My problems STEM from...
My problems STEM from...
grrrrrrrrrr... can some of you fellas(or ladies, if any are around) ease my frustrated mind and tell me that with time, I too will be able to hand cut a stem without wanting to throw the thing across the shop??
sigh...
sigh...
I'm relatively new to hand cutting stems, so I can relate. And can ease your frustrated mind. Took me several attempts on the first couple I did, but I get better at it each time I do one. I think I've made 8 pipes with hand cut stems but probably cut 12 or so stems to get those 8. So keep trying, you'll get there!
Sometimes it does help to go ahead and throw it across the shop too! 8O
Just make sure it doesn't bounce back at you!
David
Sometimes it does help to go ahead and throw it across the shop too! 8O
Just make sure it doesn't bounce back at you!
David
hehe.. thanks, David. I'm sure I'll get it.. just been having a tough time of it. The first couple pieces, I goofed the bit on.. but finally seemed to have gotten that right. So last night, with my stem drilled, tenon turned and bit cleaned up, I chucked the thing into the lathe by the tenon(big mistake) in order to turn the taper of the stem. Don'tcha know, the stem snapped at the tenon.. god.. at least I have some delrin I can fix it with, but even so. Thanks for empathizing with me.. greatly appreciated!!!
Matt
Matt
- LexKY_Pipe
- Posts: 875
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: Lexington, Kentucky USA
hmmm.. a stem tossing contest... is that anything like dwarf tossin??
but on a serious note..as a first time trying to cut these things by hand I elected to go with acrylic just on the cost difference. Is there any reason that I should be using vulcanite instead? Just curious as to whether one material is easier/better to learn on than the other.
but on a serious note..as a first time trying to cut these things by hand I elected to go with acrylic just on the cost difference. Is there any reason that I should be using vulcanite instead? Just curious as to whether one material is easier/better to learn on than the other.
Thanks, Kurt, I think you answered my question. At the moment, I think I'd be better off to look for aesthetics last and production first. I can't quite finish a stem, regardless of the material, if I can't even get it drilled properly. Along those lines, cutting in the slit seems difficult with acrylic. The material wants to melt moreso than it wants to be cut. I've ended up with slits on two pieces that you could drive a bus through.
Yeah, but the stems don't wriggle out of your grasp as easily!hazmat wrote:hmmm.. a stem tossing contest... is that anything like dwarf tossin??
Both have their good and bad points. But if you can learn to do a stem well in acrylic, vulcanite won't be much of a problem for you. The biggest problem I have with acrylic is it sands at a much slower rate than briar. Its easy to take too much off the shank yet the stem isn't to the size and shape I want.hazmat wrote: Is there any reason that I should be using vulcanite instead? Just curious as to whether one material is easier/better to learn on than the other.