Suggestions And Help On Shaping The Outer Edge Of My Stems

[shikano53]

I have been attempting to dive in and use some ebonite and acrylic rod material to make stems but I'm having some difficulty getting down to the nice smooth rounded edges that I think they should have.
I mark the center line of where the edges should be from the tenon down to the button with a line of 1/8" masking tape and work my sander and files down to the tape. The edge is being just a bit elusive at this point. I'm wondering if holding my files at an angle and working along the length of the stem from top to bottom until it produces the results I'm looking for?
Comments suggestions welcome.

[DocAitch]

Cutting with a flat file, followed by an emery board is how I do it
DocAitch

[shikano53]

Thanks Doc! Sometimes I surprise myself at the foolishness of my questions.
I should have given it more thought. I will give the emery board/s a try.

[DocAitch]

It also helps to cut your slot first, then cut the ends that will become the button parallel to the slot so that you can keep the blade of the stem oriented while filing. You may be able to see that in the photo above.
DocAitch

[RickB]

It also helps to cut your slot first, then cut the ends that will become the button parallel to the slot so that you can keep the blade of the stem oriented while filing. You may be able to see that in the photo above.
DocAitch

This times about a thousand, the tape works great but that slot needs to be the reference point once you get close.
I'll be the first one to tell you that I don't think I do as good a job on this as some folks do, but my method for saddles like the one you're working on has been to do basically what you did and take the top and bottom down very near their final dimensions first, cut in the sides/fishtail of the stem on a French wheel, and then work the profile and edges. I have a flat file with a side and face ground off, so that I can use it to file the blade, button, or both at the same time. I'll use that to cut in the corners by the button and get the edge about as thin as I want there and get it good and even on all four corners, and then I use a 6mm round file (usually) to cut the radius down by the shoulder and carry that around to where the edge needs to start. Then I just connect those points and file the radius of them stem from there.
Hopefully that makes sense, and if so, hope it helps.

[shikano53]

Thanks for the comments,
Doc, I generally tape the stem/rod first as shown in the picture(s) below.
Rick, I think I understand what you are saying until the "cut the radius down by the shoulder and carry that around to where the edge needs to start..."
My take on that is to work the radius out to the edges from both the top and bottom until they join???

[shikano53]

I forgot to mention that I don't cut the slot until I've taken off a considerable amount of material so that I have a guideline to use cutting the slot. I guess the opposite of that would be to cut the slot and then use the slot as a guide to remove material. I'm a bit fearful that I'll get off course but I haven't cut but maybe five stems so far. (A hell of a long way to go to get to a thousand).

[DocAitch]

I know makers who cut the slot last, but I prefer to use the slot to orient the blade, plus I use my lathe as a filing jig.

This is set up for a right hander- if you are left handed, place the tenon holder in the tailstock chuck and the slot holder in the headstock chuck.

Tenon holder is a piece of 5/16” tool rod and can be adjusted to give working room for filing.

The slot holder is a piece of 1” Delrin which has been turned and shaped into a “screw driver-ish” shape. the contact points should be the ENDs of the slot NOT the top and bottom, otherwise the slot will crack open (ask me how I know this)
This set up allows quite forceful two handed filing (for best control) with aggressive files, can be rotated to file panels on the stem (bull dogs or fancy free hands) and allows you to extrapolate the line of the airway between the ends without taping.
The first photo also shows the preliminary shaping of the button with the parallel flats top and bottom to orient the blade.
DocAitch

[shikano53]

First, By golly Doc you the man!! I borrowed (cough) three of my wife's various emery boards and rushed out to my shop and locked the flap. The flap is just well, a flap closed with a few pieces of duct tape. I think I can hear her caterwailing and swearing inside the house and I'm pretty sure it will be safe to go back inside by springtime. Anyway yeah, those emery boards really did the trick.
Thank you sir for sharing your set up. No I won't ask you how you know because I'm pretty sure I know the answer. I am going to duplicate it as best I can this week. With your permission of course. Absolutely slicker than Jack the Bear!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[shikano53]

I am left-handed but I've become so used to doing most things in a right handed world that it makes no difference, but thanks for the FYI.

