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You can also square the shank with some sandpaper and a flat surface. Simply place the sandpaper on a flat surface (I use my kitchen table), and hold the shank face against the paper and pull it toward you. You will need to apply more pressure on the area of the shank that it touching the stem first...

Kirk,

Please e-mail me off-board and explain the difficulties you had. There shouldn't be any lag between creating a user name and receiving the e-mail that activates it. It ought to be essentially instantaneous. If it was not, I need to find out why.

Thanks, and welcome to the forum!

Tyler

Honestly Jeff, I've never shellaced a rusticated pipe. Here's how I expect I would do it: stain -- I like the stain a little uneven plastic brush wheel to polish the rusticated area shellac wax -- melt a little on top with the heat gun. This step might be unnessecary. I don't know since I have never...

Oops! Until I read ArtGuy's message I don't notice carnauba in your list!

You won't find that at Home Depot.

Sorry!

Tyler

You can buy it all locally at a Home Depot.

As for the shellac. I would not recommend that for your first pipes. It is not easy to apply well, and is a detail that can be added later. One can get a VERY nice finish without the shellac.

Best,
Tyler

Jeff, Don't buff with a rusticated piece. It'll make a mess! It packs all the crevices and nooks with compound and is a bear to get out. (Don't ask me how I know that. :D ) The reason shellac came up in the rustication thread is the very reason that it is so hard to get a shine on the rustication wi...

ArtGuy,

I have used brown tripoli in the past, but lately I have not used it. I haven't noticed it missing in the qualilty of the finish.

Tyler

Tony, If I could jump in, I have some black Delrin here at the house. It is a plastic that it very strong and has a slippery feel. It is often used for tenons for more fragile stem materials such as acrylic. Obviously, I can show you the black Delrin I have when you come down to visit in a few weeks...

LOL!

Sorry, this place is supposed to help!

Here is how to finish:

• Sand to the highest grit you desire.
  Stain
  Buff with white compound
  Shellac <-- extra, and controversial step
  Buff with white compound
  Buff with carnauba
  Buff with a clean, dry buff

Hope that helps.

Tyler

Let me add to Ken's comments that he provided me with some wonderful customer service. I had trouble with a bit -- through NO fault of Ken's -- and he spent consderable time and effort to make it right for me. One of the best things that comes with Ken's bits is Ken! Yes, they are expensive, but you...

Jeff, Glad you were able to get it fixed. The toughest spot to rusticate is the area on the bowl just above the shank. I get it as best I can with the tool, then use hand chisels to rusticate what I couldn't reach. As for a sharp transition between rusticated and smooth surfaces, I again use hand ch...

Well it didn't take long for THE question to come out! :D I'll give the best answer I have: I don't know. I can offer some pointers though, and I look forward to hearing the thoughts of others. I do think there is a little more forgiveness in this area than one might suspect. If your prices are slig...

I don't get a 1" belt sander in there, I get a 5" disc in there. :D I don't use the belt sander for shaping the stummel, I use a disc chucked up in my Delta Midi lathe. I cannot fully complete the junction, but I can get it to the point that I use the smaller tools to fine tune by hand. To...

In the thread Spade Bits , I was prompted to think about the how's, when's, and why's of beginning the process of selling one's work. If you have already "gone pro," what advice would you have for the guys that are thinking about it? For those of you that are thinking about it, what questi...

LOL! An unlimited budget, I most certainly do not have! :D What I do have is a source of pipe income. I also bought them before Ken was up to his current prices. It was still expensive though! This brings up an intereting question about pipe making. When and how to start selling your work. For me, i...

Way to go Jeff! I envy you your posse of friends that are interested in pipe making with you. I am pretty much all alone out here in West Texas. I do have one friend that I have taught how to make pipes, but we are both busy and don't share many other aspects of life that brings us into contact with...

Jeff,

In my tool the nails don't move at all. They are locked in there VERY solidly. If you cannot get the compression fitting to lock down tightly enough, you might stick a finish nail or two down into the concrete nails to tighten things up.

Tyler

Ah, OK.

I guess that is what I have.

As I said, Ken Lamb ground them for me. He uses a CNC grinder to get them perfectly symmetrical and very sharp.

Tyler

I get pretty close to final shape for the shank/bowl junction on the sanding disc. I fine tune with files and sand paper.

This is a CRITICAL area of the pipe. IMO, nothing says clunky pipe more than poor shank/bowl transition.

Tyler

Since I own the Jet/Delta mini/midi lathe, I can't argue with the wisdom of buying that tool. :D I will mention though, that it is basically of no value for stems. Since we are in the stem section, and based on the fact that we have scared Jeff to death about the Pimo tool, I figure that he is more ...