first pipe

[chewbroccoli]

first post and my first pipe. I usually smoke a little poker pipe but I didn't like how the tobacco chamber ended so much lower than where the stem connected, I find it less pleasant to smoke once it gets below the stem. the original idea was to just make a new pipe body and re-use the stem from my poker pipe. I didn't keep the stem attached when I was finish sanding and staining/shellac-ing so it ended up too thing to use that stem so I made my own out of a lilac branch.

the pipe was finished with medium walnut stain and amber shellac, the stem with some olive oil. I used a mixture of charcoal and honey to coat the bowl. The pipe body is just made from a spruce 2x4 so i figure it won't last very long and the coating might help it last a bit longer?

here's a picture of it with my poker:


profile:


top view:

kinda funky with the stem/shank being a pinch point and not a great joint

bottom view:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/e560e4af1f98 ... 4_1280.jpg

front view:


back view: (blurry)


hopefully I'll get a chance to smoke it tomorrow. hopefully this is the first and least of many more pipes! any and all comments/criticism is appreciated. it was kind of a weird project, I would have done it differently if I didn't start out trying to use the stem from my poker. I found the most difficult part to be drilling the small hole in the stem, my bit kept wandering and either coming too close to the edge of the blocks I was drilling or right out the side. I ended up drilling through the center of a branch section so the bit would travel mostly straight. the link below shows my stem making process. any advice on getting a straight hole with such a small bit?

http://onemanwookie.tumblr.com/post/507 ... or-my-pipe

I used a drill press for my holes. My tools are all at my parents so I used a belt sander and band saw to rough shape the pipe, but had to use only a knife, a file and some sandpaper for the stem.

hopefully my next one turns out better!

[mcgregorpipes]

hey its a first pipe, for advice I would say you'll find using different materials will make the biggest difference for drilling and shaping, and of course practice. spruce is super soft and can be hard to drill a clean hole through, and lilac is super hard stuff must have been interesting carving a stem from it.

[Rodneywt1180b]

First off, Welcome aboard!
I've only made a couple pipes myself so cannot give you a good critique on your pipe. It's not bad for a first pipe, prettier than my first anyway. Also you did a nice job shaping the stem. Hopefully someone with experience will chime in soon.

I would avoid the conifers in general-too resinous- and stick with food safe hardwoods. Briar is best but it's possible to make very nice pipes out of other woods as well. Any of the fruit woods are good like cherry, apple, etc or pretty much any food safe hardwood are good with the possible exceptions of oak and walnut. I wouldn't trust them. Also what I'm learning the hard way is with pipes made from woods other than briar it's a good idea to make the walls a little thicker than you would otherwise.

What are your goals for pipe making? Knowing that may help with the advice you're given. If you want to make really good looking pipes it's suggested that you start with a classic shape like the Billiard because it's a well defined shape and is easy to critique. That's what I'm doing. Pipe #3 will be a billiard made from flowering plum if it turns out. Even staying with the classic shapes there's a lot of room for individual creativity. Another thing I've been doing is reading thru the gallery and reading critiques on other people's pipes. It's helping me understand a lot more about what makes a good pipe.

As far as the drilling goes, try putting more of the bit in the chuck at first if you can. It'll help stiffen the bit some. Back out and clear your chips often. Airways are recommended to be somewhere in the 9/64" to 11/64" range for a good draw.

Rodney

[Literaryworkshop]

Welcome to the forum!

So long as your draft hole and your chamber meet correctly, your new pipe is sure to smoke better than your old pipe.

The critiques above are spot-on. I, too, would recommend doing your next pipe in whatever fine-grained hardwood you can get your hands on. Cherry is an ideal practice wood if you can find some thick enough.

Stem work is the hardest part of pipe making, IMO. I'm impressed that you managed to make your own. Next time around, I would recommend buying whatever stem you want from somebody who will turn a tenon on it for you. Then you'll be able to focus on shaping the bowl and stummel. The bowl shape really isn't bad, but it could be more refined. A sharper edge around the top would be a great start. Also, with a straight pipe like this, the bottom of the pipe should be a straight line from the stem to the bottom of the bowl with no dips or sags. That gives the pipe a light, clean look. Finally, the bowl/stummel transition should be sharper and more consistent. I use a chainsaw file on mine, and it works pretty darn well.

You've done well for the limited tools you have. If I were you, I'd get myself a good half-round rasp next. Not a rasp-shaped object from the home center, though. Those don't cut worth a darn. You can get better stuff mail-order from companies like Lee Valley, Tools for Working Wood, and Highland Woodworking. You're looking for either a hand-stitched rasp or a float (sometimes called a "carving file.") Be prepared for a little sticker shock, but you can find good, affordable tools if you look.

[chewbroccoli]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

I would not use spruce again. I only smoked it once and I think the pipe burned almost as much as the tobacco. I think it was a fun experiment but more a remotely pipe shaped object rather than an actual pipe =P

I'm a "starving" grad student at the moment so I'm basically just using whatever I can get my hands on for raw materials. my uncle has a bunch of lilac from the tree in his back yard. there's some pieces that are a couple years old now. if I can find a suitable piece that's not cracked I'm hoping to try a lilac billiard next. lilac is a relative of olive and I've seen a couple olive wood pipes on here. My father in law cut down his little apple tree this year so I might be able to snag a chunk of that too.

how do you get the opening of your stem at the mouth to be such perfect rectangles? I have some needle files but mine still ended up an oval.

My goals for pipe making... I'm not sure! I love woodworking and pipes are something I can work on at home with a bit of prep at my parents, they're a usable item, there's lots of shapes to try and they can be very beautiful! I would say my goal is to make some good looking, nice smoking pipes!

[wisemanpipes]

check out latakialover aka George's post on S.E. Thiles site about pipe making. theres lots of neat tricks including how to get a perfect rectangular slot. (dremel part #199)

[chewbroccoli]

where is S.E.? I like the dremel bit in the drill press idea with the crazy sliding vises. a vice like that would be awesome! I think I'll have to freehand the slot with a dremel bit when I do it.

I got a piece of lilac from my uncle to try with, as well as a smaller (maybe ~2" diameter) branch of nanking cherry to try. I think I'd like to try a billiard out of the cherry, if that goes well then maybe try a bulldog out of the lilac. any suggestions on a nice small billiard shape I could use as a reference?