[DocAitch]

Feel free to duplicate the jig, as far as I know, it is totally my own design. Anything I publish on this site is public.
The emory boards are espoused by a number of folks- among them George Dibos, on this forum.
I generally use them for shank/stem final filing and for shaping the button but I use files first.
Just out of curiosity, what is the diameter of your airway hole at the button end? It looks biggish to me but that may be the diameter of the rod throwing me off. Also, it appears significantly off center- How are you drilling?
DocAitch

[RickB]

I cut that slot while it's still round and use that as the reference for where the tape goes. That way there's so such thing as it being crooked unless I really fuck up somewhere - cut the slot, orient so it's level, and have at it.
By the radius at the shoulder, I mean where the barrel of the stem that matches the shank gets cut down to the blade of the stem. Check out the side of this stem:
https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/ ... _id=313198
I'd be inclined to follow that side view as closely as I could for a billiard or something similar.

[shikano53]

I am drilling my button hole with a 1/16" drill bit. I don't have anything but the 1/16" drill bit to start the hole so I chuck the 1/16" as short as I can and then very, very slowly drill the button hole. Yes, that is off center.
I have two of these I use as a starter bit. The one in the picture is a #6.


When I turn my rod stock, especially the acrylic, I put my live center (in the tail stock) and put the live center into the drilled button hole. I think the live center revolving in the 1/16" diameter drilled button hole opens it up somewhat kind of craters it. I haven't figured a work around for that yet so that I can turn down rod stock to the diameter I wish to make the stem.

[DocAitch]

I use a metal lathe so if are using a wood lathe, this may not apply.
I round square acrylic as best I can (octagon cross section) and turn it round using a 3 jaw chuck and live center. You will lose some diameter this way depending on how accurately you free hand round the stock. It would be easier with a four jaw but I don’t have one.
I then drill the draft on the lathe using a 9/64” tapered Fuller bit to within 1/2-3/4’ of the end. I take several passes and clear the swarf until the drill bit is free of swarf.
I then drill from the same end using a long (6” aircraft) 1/16” bit. It is rare for this to wander, and happens less frequently if there is no swarf at the bottom of the hole.
The Fuller bits are from VF, the aircraft bits from MCI (packs of 10, although I am only using the second one from the pack).
I also lubricate the bit with soapy water and clear the swarf every 1/4’ or so- this reduces heat and galling.
DocAitch

[shikano53]

Thanks Doc. I use the same tapered Fuller bit from VFH. I drill similar to how you do it except I swap ends out. I am going to try it your way and see if I can pick up or find a source for those 6" aircraft 1/16" bits here in Canada.
Thanks
Here is a pic of the pipe I'm working on that goes with the stem.

[DocAitch]

Looks good!
DocAitch

[DocAitch]

First, By golly Doc you the man!! I borrowed (cough) three of my wife's various emery boards and rushed out to my shop and locked the flap. The flap is just well, a flap closed with a few pieces of duct tape. I think I can hear her caterwailing and swearing inside the house and I'm pretty sure it will be safe to go back inside by springtime. Anyway yeah, those emery boards really did the trick.
Thank you sir for sharing your set up. No I won't ask you how you know because I'm pretty sure I know the answer. I am going to duplicate it as best I can this week. With your permission of course. Absolutely slicker than Jack the Bear!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Humorous description.
Your description of your shop made me smile. I worked for 2 years in a carport with tarps hanging from 3 sides

2 years ago I threw up some 2x4 walls with insulating foam board and am much warmer now. (Of course I am way South of the Canadian border)

DocAitch

[shikano53]

Rick I don't have a metal lathe - just a small wood lathe 12"x18" and the bed is expandable to 48 if I want. As it is suits me fine and I can drill an 11mm diameter by 8" Churchwarden stem fine.I always use Delrin for my tenons and I have a four jaw pen turning chuck that works great on delrin and rod stock as well. Pretty simple set-up. I don't have a French wheel but I jury rigged an electric hand drill sideways on my bench and I have foam pads that I glue various grit sandpaper to. I'm not very good with it yet. A little fearful to put briar to it. I notice in one of your pictures you have similar pads that by the looks of it are chucked in your drill press????

[shikano53]

Doc, as you mentioned being left handed - yes, it does make a difference and I will set it up as per your advice for a lefty.

[RickB]

Hahaha yessir. My buffing/sanding/shaping motor is my drill press laid on its side
Home Depot sells little mandrels (?) that one can attach a grinding disc/french wheel/buffing wheel to and then chuck in the press.
I believe both Scottie and Sas use wood lathes exclusively (or primarily), and their pipes are worlds better than mine.