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Looking for somebody that can spare a single Cumberland rod. Would like it to be 2 or 3 feet in length. I want to try some stems without having to order a bunch right now. I can send immediate Paypal payment!

Thanks in advance.

Dave, Pipe Makers Emporium has Cumberland in 20" lengths: http://www.pipemakers.org/rods02.htm
They don't always insist on a $100 order.

Dave

From my experience I would start with some vulcanite rod stock first in shaping your first stems. I have found, and not sure why since it is based on vulcanite, that cumberland rod is more brittle than pure vulcanite. For me it was harder to work with. Maybe I just got a waky piece though.

If I had to learn all over again, I'd start with clear acrylic. With the clear stuff, everything you do is visible. No guessing about how far to go or anything like that. Once you get a feel, move to ebonite or cumberland. You'll also find that ebonite and cumberland are much easier to work with.

I think you guys are right about doing a few stems before messing up cumberland stock, but i just wanted some in hand for when i'm ready. getting my belt sander hopefully today or tmrw; and may have a metal lathe on Saturday.

My question is this: how do I work the acrylic without a lathe. Will it work ok on the belt sander?

hollywood wrote:I think you guys are right about doing a few stems before messing up cumberland stock, but i just wanted some in hand for when i'm ready. getting my belt sander hopefully today or tmrw; and may have a metal lathe on Saturday.

My question is this: how do I work the acrylic without a lathe. Will it work ok on the belt sander?

Do you use a tenon cutting tool currently? Or are you using delrin for tenons? Just curious as you don't have a lathe.

Beyond the drilling of the stock, which you can do without a lathe, a belt sander should work fine for the initial rough shaping of the stem. Just ask Kurt.. he reccomends a belt sander for everything from brushing one's teeth to refinishing the bathroom.

EDIT: One thing with the belt sander. Not sure what kind you're using. I have a Delta belt/disc combo and the belt is a 1-inch. One thing I learned, and this took me a while to figure out, is easy does it. Go reeeeeal slow initially when rough shaping. That belt will take off more material than you expect and the edges of the belt will actually cut into the material if you lean the rod one side or the other too much. Play around with a small piece of the acrylic until you get a feel for how the belt cuts and you'll be good to go. Oh yeah, if you're using a setup like mine, there's a plate behind the belt. I remove mine for stem operations. It just gets in the way, IMHO.

Good luck!!

hazmat wrote: Beyond the drilling of the stock, which you can do without a lathe, a belt sander should work fine for the initial rough shaping of the stem. Just ask Kurt.. he reccomends a belt sander for everything from brushing one's teeth to refinishing the bathroom.

It's the best parmesan cheese grater I've ever used!

KurtHuhn wrote:It's the best parmesan cheese grater I've ever used!

You neglected to mention knuckle grater, if you like a splash of blood & skin with your parmesan!

I collect the runnings, and use it to quench steel.

hazmat wrote:Do you use a tenon cutting tool currently? Or are you using delrin for tenons? Just curious as you don't have a lathe.

Beyond the drilling of the stock, which you can do without a lathe, a belt sander should work fine for the initial rough shaping of the stem. Just ask Kurt.. he reccomends a belt sander for everything from brushing one's teeth to refinishing the bathroom.

EDIT: One thing with the belt sander. Not sure what kind you're using. I have a Delta belt/disc combo and the belt is a 1-inch. One thing I learned, and this took me a while to figure out, is easy does it. Go reeeeeal slow initially when rough shaping. That belt will take off more material than you expect and the edges of the belt will actually cut into the material if you lean the rod one side or the other too much. Play around with a small piece of the acrylic until you get a feel for how the belt cuts and you'll be good to go. Oh yeah, if you're using a setup like mine, there's a plate behind the belt. I remove mine for stem operations. It just gets in the way, IMHO.

Good luck!!

Hey hazmat. No tenon tool, yet. Haven't tried the Delrin route, yet either, but that is coming I think. Looks like a winning plan from what I've read from you guys. Right now everything has been large pre-made stems that I have shaped down to match each pipe.

I just got a Delta 1" belt sander with a 5" side disc. Got a great deal on it and I can't wait to start trying it out. I'm getting some acrylic rod next week to practice with. We'll just keep cranking it out until I start getting a few right, before hacking into the cumberland.

I guess I will need that Tenon tool if I don't get a lathe this weekend, huh!? Don't know how else I can cut one. Hmm? Any ideas, or am I just going to have to wait a bit longer?

You're definitely going to need something to cut tenons with. Options run the gamut, but a metal lathe is definitely optimal. If you're short the funds for now, a drill press and tenon turning tool will get you where you need to be.