Last night I took the sandpaper to it and fixed that Shank/Stem fitting issue. MUCH BETTER! You guys keep me in line.
Also I put another coat of wax on it and brought out the shine and grain quite a bit!
Here it is now..
Pipe #3 Rework
Pipe #3 Rework
I really appreciate you guys pointing out the things I needed to fix on my pipe.
Last night I took the sandpaper to it and fixed that Shank/Stem fitting issue. MUCH BETTER! You guys keep me in line.
Also I put another coat of wax on it and brought out the shine and grain quite a bit!
Here it is now..
Last night I took the sandpaper to it and fixed that Shank/Stem fitting issue. MUCH BETTER! You guys keep me in line.
Also I put another coat of wax on it and brought out the shine and grain quite a bit!
Here it is now..
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achduliebe
- Posts: 729
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: United States/South Carolina
- Contact:
Very nice, definately improved the shank/stem junction. Nice shine too. Good job.
-Bryan
"You should never fight, but if you have to fight...fight dirty. Kick 'em in the groin, throw a rock at 'em"
www.quinnpipes.com
"You should never fight, but if you have to fight...fight dirty. Kick 'em in the groin, throw a rock at 'em"
www.quinnpipes.com
Josh, don't know what you are doing, but if you keep the stem on the stummel when sanding, and going up through the grits, the joint is virtually unnoticable. You can't even feel the joint if you run your finger over it.
And, it can be done without a big investment in power tools. For most of my pipes, I turn the stem on my Taig lathe to the desired thickness, then I may rough shape the shank with a dremel or a file, then finish with sandpaper while the stem is on the stummel. (That way, I'm removing material from the softer wood to match the harder stem). Be careful when using the dremel, as a slip will cut gouges in the stem (I will only go to within a few hundred's of an inch from the stem with the dremel then finish with sandpaper - I specifically remember rough shaping the shank of pipe 2406 with a dremel in this fashion).
For example, of the pipes on my website either currently for sale, or recently sold, only the poker and the pot shanks were put on a lathe (my Taig). All the other shanks, including the billiard and tipsy shotglass, were done completely by hand. Of the pipes in my gallery of past work, if memory serves correctly, the shank on the apple may have been turned on a lathe, but none of the other pipes were ever mounted on a lathe. It just takes a little (or in my case, a lot of) practice to work out your technique, and some patience when shaping. Again, you can run your finger across the stem/shank joint of all the pipes I have for sale and not feel the joint.
As an aside, the only power tools I use in pipemaking are a drill press, a combo 1X42 belt/ 8" disc sander, a dremel, a variable speed grinder, a Taig, and a dust collector. I still have not bought a band saw or a woodworking lathe. I think a band saw would be a big help (hacksaws are a pain), but I have no current plans for purchasing a woodworking lathe. I have been doing a lot of the rough shaping lately with a six inch disc sander mounted on the grinder. It's not pretty, but it works. I bought the disc setup for $15 from Home Depot. Yes, it generally takes me a long time to make a pipe, but I enjoy working the materials primarily by hand.
Sorry for the long post, but I hope this helps. You don't really need a big investment in big power tools to make pipes. Power tools help you make them faster, but handwork will get you there eventually. Keep practicing. You'll be surprised how much you learn from doing.
Mark
And, it can be done without a big investment in power tools. For most of my pipes, I turn the stem on my Taig lathe to the desired thickness, then I may rough shape the shank with a dremel or a file, then finish with sandpaper while the stem is on the stummel. (That way, I'm removing material from the softer wood to match the harder stem). Be careful when using the dremel, as a slip will cut gouges in the stem (I will only go to within a few hundred's of an inch from the stem with the dremel then finish with sandpaper - I specifically remember rough shaping the shank of pipe 2406 with a dremel in this fashion).
For example, of the pipes on my website either currently for sale, or recently sold, only the poker and the pot shanks were put on a lathe (my Taig). All the other shanks, including the billiard and tipsy shotglass, were done completely by hand. Of the pipes in my gallery of past work, if memory serves correctly, the shank on the apple may have been turned on a lathe, but none of the other pipes were ever mounted on a lathe. It just takes a little (or in my case, a lot of) practice to work out your technique, and some patience when shaping. Again, you can run your finger across the stem/shank joint of all the pipes I have for sale and not feel the joint.
