I'm planning on making nothing but Rhodesians and bulldogs for the next few months hoping I'll get something decent for the PITH trade. I've made one bulldog. I'm going to make a copy of this one next:
This will be the first pipe I've shaped on the lathe (wood lathe) and I have a workflow question. The shank flares toward the stem end and the shank-to-stem junction continues that flare into a saddle sort of arrangement. The question is, should I shape the shank and stem flare on the lathe joined together at the same time I'm shaping the shank?
Also, is there a slight bend to that stem? Should there be?
Man that is a gorgeous pipe. Eltang?
I usually turn the shank a little big, then turn the stem flare, then sand the shank to match. I’ve only done a couple with a similar flare, so others with more under their belt might do it differently.
It is a Suhr, which I was not familiar with before. Certainly has Danish lines.
Anyway, thinking about this a little more, I doubt it would even be possible to turn the stem in the lathe with it in the pipe. I suspect when the tool was applied the tenon would slip/turn in the mortise.
This is what I think I am going to do:
Drill the stem.
Fit the tenon.
Shape the stem flare on the lathe to get it close.
Put stummel in lathe.
Drill the shank.
Shape shank.
Put stem in shank and sand them together on the lathe.
In a situation like this I would prepare a rough stem, the turn the stummel, then fit the stem and do the transition between them very carefully taking very light cuts and using sandpaper to refine the shape. Then I would wrap it in tape before doing the rest of the bowl shaping.
Alternatively, do a shank cap with the shape and then a recessed stem, this might be easier if you are using a wood lathe.
When I need to shape shank and stem together on the lathe, I turn the stummel first, but leave the block section used to grip in the jaws intact until after I've shaped the shank. With the stem chucked up, I fit the stummel, and then bring a live center in the tail stock up to engage the block section of the stummel for support. Often, this is how I turn a taper on a long shank billiard, etc. It's frikkin scary, but works just fine.
That does sound scary but I'll play around with the idea next time. There is a photo of Love Geiger with a pipe chucked up like that I think.
This time I actually shaped the stem flare and shank together. With a light hand with the tool it worked quite well and the stem did not spin in the mortise unless I engaged the tool too firmly. I didn't think it would work but it did. I kept a live center in the bite end of the stem. I did a fair amount of the shaping with sandpaper too.
This was my first pipe shaped on the lathe. Shaping the stem and stummel went really well for a first try and I can see that having a lathe is going to be a game changer for me. The stem-to-shank junction was perfect! I cut twin bead lines in the stummel and they were perfect too!
Then I took it over to the band saw to cut off the extra material below the stummel (that the jaws held onto), rushed and got sloppy and cut too far into the stummel and ruined it. It was like I went from slow, steady and precise on the lathe to an idiot on the band saw. I make all my biggest mistakes rushing things on the band saw! I need to put a sticky on the band saw to remind me.
The only consolation is that the briar block had tons of pits and little cracks in it anyway.
Anyway, I'm nailing down the workflow on the lathe which is great. I'll keep the stem I cut for this one and start making the same pipe again this evening.
It can be done a number of ways. I rarely will shape the stem with the stummel on the lathe because in my opinion it gives the shape a machined look. Matching it up by hand allows for there to be a graceful transition.
I agree and noticed that very thing in this stem/shank. The curve of the flare was not as graceful as I wanted it to be. It had somewhat of a bell shape to it rather than a simple curve. I intended to do final shaping by hand. But that one went in the trash.
I'll approach this next one the same way and do the final shaping by hand. I might make things worse that way but at this point my workflow is getting developed by trial and error.
I will often shape the shank and stem together, but only when I need a sharp "oneness" of the two. Catalog shapes where both are round are a prime example. In this case, it's the stummel held in a chuck, and the stem hangs out. I use a live center to jam it into place and ensure it won't move.
However...
That stem always gets finish shaped by hand. I'm only ever concerned with the first 3mm or so of stem being concentric - the rest falls into place neatly.
