5th pipe , 1st stem cut from rod.

[i.keenum]

Fifth pipe. Got a pipe kit from Tinsky with a blank 1" lucite rod he drilled for me, first time I have cut a stem from a blank. Got it to about 220 grit right not, I would be gratefull for any advice to tell me what I may need to change before I get too high on the sanding grades .









Thanks brothers!

[sandahlpipe]

Go ahead and finish it. If you see anything you would change, do it. If you get it sanded and see things need to be shaped more, go back and reshape then sand it. It's hard to critique a pipe that's not finished.


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[i.keenum]

Ok finished her up. Going for a dublin with a slightly uneven top with a little bark left and a squared off oval shank. I know the slot is a little off horizontal by about 1degrees or so and the bowl shank junction is a tad bit smaller than the rest of the shank but ready for anything else you guys notice. You guys can really give it to me now that it's complete, I'd really like some advice on my button work.

I learned two lessons during the project, I hate trying polish acrylic to a mirror finish (damn you micro scratches *shakes fist in air*) and nobody at lowes knows what dafuq they are doing.

Asked several people about buffing wheels and buffing compound and got deer in head light looks, they had 4 different models of bench grinder but apparently not crack for accessories. So I bought a little dremel buffing kit but the compound with it was too high grit to take out the scratches out from a 600grit wet sand. They didn't have anything then 600 either, going to try to a automotive store to get several higher grit grades then go at it with the dremel buffer again. It's pretty shiny but when you angle it in the light to get a reflection going you can see the little devils and the inner perfectionist wants them gone yesterday.

[sandahlpipe]

I'm afraid your pictures aren't showing up.

For tooling, you're going to be frustrated trying to find what you need at a hardware store. Much of what you need can be found at a store like Harbor Freight, but lots of the tooling you need, you'll need to either make yourself or ask Steve Norse if he has it. Even woodworking stores don't have all that I've needed. The Beale buffing system is really helpful. I order my sandpaper in bulk online. Get the best sandpaper you can. I typically use Klingspor, but there are others that do equally well.

There's a post on how to post pictures here on the forum. There's also a post about shining the crease behind the button that's going to be right up your alley. I'll hopefully get to critique your pipe once the pictures show up.

[i.keenum]

Hmmmm , I used the same way I posted the first pictures. Have them in gmail, I copy the image location and insert in between the Img link brackets. Do you see anything below my text?

[sandahlpipe]

Ah.

Gmail pictures are going to be visible only to you. Try putting the pictures in some kind of online photo storage and using that image location. The image below your last post didn't show up either.

[i.keenum]

Is there any pictures after my very first post up top? Edited posts with them saved at new location see them now?

[sandahlpipe]

Now the pictures are showing up. This isn't bad for a first hand cut stem from a rod. There's plenty of meat that can come off the stem still. Try shooting for 4mm behind the button. The button is also a bit on the thick side. When you're looking from the top, take off a little more material on the back side of the button and it will fit more comfortably in the mouth. Then go ahead and watch the demonstration on the thread of shining the crease behind the button. There are still sanding marks there, which will come off with 1000 grit or red tripoli and buffing. The shank is a little bit bowed, rather than straight. The shank/stem junction looks pretty good. The bowl is canted a little bit backwards. Next time, try drilling a straight pipe with a slightly (3 degrees) forward-canted bowl. If you wish to keep that angle, make a gentle curve in the shank to make it flow better.

The edges of your diamond shank could be more defined. Take your time and sand those surfaces carefully. Diamond shanks are hard to pull off.

The grain on this pipe has a lot of bald spots. I would recommend sandblasting or rusticating it.

Nice work overall. I hope you make more and look forward to seeing what you make!

[i.keenum]

Thanks for the advice! I'm going to get more sandpaper today if I get a chance after work and work it up to 1000 and buffing. I didn't drill this piece myself I'm still getting kits as of now , you think a slight bend in the stem would better offset the cant?

[sandahlpipe]

I think if your buffing setup is less than ideal, you may even be better off with 1500 or 2000 grit. A good wet sand with 2000 grit pretty much eliminates the need for me to buff with red tripoli.

As for the slight bend in the stem, I wouldn't do that with the way you have it drilled. A bend in the stem makes sense when there's something in the shank to balance it (i.e. a curve in the opposite direction). To do that properly, you'd need to drill your mortise at a slightly upward angle. For starting off, I think it's much simpler to drill your mortise in line and cant the bowl slightly forward. But all this is for your next one.

Keep it up!