As an aside, the only power tools I use in pipemaking are a drill press, a combo 1X42 belt/ 8" disc sander, a dremel, a variable speed grinder, a Taig, and a dust collector. I still have not bought a band saw or a woodworking lathe. I think a band saw would be a big help (hacksaws are a pain), but I have no current plans for purchasing a woodworking lathe. I have been doing a lot of the rough shaping lately with a six inch disc sander mounted on the grinder. It's not pretty, but it works. I bought the disc setup for $15 from Home Depot. Yes, it generally takes me a long time to make a pipe, but I enjoy working the materials primarily by hand.
Sorry for the long post, but I hope this helps. You don't really need a big investment in big power tools to make pipes. Power tools help you make them faster, but handwork will get you there eventually. Keep practicing. You'll be surprised how much you learn from doing.
Mark
PapaDuke, nice improvement with the shank stem junction. The only constructive comment I have for improvement is the shank/bowl junction. Tyler used to hammer this into my head when I was just starting out, and I am glad he did. This area is still something that I have to pay close attention to when making a pipe, as it is the hardest for me to get right. But, when I get it right, my pipes look much better for it.
On your next pipe, I recommend working on tightening up this section. Other than that, lookin' good.
On your next pipe, I recommend working on tightening up this section. Other than that, lookin' good.
Thanks for the advise Mark. My major problem is getting the stem and the shank to fit flush across the surface of the two pieces that touch. I have the same problem with shank extensions. If I file it I seem to always have an angle to the surface or accidently slope off one side and have to keep filing down the whole deal to get it flat again. PapaDuke, I'm not trying to pirate this thread, just figured it could help us both. 
Josh
Josh
Josh, my misunderstanding. That is tough to do with hand tools. It can be done, but it has to be done very carefully.
One of the best methods for squaring the shank by hand is to take a piece of light sand paper, drill a hole into it the same diameter as the tenon, glue the sandpaper onto the end of the stem, trim the sandpaper to the same outside diameter of the stem, insert the stem onto the pipe in the orientation you will end up with, and gently turn the stem back and forth against the shank. Keep it as square as possible with no side to side pressure or you will convex the shank. Check your progress often. Not an easy method, and not foolproof, but I have done it, and with practice, it can be done fairly well.
Another method I have heard Tyler describe is to take very fine sandpaper, hold it on a very flat surface, such as your kitchen table, place the shank against the sandpaper, and very gently move the shank against the paper. This can be tricky to do, but it does work for very slight modifications and fit issues.
With either method, use light grades of paper, and work slowly.
And, don't forget that you can always throw in a freehand style pipe without a flush fit stem from time to time. I've done a couple of these. They are fun to make, and you get to use your imagination more than you do with making a standard shape.
Good luck, hope one of these methods work for you till you get some tools.
Mark
Mark
One of the best methods for squaring the shank by hand is to take a piece of light sand paper, drill a hole into it the same diameter as the tenon, glue the sandpaper onto the end of the stem, trim the sandpaper to the same outside diameter of the stem, insert the stem onto the pipe in the orientation you will end up with, and gently turn the stem back and forth against the shank. Keep it as square as possible with no side to side pressure or you will convex the shank. Check your progress often. Not an easy method, and not foolproof, but I have done it, and with practice, it can be done fairly well.
Another method I have heard Tyler describe is to take very fine sandpaper, hold it on a very flat surface, such as your kitchen table, place the shank against the sandpaper, and very gently move the shank against the paper. This can be tricky to do, but it does work for very slight modifications and fit issues.
With either method, use light grades of paper, and work slowly.
And, don't forget that you can always throw in a freehand style pipe without a flush fit stem from time to time. I've done a couple of these. They are fun to make, and you get to use your imagination more than you do with making a standard shape.
Good luck, hope one of these methods work for you till you get some tools.
Mark
Mark