pipemakersforum.com

I don't believe anyone ever gets 'there', by definition it is just beyond reach. The impulse to create is what will drive the technical and aesthetic progress. I think each pipe for every carver is progress in that regard. I agree every pipe can and should be a learning experience and some kind of ...

I think the word copying is not a negative in this respect, btw. It's not copying to make a duplicate or take from the original maker. It's a form of study. If you want to learn how to make a skull, you can get someone to describe it to you or you can look at a picture yourself. One is better and mo...

If my Upshall billiard looks more like a Morcoli freestyle... uh, did I learn anything? Do I still get credit for it? :wink: While it's true that a great chasm requires a great leap; it can not be crossed in several small jumps, a staircase is a lot easier than simply trying to jump to the 7th or 8t...

You can also use a pin gauge set. Face the first side, cut it off, stick it on the right sized chucked up pin, and face the other side. Rad You mean like wedge it on? If the part is thin (1/4 inch if I remember) do you think machining against that would still work? Maybe have a dowel on there behin...

Hi, What Mr. Howell said makes sense to me and sounds like a fine solution. One of the benefits of his method (verses mine, which I'll get to) is that if it ends up FUBAR, you only loose the part you are working on. The method below commits you and you have to take it apart to try again. I do not ha...

By the way, maybe I could get some feedback on some of my pipe-work you now have. The bowl coating. Ironically, I guess the best review I can get of that is, you did not even notice it. :lol: The bowl coating is very nicely done. To be honest, I didn't even even notice it, so I'd say that's good! :...

Hi, Interesting work. Usually I do not care for partial smooth & rusticated finishes, but there are a few examples where I've liked it. For me it needs to be placed with a purpose and reason, rather than appearing to be random. Some of yours seem to be carved with and eye towards advancing a des...

... After you drill as Jack explained with the tapered bit, just go back into the same hole with the 1/16 bit and finish drilling through. Exactly. This is how I start also. Once the rod is in the chuck I try not to remove it until all lathe work is done. Measure and mark the rod and/or bits (I usu...

Hi, Here is my latest. I'm not sure about the shape exactly and what -or- if to stain it. http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w228/Souljer_album/Pipe016xComposite.jpg The shank was a lot thicker at the bowl/shank and I've already thinned it down, but was wondering if others had an opinion on if it's ...

I can send it in the original Photoshop format. However you'll of course need Photoshop to read it. Also 4 x 6 seems kinda small to read all that text especially from a jpeg. The jpeg version was just because I was putting it on the web. You could try printing it 8.5 x 11. That might help even thoug...

Hello, Here is a small poster I had made for this a while ago. However I thought my fellow pipe makers deserved the credit for what they did, but I had forgotten who did what, so Scott's post helped me out with that. Thanx pal! :) http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w228/Souljer_album/Pipe-Makers-Pip...

All my bits are acrylic. Never heard of or experienced that. Do you know if that acrylic was cast or extruded? If you have other acrylic rod around (not the same batch), I would make another stem and see how you feel about drawing through that. Don't wait days or even hours after completing it thoug...

Thanks for that Kurt, but I hope you understand that I was not directing my post and you or anyone in particular.

I was just stating my experience in contrast to what was previously posted.

I know you and Mr. T and everyone else is busy having a life.
So am I.

First off Tyler, that's a fine looking pipe. Obviously you know it better than anyone can from just looking at a few photos, but it looks nice to me. Yes it's obviously a simpler, earlier piece but it's not as bad as you make it sound. I wish I had access to a blasting rig. If you feel strongly abou...

I use the same idea but with graphite powder. Just dip the tenon in and then insert into the mortise. You'll see a grey shiny spot where the parts are rubbing. If you think the problem is not in the mortise but up by the shank face, then just apply a little to the shank face and see where the parts ...

You'll notice that the sharp edges of your pipes are lacking in stain. You're buffing these edges too hard. Idea... don't approach the edges with a fresh load of tripoli? ie; after applying the trip to the wheel, only do the broad surfaces until most of the triploi is gone before venturing toward t...

Hi, I like it. It's different but very nice in my humble opinion. I like the symmetry of the grain and the detail of the shank on the bottom of the bowl. The way the stem is sort of fat and tapers down the the bit is very nice and smooth like the rest of the pipe. A saddle bit would not be as good h...

Excellent idea JH! For a while I was working in my kitchen and I would do most of my grinding and sanding work over the sink by a window. I just put a little turbo fan in the window pointing outwards. When I positioned myself and the fan correctly I could see the sawdust being pulled away from me an...

Hi all, Years ago I got in the habit of working in stages, but I was doing large paintings for paying clients. So there was the Profit = Effort - Time formula to deal with, with variables of course. That way of approaching jobs or work has sort of stuck with me since. So I tend to work on several pi...

Please don't spot or fully rusticate that. I agree with Jeff and Tyler. If you can't hang on to it until you can sandblast it somewhere and you don't want to just do a dark high-contrast stain, then just leave it alone for now. Comeback to it when you can do it right. Or sell it to me as-is. I'll ha...