number 12

[BrianMadsen]

Just finished this pipe yesterday. I actually finished it several days ago, but i had some trouble with the stain around the plateux, so i sanded it down, and tried again. Handcut acrylic stem (which i am very satisfied with!). It is only the second handcut stem i have finished.
Anyway, i would love to hear both compliments and criticism.

[Sasquatch]

Bowl is shaped well, the lines above and below the shank look to be running along the same curve. It has a pleasant cant and stoutness, both indicating good sitting.

I'm not thrilled with something about the stem, maybe the bend, I'd play with that some, just to see what it looks like bent in other areas or ... something. The overall proportion seems okay so I'm not totally sure why I'm bothered about it.

When you are staining, the plateau will pick it up and hold it, so if you are contrast staining, aim at making the plateau dark and sanding back the rest of the pipe.


Get a stamp. Your finishing looks okay, shaping, etc... then you flip the pipe over and damn, it's a grade 8 shop project after all and the kid signed it with a goddam dremel. Too bad!

[sandahlpipe]

The thing with the stem is that it appears to bulge in the middle of the bend. Could be the angle of picture or that the taper isn't consistent from the saddle to the button.

[Ratimus]

The thing with the stem is that it appears to bulge in the middle of the bend. Could be the angle of picture or that the taper isn't consistent from the saddle to the button.

Was going to say the same thing. I think it would look better if it was slightly thicker near the saddle and tapered subtly toward the button. The stem might also be a little too long and not quite evenly bent (runs too straight at first, more like a rounded kink than a graceful curve).

Before:

After:


Overall, great work on the stem. Acrylic's not an easy material and you seem to have tamed it fairly well.

[BrianMadsen]

Thanks guys. Yeah, i need a stamp
the stem is a little bulgy, mostly on the underside.

Sas, i'm not sure i totally got what you meant with staining plateux? Care to explain a bit more?

[Sasquatch]

There's a line of red all the way around the top of the pipe on the outside. I assume you stained the sides of the pipe and not the plateau.

[BrianMadsen]

I staind the top yellow, and the sides red. Sanded down, and yellow as final stain.
Is there a good way to eliminate that ring around the top?

[Sasquatch]

Yeah, don't stain the sides red and the top yellow.

[Sasquatch]

In seriousness, you could try staining the top yellow, sealing it somehow, and then doing your contrast stain base on the sides, but I wouldn't guarantee it would solve the problem.

[mightysmurf8201]

I like this pipe a lot. If I had to nitpick, I would say that the shank diameter looks to be ever so slightly smaller than the stem saddle diameter. Also, from a picky customer's perspective, cleaning up that slot would bring this pipe from "Nice, but I'll pass" to "SOLD!". Not saying it won't sell, but details like this will definitely bring your pipes to the next level. Keep it up. Make more pipes.

[wdteipen]

For me, the shank is too short and the stem after the saddle is too long. Having said that, Ratismus' photoshopped version is a big improvement. Overall it's a nice pipe. The plateaux bleed issue could be resolved by staining the entire pipe red, masking off all but the plateaux, then sandblasting the plateaux and restaining yellow. Typically, you see plateaux stained darker and this is one reason why.

[BrianMadsen]

Yeah, i don't have sandblasting equipment, so that's not an opportunity.
So, the plateux should always be stained dark, and not the contrast stain?

[wdteipen]

Typically plateaux is stained the same color as you use for your base contrast which is a darker stain. Then all you have to do is sand the smooth parts and apply your top coat.

[BrianMadsen]

Okay thanks. I'll keep that in mind next time i throw my myself into another plateux nightmare! haha
Thanks to all of you for your help, also for that stem picture, Ratimus