suppose a spade bit would do the job nicely too.

KurtHuhn wrote:It happens to everyone when first learning their way around a block of wood. I bet you won't make that same mistake any time soon.

Not that the above helps you feel better right now. All you can really do is get back up, get back into it, and try again.

tyler wrote:

UberHuberMan wrote:Why is a spoon bit better than a spade bit while freehand boring the tobacco chamber?

Are spade bits mainly used in drill presses?

The spoon bit is basically a steel rod turned to the shape and size of the tobacco chamber, then half of it is removed along the vertical axis. The reason it works well for freehand drilling is the half-round shape slides around in the hole being drilled and prevents chatter and "catching." If you freehand drill this way with a spade bit you have to be careful not to rip a finger off.

The spade bits are used with any form of "traditional" drilling where the wood is clamped by something other than your hand. I use spade bits all the time to drill with my lathe, but a drill press or hand drill can use a spade bit too.

tyler wrote:

Kyle Weiss wrote:Spoon bit, spade bit... I guess whatever will get the job done. The tobacco chamber just needs that nice U shaped cup at the bottom...since I have a drill, again, clamped to a guitar case, the freehand "spoon bit" is what I was really referring to. I don't have a drill press, nor do I intend to spend the money on one. I suppose a spade bit would do the job nicely too.

Well, OK.

FWIW, one spoon bit will cost you as much as a drill press, so good luck with that.

tyler wrote:

UberHuberMan wrote:Why is a spoon bit better than a spade bit while freehand boring the tobacco chamber?

Are spade bits mainly used in drill presses?

The spoon bit is basically a steel rod turned to the shape and size of the tobacco chamber, then half of it is removed along the vertical axis. The reason it works well for freehand drilling is the half-round shape slides around in the hole being drilled and prevents chatter and "catching." If your freehand drill this way with a spade bit you have to be careful not to rip a finger off.

The spade bits are used with any form of "traditional" drilling where the wood is clamped by something other than your hand. I use spade bits all the time to drill with my lathe, but a drill press or hand drill can use a spade bit too.

szyzk wrote:

UberHuberMan wrote:As such, there'll be a lot more stem work being done on a different stem tomorrow. Hopefully by the end of Wednesday I'll finally have a stem in my stummel!

You pig!

Also - you're making me want to carve a pipe. This is not another slope I want to jump off.