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This pipe was doomed from the get-go, but I decided to finish it out just for practice sake. I has two very large and deep fissures that can't lack much from going all the way through to the chamber.

This is my first time working with lucite (giant pain in the butt) and, I think, my 5th handcut stem. I'd really appreciate your critique on it. Also, my files didn't cut the lucite nearly as well as they do ebonite...any suggestions?

Are you using the vulcrylic file? To be sure, the files don't cut as much as with ebonite, but it's still relatively fast as long as your file is coarse enough.

sandahlpipe wrote:Are you using the vulcrylic file?

Not even sure what that is. I will have to look it up. I just have some NIcholson files.

There are a few threads on the forum about files. I use a #00 and an aluminum file as well as vulcrylic files. They all do quite well. I also made a scraper out of a jigsaw blade that works really well. Get something to clean the files so they don't get clogged.

sandahlpipe wrote:Get something to clean the files so they don't get clogged.

That was definitely a much bigger problem with this lucite. It clogged up my files much quicker than ebonite does.

I think this pipe looks great, good luck with smoking it with those two excavations.
How thick is your stem behind the button? It appears to be somewhat full and the entire stem appears to flare from the shank rather than follow the line of the shank.
I, too, have noted rapid clogging of my files while working acrylic (I assume that lucite is acrylic), and am grateful for tip from Jeremiah about the vulcrylic file.
I do like acrylic stems to smoke however, and will continue to work on my techniques. I am planning on using a couple of Iwasaki files that I've acquired which I find way too aggressive for briar.
DocAitch

Doc, it's 4mm behind the button, but it looks fat in these pics for some reason. I checked to see if there's a flare with a straight edge but I think it's just an optical illusion due to the bend in the stem and one part being closer to the camera than the other. However, I am having trouble with the stem being thicker in diameter than the shank when I blast up to the edge rather than leaving a smooth band.

I am wondering if it would look better if I took a little more material off the top of the stem just behind the bite zone through the bend.

JMG wrote:Doc, it's 4mm behind the button, but it looks fat in these pics for some reason.

White against black/dark always appears larger. It's a human perception thing that's hard wired.

I checked to see if there's a flare with a straight edge but I think it's just an optical illusion due to the bend in the stem and one part being closer to the camera than the other.

Yup.

However, I am having trouble with the stem being thicker in diameter than the shank when I blast up to the edge rather than leaving a smooth band.

Experimentation and practice. Also keep in mind that handwork (rustication that looks like sandblasting) can be used to match levels.

I am wondering if it would look better if I took a little more material off the top of the stem just behind the bite zone through the bend.

Yup again. Not much, but there's a smidge of excess there.

Overall, the smoothness and flow of the stem curve in profile is excellent. Better than all but a few of the most recent KC carving contest entries, in fact. (The shape was the author & its nearest relatives) Very difficult to get exactly right. Good job.


PS --- You might not love acrylic, but acrylic loves you!