How bad is this rookie mistake?

[TimGeorge]

On my latest pipe, which looks pretty good from the outside, I somehow ended up with a mortise in the shank which is not centered, and looks something like the below drawing with the stem removed: Doh! Assuming it is otherwise fine, looks okay and smokes good, could you pass that off as a "design choice"?

[KurtHuhn]

There's this myth that shanks must be perfectly concentric with the mortis, and it's a crock. How does the pipe look? Does it look good otherwise, or does it actually appear to be lopsided? That's the true measure, not whether the mortis is perfectly centered.

[Nick]

you can always sand more off the otom

[TimGeorge]

Thanks, Kurt. I feel better now. I'll post a picture when I get a chance to take one. Nick, too thin at this point to take more off. My attempt at drawing is not too great.

[RadDavis]

There's this myth that shanks must be perfectly concentric with the mortis, and it's a crock. How does the pipe look? Does it look good otherwise, or does it actually appear to be lopsided? That's the true measure, not whether the mortis is perfectly centered.

I wouldn't call it a crock. if the shank is asymmetrical, then fine, but if the shank is round, it looks awfully nice to have the mortise at the center of it.

It's not going to affect smoking, and maybe not the overall look of the pipe. It's just one of those "attention to detail" things.

Rad

[flix]

Do you think all so-called High-Grades have the mortise centered?

[ToddJohnson]

There's this myth that shanks must be perfectly concentric with the mortis, and it's a crock. How does the pipe look? Does it look good otherwise, or does it actually appear to be lopsided? That's the true measure, not whether the mortis is perfectly centered.

I wouldn't call it a crock. if the shank is asymmetrical, then fine, but if the shank is round, it looks awfully nice to have the mortise at the center of it.

It's not going to affect smoking, and maybe not the overall look of the pipe. It's just one of those "attention to detail" things.

Rad

Agreed. If the shank is round and the pipe is supposed to be symmetrical, then the mortise should be at its center. Scratches in the finish don't affect the way a pipe feels or looks either--unless you're holding it 3 inches from your face--but that doesn't mean you shouldn't bother to take them out. I would go one step further than Rad and say this is a matter of "attention to substance," rather than just attention to detail. Detail would be making sure that the shank face is stained but the countersink is not.

Best,

Monk . . . errr . . Todd

[KurtHuhn]

Well, yes - I suppose "crock" would be a strong word. However, one or both of you just contradicted earlier advice you previously gave.

I agree it looks nice, and is part of attention to detail. There's no arguing that. But is it a requirement for a newbie to be concerned about, or should they be simply trying to make a good looking pipe? In this situation I say, don't worry about it, and be more aware of it in the future. It will eventually solve itself with practice anyway.

As far as how to avoid it, I suggest giving the stem a couple 180-degree twists as you're shaping and sanding. Aside from turning both simultaneously on a lathe, that's probably the best way to maintain concentricity.

[SimeonTurner]

Detail would be making sure that the shank face is stained but the countersink is not.

I kinda like to stain the whole mortise, countersink and all. Is that not DHPM code approved?

[ckr]

Pass it off as a design choice. Works all the time.

[FredS]

Using an eccentric mortise on a straight pipe eliminates the need to stamp "Top" on your stem. Stems of pipes with concentric mortises must be marked so the smoker knows which way the stem goes in so they can assemble the pipe correctly. An eccentric mortise makes the proper orientation readily evident.

[kkendall]

As far as how to avoid it, I suggest giving the stem a couple 180-degree twists as you're shaping and sanding. Aside from turning both simultaneously on a lathe, that's probably the best way to maintain concentricity.

Bingo.

[flix]

Using an eccentric mortise on a straight pipe eliminates the need to stamp "Top" on your stem. [snip]

It's a feature, not a defect!

[RadDavis]

Detail would be making sure that the shank face is stained but the countersink is not.

Pfffft!

Rad

[TimGeorge]

Thanks, everyone. Just to follow up, here is a picture of the pipe in question. In my rookie opinion, the off-center mortise looks fine in the oval shaped stem pictured above, but not really in a round one like this. Oh, well. Glad to have sparked an interesting discussion at least.

[T3pipes]

The main issue I had when getting an off center mortise (I just started doing the rotation thing recently), is having an off centered stem. When you look down the length of the pipe it can be really obvious if it is a side-to-side, the stem tended to look bent or have non-parallel sides.

[Mike Messer]

... Detail would be making sure that the shank face is stained but the countersink is not.
...
Todd

I've noticed that about some of your pipes. Why do you not stain the countersink, even the indented center face of the shank I noticed in the Samarai Volcano?
Is this a stylistic technique for aesthetic purposes, or to avoid contamination of the smoke path with chemicals as much as posible, or what?

P.S. I really love that "bidet" pipe on your blog. Very cool, and the three, bent, plateau top, pokers (right?), Christmas pipes, with the bakelite stems. Very nice. I was wondering, is the bakelite streaked with color or is that a light reflection I'm seeing in the images?
M.M.

[RadDavis]

I've noticed that about some of your pipes. Why do you not stain the countersink, even the indented center face of the shank I noticed in the Samarai Volcano?
Is this to avoid contamination of the smoke path with chemicals as much as posible?

Todd just does this to show off.

Rad

[Nick]

Don't worry Rad. We all love you too. Just not the same way we love Todd.

[RadDavis]

Nick,

I'm very tolerant in my views. I see nothing wrong with the way you love Todd.

Rad