My Second Pipe

ScoJo · Post by **ScoJo** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 6:18 pm

And the first pipe that I drilled is in my album:

http://www.tylerlanepipes.com/modules.p ... &cat=10127

Please comment if you get a chance to look.

Hey, when you are first starting out, you don't throw anything away. When I ordered some briar from Mark Tinsky, he included two freebie "junk" blocks that he said I could use to practice drilling. The first one was very small, and because of internal cracks it never became a pipe. But it is thrown in a drawer - to use for practicing staining. The second one was a plateaux block (the rest of the briar I got was not plateaux). It was a junker because of a pretty large crack (see the picture).

In order to try to get a pipe from it, I flipped it upside down as you can see in the picture. You can probably also see the HUGE mortise in the pipe that I got from drilling the pipe the wrong way and getting some chatter in the bit. I also had some problems turning the tenon. It's a little rough (I don't think the tool was sharp enough). It also fits a little loose in that huge mortise. Anyway, this is what I am in the process of making as my second briar pipe (and the first that I drilled). I didn't finish it yet - I stained it then sanded it to get rid of some low spots, and I have hit it with a tripoli wheel.

Okay, so the left side is pretty ugly. The whole thing should have probably been tossed or at least rusticated. But since I am cheap and I don't have anything to rusticate pipes with yet, there it is. I still have some sanding on the stem and shank to do to improve the fit, and like I said the tenon is a bit of a mess and the fit is too loose. But I learned a lot on this pipe and on the first drilling attempt before this one, so I am happy. Unfortunately I kept trying to sand past the internal cracks in the first block, so now all I have is a tiny lumpy block that still has cracks in it. Finally had to give up and move on (another important lesson for me!).

Just thought I would share. I'd love to hear tips from real pipemakers out there on how to reduce chatter and not get huge holes when drilling and how to get a nice smooth tenon turned (I actually ended up scrapping my first stem too since, well, let's just say the tenon didn't survive!) - LOL.

-Scott

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 7:04 pm

Hi Scott,

That's not at all a bad looking pipe! You seem to know where you went wrong, and that's important.

Your shank/stem join needs to be smoother, and in the overhead shot, the entire bowl looks like it's rotated clockwise just slightly, but other than those, it's a nice shape and nicely done. Great second pipe!

How are you drilling your mortise that you get so much chatter? Are you cutting your tenon on a tenon cutter or lathe?

Rad

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:02 am

Pretty nice piece buddy. Nice birdseye on the bottom and front! Keep practicing. What's really cool as you make a few more pipes you can see improvewment in each one.

Keep it up!

ScoJo · Post by **ScoJo** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:48 am

RadDavis wrote: How are you drilling your mortise that you get so much chatter? Are you cutting your tenon on a tenon cutter or lathe?

Well, not sure about the mortise. I drilled the draft hole first, then the mortise (looking at the pipe I should have changed the angle and not made these both before removing the block from the chuck). I drill on a lathe. I used a brad point bit for the mortise. From what I have been told since then it may be bad if using a brad point bit to have a pilot hole (which I guess the draft hole becomes if they are drilled in this order). Does this increase the chatter?

Tenon cutting was done on a lathe - I used the cutting tool as I received it - do these need to be honed first?

Any tips for tightening up the fit? I would like to sand out the tenon, but I guess this will just make the fit even looser if I don't have a way to tighten it afterward.

I noticed too what you mentioned about the shape of the bowl from the top - I think it is just a bit too thick on the top right and bottom left in that shot. It was worse at one point, and at the point in the picture I just relegated that one to "I'll do better next time" status. Got kinda tired of tweaking.

Thanks for the input!

ScoJo · Post by **ScoJo** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 11:05 am

One more thing. While turning the tenon, I ended up getting large deep gouges in the button of the pre-formed stem (two on the top and two on the bottom) from the chuck on the lathe. Any tips for avoiding this? Thanks.

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 12:46 pm

Does this increase the chatter?

I don't know about that. I use a regular 9/32 bit and drill on a press. I also drill the mortise first, and I've never had any chatter while drilling. I also drill my tobacco chambers with modified silver & demming bits.

Tenon cutting was done on a lathe - I used the cutting tool as I received it - do these need to be honed first?

Probably. What kind of tool is it? I use HSS and sharpen it on a bench grinder. I tried one of those cobalt tipped ones that came with my lathe, and I couldn't get it sharp enough to cut vulcanite cleanly. I think you need some kind of special wheel to grind that stuff. My bench grinder wouldn't touch it.

Any tips for tightening up the fit?

If it's not too loose, you can heat the tenon with a match or lighter and stick an ice pick in the hole to expand the tenon. If it gets too big, just reheat till it returns to it original size and try again.

One more thing. While turning the tenon, I ended up getting large deep gouges in the button of the pre-formed stem (two on the top and two on the bottom) from the chuck on the lathe. Any tips for avoiding this?

If it's vulcanite, put some heat over the gouges with a heat gun or flame, and they'll pop right back up. Chuck marks can't be avoided on preformed stems, as far as I can tell.

If you sand them out, and heat the stem later for bending, they can come back as bumps in the stem rather than gouges. (PIA) Vulcanite has great memory, and will return to its original shape when heated.

I have to thank Jack Howell for leading me to this discovery about chuck marks. He posted on ASP about getting a ding out of a dropped stem on one of his finished pipes by heating it till the ding smoothed back out. I though, "Hmmmmm...... I'll bet that'll get rid of chuck marks." Works great! With hand cut stems, chuck marks are not as much of a concern.

Hope all this helps,

Rad

ScoJo · Post by **ScoJo** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 9:42 am

RadDavis wrote: If it's vulcanite, put some heat over the gouges with a heat gun or flame, and they'll pop right back up.
Rad

Wow - thanks, Rad! Those chuck marks were DEEP. And this trick REALLY works! I was shocked to see those deep marks nearly disappear completely with a few seconds over my Old Boy. Unbelievable. Thanks again.

Next to try tightening up that mortise/tenon fit. It seems to be getting worse just with time - strange.

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 11:55 am

You're welcome, Scott.

Glad that little trick worked for you!

Rad

Post by **Tyler** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 1:34 pm

ScoJo wrote:Next to try tightening up that mortise/tenon fit. It seems to be getting worse just with time - strange.

After being drilled, it is not uncommon for the mortise to "move" a bit as it cools from the drilling and possibly dries some now that the deeper portions of the blocks are being exposed to air. It is not usually feasible as a new carver, but drilling blocks then letting them set for a few weeks before fitting a stem/rod really helps with a definite, solid tenon fit.

Tyler

ArtGuy · Post by **ArtGuy** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 5:15 pm

ScoJo wrote:One more thing. While turning the tenon, I ended up getting large deep gouges in the button of the pre-formed stem (two on the top and two on the bottom) from the chuck on the lathe. Any tips for avoiding this? Thanks.

Wrap the end of the stem with several layers of masking tape.

Also, if you are using a brad point drill, make the mortise first then the airhole. The brad points are made to be used without a pilot hole. I ruined 3 blocks before a furniture designer buddy of mine walked into my shop briefly looked around at my tooling, picks up a brad point drill and says "These are really nice but don't use a pilot hole or they will chatter and make an oversized hole" He had been there all of about 5 minutes.

I thought, sheesh. Why couldn't you have come buy 2 days ago

stdly · Post by **stdly** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:33 pm

Scott,
Nice job and lots of good advice!

For my mortis I use a 4 flute end mill in the lathe or in the drill press. No chatter and a perfectly flat bottom with or without draft hole. A 2 flute slot drill will work as well but the 4 flute chatters less.