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OK, so I'm putting a little shank cap on a pipe to hide the way low gouge that the draft home made. I can either turn down the shank and fir a cap over that, or drill a shallow mortise and fit the cap with a small tenon. I have the pins and such, so i can do either really, but which is better?

I'm sure they're both fine really. The tenoned piece would completely hide the flaw, that's for sure, but it seems less stable. The turned shank sounds more stable, but it will show a touch of the flaw.

drat. gotta run

I like to fit the cap over a short tenon. That way the cap material just needs to be flat with a hole in it, which is easier and faster for me to accomplish than putting a tenon on the cap.

When you fellas are turning these tenons for caps and extensions and such, how are you measuring? Eyeballs and calipers? A 'turn-stop-measure-repeat' operation? Thanks

BeatusLiebowitz wrote:When you fellas are turning these tenons for caps and extensions and such, how are you measuring? Eyeballs and calipers? A 'turn-stop-measure-repeat' operation? Thanks

I drill the cap first so i have a pre-determined diameter then i turn an oversized tenon (after a while you get very good at judging sizes) then sneak up on the fina diameter using calipers and then when really close i use the cap itself as the guage, i aim for a nice sliding fit, not loose enough to wobble but not so tight that you have to force it on, you need room for glue etc.

Since I do all my stummel work on a wood lathe I use a forstner of the same size to mark a circle on the end of the shank that's the same size as the hole in the cap material. then using a cutoff tool I get it close and test fit. It usually only takes me a couple minutes for the entire operation once the cap material is drilled - the stressful part sometimes.

KurtHuhn wrote:Since I do all my stummel work on a wood lathe I use a forstner of the same size to mark a circle on the end of the shank that's the same size as the hole in the cap material. then using a cutoff tool I get it close and test fit. It usually only takes me a couple minutes for the entire operation once the cap material is drilled - the stressful part sometimes.

I use almost the exact same procedure. Using a forstner to essentially mark the diameter makes it easy to take the tenon down to close, and then finish it with a little trial and error and a careful, steady hand.

I'm still a CA fan instead of an epoxy fan. I think the smoker would need to be pretty abusive to the pipe to break the bond. *shrug*

BeatusLiebowitz wrote:When you fellas are turning these tenons for caps and extensions and such, how are you measuring? Eyeballs and calipers? A 'turn-stop-measure-repeat' operation? Thanks

Unbeknowst to most folks, your butt cheeks are really a set of very fine calipers. All it takes is a but..er bit of practice. So when I need a fine measurerment, i drop trow and squeeze the pipe between my cheeks. Viola .1875 inches.

Nick wrote:Unbeknowst to most folks, your butt cheeks are really a set of very fine calipers. All it takes is a but..er bit of practice. So when I need a fine measurerment, i drop trow and squeeze the pipe between my cheeks. Viola .1875 inches.

As usual, Nick, most of your input is clear and concise. I just don't see how violas come into it......

Yeesh! Obviosly you've never stuck a pipe between your butt cheeks. Otherwise you'd know!

Nick wrote:Yeesh! Obviosly you've never stuck a pipe between your butt cheeks. Otherwise you'd know!

Nick wrote:

BeatusLiebowitz wrote:When you fellas are turning these tenons for caps and extensions and such, how are you measuring? Eyeballs and calipers? A 'turn-stop-measure-repeat' operation? Thanks

Unbeknowst to most folks, your butt cheeks are really a set of very fine calipers. All it takes is a but..er bit of practice. So when I need a fine measurerment, i drop trow and squeeze the pipe between my cheeks. Viola .1875 inches.

You use your own cheeks? Here are my specially marked calipers:



The shaving maintenance of the sensor hairs on the tool is annoying, butt Viola!, it's accurate.

I just threw up my mouth a little.

Someone please pass the brain bleach.

Good Lord....first the assless chaps, now the straight up hairy ass? What in the world is happening around here...

I think I'll try to bring this discussion back on topic with an observation and perhaps a question. It seems to me there is more to this discussion than which method is the easiest to do. If we are talking about an offset/false mortise and covering up the draft hole slot at the bottom side of the mortise, using a cap on the outside of the shank will, in most cases, allow the new owner to use a drill bit or a straight tool to clean the gunk from the draft hole. Also, if he subscribes to the bigger draft hole is better school of thought he can drill a larger draft hole. On the other hand, using a cap with a tenon to fit inside the existing mortise has the effect of moving the exit end of the draft hole from the end of the shank to the bottom of the mortise hole. While the hole will still be at the center of the mortise and pipe cleaner with go through, it is now impossible to ever clean the draft hole with a straight tool such as a drill bit.

For straight shanks this argument about which to use doesn't apply but for bends where it is necessary to do a draft hole and mortise at angles, a cap ring on the outside of the shank doesn't obstruct the draft hole but a cap ring with a mortise does. For a few pipes a year or so ago, I used to drill my shank mortise at 1/2", turn a mortise on an end cap to fit that 1/2" and then drill the end cap to 5/16" and use a 5/16" mortise on my stem. This left the draft hole perfectly centered in the 5/16" mortise and totally obscured the slot made by the draft hole bit against the side of the shank mortise, it worked and looked great. I no longer do and haven't for a while simply because to do so forever blocks the draft hole from rigid cleaning tools.

I still do straights this way but when I work with a bent, I either go without a shank cap or make the shiny stuff part of the stem. Is my thinking fuzzy here or not?
bob

No Bob, you're right. As an example, I have a Savinelli Non Pareil, with that inch long "horn" (in this case lucite) mount for the stem. The shape is a 9604, which is their large oom paul! So I was VERY curious to see what kind of fucked up monstrosity this thing was inside, especially given that the owner said it passed a cleaner easy right to the bowl.

Well, the bottom part of the mount was a brass tube that obviously sleeved down into the draft hole of the pipe - the mount is literally a funnel shape, all told. So I don't even have any access to the original "mortise". It's buried inside the shank, but that's cool, cuz I have only nice smooth seamless airway. I thought it a good mount, and much, much better than I was expecting.

And yes, any of these methods are going to mean you can't use a totally rigid tool to clean a bent, but that's what those bristly cleaners are for (and put a little rum on them, and mix a rum and coke too).

I too have taken to making rings etc part of the stem for 2 reasons = 1, with my setup, it's much easier. 2, I find it relatively easier to shape the stummel (including drilling etc) with a shorter setup. It's tough to get the balance right - the first pipe I did with a ring NOT on the shank looked all screwy because the ring (or whatever) changes the apparent length of the stem!

kbadkar wrote:

Nick wrote:

BeatusLiebowitz wrote:When you fellas are turning these tenons for caps and extensions and such, how are you measuring? Eyeballs and calipers? A 'turn-stop-measure-repeat' operation? Thanks

Unbeknowst to most folks, your butt cheeks are really a set of very fine calipers. All it takes is a but..er bit of practice. So when I need a fine measurerment, i drop trow and squeeze the pipe between my cheeks. Viola .1875 inches.

You use your own cheeks? Here are my specially marked calipers:



The shaving maintenance of the sensor hairs on the tool is annoying, butt Viola!, it's accurate.

THAT IS THE HAIRIEST ASS I'VE EVER SEEN!!!!!

Especially on a woman.

Sasquatch wrote:Especially on a woman.

I knew she'd make a fine wife when I saw her tattoo. I can smoke Penzance in the bedroom.

You'd have to.

This is really a postmodern approach to pipe making techniques and troubleshoot ,but if it works for you gentlemen, i'll even use a shaved & tattooed ass if needed to get the work done .