One of my purchases at the Columbus pipe show this past weeked was a cool freehand billiard-ish pipe. Its named "the Scoop" on his website if you're interested. Well, I've smoked it a few times and am very impressed. The drilling it just right, the stemwork is great. I love the button on this pipe. Its a bit thicker than I prefer, but the way he flared the slit is awesome. Very easy draw, nice cool smoke. The bowl is conical and about mediums sized. So far I'v smoked both Va's and English in it. Not sure where it will end up. Both smoked exceptionally well.
All in all a great pipe.
Thanks Kurt!
Kurt Huhn makes a nice pipe!
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KurtHuhn
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Thank you, sir! After reading a couple articles early on in my pipe carving endeavors, one by Greg Pease and one by another author I can't recall, I decided that I would never make a pipe that needed to be sent out for stem work. That last inch or so is critical to the smoking characteristics of a pipe.
I'm glad you like it. Spread the word!
I'm glad you like it. Spread the word!
hey Kurt, would you mind talking a little about how you flare the slit on the mouthpiece? Maybe post a pic of what Nick is talking about?
John
www.crosbypipes.com
www.crosbypipes.com
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KurtHuhn
- Site Admin
- Posts: 5326
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: United States/Rhode Island
What I do is very simple - but easy to screw up if you're impatient.
For factory molded stems, after I cut the tenon with the Pimo tool, I drill the stem with a 5/32" tapered bit from the tenon end as far as I can comfortably go while leaving enough material so that wall of the stem isn't too thin. I usually chuck the tapered bit in a Jacobs chuck on the lathe and do this part by hand - holding the stem in my right hand, and steadying it with my left. Like I mentioned, easy to screw up. I do it this way because I feel that I need the tactile feedback from the stem and bit to avoid cracking the stem, or busting it apart entirely. The tapered bit simply follows the path of least resistance - the pre-existing draught hole. If I'm using a hand-cut stem, I drill the whole thing through with a 1/16" bit before the tapered bit.
After that, I take the stem over to my flex-shaft tool with a 1/16" bit chucked in it, and I start flaring out the slot. For factory stems, this is easy, for handcut stems, I have to cut the slot first. The way I do it I just hold the stem in my left hand, set the flex-shaft tool on low speed (the lowest), insert the bit down the draught hole from the button end about 1" to 1-1/2" and draw it out while applying pressure in one direction or the other (side to side, along the slot). At the same time, I'm widening the slot slightly, and rounding it's sides so that it isn't square. What I'm doing is creating a flattened cone shape without any square edges.
After I have it widened as far as I can, I flare it from top to bottom slightly. Sometime I use the flex-shaft and an engraving bit for this, sometimes I use a set of needle files - that really depends on my mood at the time.
The goal is to get the airway to be the same volume, or greater volume, at the button as it is at the tenon. What I know of fluid dynamics dictates that the smoke will slow as it exits the stem, and cool at the same time. It will also spread over a greater area on the palate reducing the effect of hot smoke for folks that tend to smoke hot (like me) and allowing flavors to hit all over the place at once. Okay, that last bit is mostly theory, but it seems to work for me. For instance, I have a Peterson P-lip that I don't smoke much because it directs the air up into my hard palate in a narrow, concentrated stream that is very hot. I'm going to modify that stem one day, but for now I just don't smoke it much. The hole in the button is only about 1/16" round, and the air is compressed as it travels through. The draw is also pretty sucky - in my opinion.
I think you can make out the flared end here:
http://www.pipecrafter.com/pipeimages/scoop1-alt2.jpg
As soon as I get my computer up and running again (long story, in the midst of moving, borrowing my father-in-law's computer) I'll take some photos of a clear stem that illustrate how I construct the airway.
For factory molded stems, after I cut the tenon with the Pimo tool, I drill the stem with a 5/32" tapered bit from the tenon end as far as I can comfortably go while leaving enough material so that wall of the stem isn't too thin. I usually chuck the tapered bit in a Jacobs chuck on the lathe and do this part by hand - holding the stem in my right hand, and steadying it with my left. Like I mentioned, easy to screw up. I do it this way because I feel that I need the tactile feedback from the stem and bit to avoid cracking the stem, or busting it apart entirely. The tapered bit simply follows the path of least resistance - the pre-existing draught hole. If I'm using a hand-cut stem, I drill the whole thing through with a 1/16" bit before the tapered bit.
After that, I take the stem over to my flex-shaft tool with a 1/16" bit chucked in it, and I start flaring out the slot. For factory stems, this is easy, for handcut stems, I have to cut the slot first. The way I do it I just hold the stem in my left hand, set the flex-shaft tool on low speed (the lowest), insert the bit down the draught hole from the button end about 1" to 1-1/2" and draw it out while applying pressure in one direction or the other (side to side, along the slot). At the same time, I'm widening the slot slightly, and rounding it's sides so that it isn't square. What I'm doing is creating a flattened cone shape without any square edges.
After I have it widened as far as I can, I flare it from top to bottom slightly. Sometime I use the flex-shaft and an engraving bit for this, sometimes I use a set of needle files - that really depends on my mood at the time.
The goal is to get the airway to be the same volume, or greater volume, at the button as it is at the tenon. What I know of fluid dynamics dictates that the smoke will slow as it exits the stem, and cool at the same time. It will also spread over a greater area on the palate reducing the effect of hot smoke for folks that tend to smoke hot (like me) and allowing flavors to hit all over the place at once. Okay, that last bit is mostly theory, but it seems to work for me. For instance, I have a Peterson P-lip that I don't smoke much because it directs the air up into my hard palate in a narrow, concentrated stream that is very hot. I'm going to modify that stem one day, but for now I just don't smoke it much. The hole in the button is only about 1/16" round, and the air is compressed as it travels through. The draw is also pretty sucky - in my opinion.
I think you can make out the flared end here:
http://www.pipecrafter.com/pipeimages/scoop1-alt2.jpg
As soon as I get my computer up and running again (long story, in the midst of moving, borrowing my father-in-law's computer) I'll take some photos of a clear stem that illustrate how I construct the airway.