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Hey guys, this is my first time trying to make a pipe and I love it. I know there are so many things wrong with it but it's hard for me to really see what to do. I made this pipe for my older brother as a gift for his Bachelor party. I think it's a free-hand (not sure about terminology still). I was too nervous to attempt a more traditional pipe. Next time.





Hmm, how do I get my pictures to show up?

Best thing to do is upload them to a site like servimg.com then copy and paste the link they provide into your post using the "Img" button. If you use servimg.com, you can also just copy and paste the "thumbnail" link they have directly into the post body.

Oh, BTW... Welcome to the forum!

did you host them on another site like photobucket first?

rev

Thanks guys,

Ya I put them up on Photobucket and then hit the Img button and pasted the link URL between the two (Img) brackets. I thought I did it according to what the FAQ sections said. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Josh

You used the wrong img code.

On the image links bar, click the 5th one down- that's what you want methinks.

I am just a beginner myself, so I won't critique you, but you said that you know there is a lot wrong with it...

so tell me what you think is wrong with it?

Tell me what you wish you would have done?

rev

Rev=pipe-shrink

Ahahahaha

That's me

Rev

The Smoking Yeti wrote:Rev=pipe-shrink

... 'cause the pipe shrunk... hah hah... hah hah...

This type of pipe is very hard to critique because it doesn't really follow any established shape guidelines. You'll end up getting responses from some who like the freehand style and others who do not and that's more subjective and less helpful in developing your skills. That being said (and keep in mind that I'm not a freehand pipe kinda guy) the shape idea needs to be refined and the concept developed further. It's a bit amorphous as it is. The finish is dull and you could have contrasted the nice grain better. The stem appears to be an afterthought in the design. It also has a very rough finish. Preformed stems aren't ready to go right out of the box. You still have to sand and buff them up as well and clean up the mold flash inside the airway as well as the outside of the pipe at the very least. I also find them to be very poorly drilled so I re-drill the tapered end then re-slot the bit end.

Where you go from here depends on your end goals. If you just want to goof around and make pipes that you and your friends can smoke then you're doing fine. If you intend to improve your skills to eventually sell what you make then I would suggest making a more traditional shape to get better feedback on how you can improve.

What Wayne says is good.

I'd say for sure its good to start on a pretty simple level and progress. Learning the basics will allow you to excel in more "out there" designs. I think it's hard to critique a first pipe, my best bit of advice is to try a classic shape. Find a classic shape you like, and try to emulate it!

As seems to be the slogan round here- "Make 50 more".

I second what Wayne said but i see a potential in this briar maybe you can start over and make an acorn pipe out of it.
First thing is remove that bullet hole you made with band saw and then belt sand the shank i hope this helps as i am a beginner also and have lots of trouble making classic shapes myself.
Sincerely:UniqueBriar/Pedro.

Your photos aren't showing up because you put a link to a page in the img code instead of a link to a photo. You used:

http://s1338.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... sort=3&o=0

You should have used:

http://i1338.photobucket.com/albums/o69 ... 121535.jpg

On the page with the photo, there is actually a thing called "Image Links". In there you can cut and paste the link to the actual image with the img tags already in place.

I'm guessing by the finish, you don't have a buffing motor or wheels. You can actually get a better looking finish by using 0000 steel wool - and a lot of elbow grease.

About the best you can do with the stem, without a buffing wheel, is sand it in finer and finer grits, getting all the mold lines sanded out, the final sanding might be with wet/dry 1000 grit under running water. Then a touch of olive oil. It won't shine like glass, but will have a nice lustre.

Like mentioned above - it's nearly impossible to really critique a shape that has no rules. The only thing that can be commented on is what is left - the finish.