pipemakersforum.com

Sent you an email Chris. Let me know if you haven't received it

Hi folks. Been a while since I've been around here. A house move has made me clear out the shed and I'm now looking to offload a load of the old pipe making stuff. I've got a never-used set of the Steve Greathouse Jaws, compatible with Oneway chucks. If you're in the UK, they're yours for £15 includ...

I don't really understand your question. If you can drill the airway, why would you have a problem drilling the mortise and facing the shank? Could you clarify your question? Thanks for your reply, and sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I free drill my airways using a laser line to ensure ...

I made my first sale last week. Factoring in material costs, I probably earned myself £2 an hour from this one, but everyone's got to start somewhere I guess! Obviously there's no hand-cut stem and all that jazz but I'm pleased with how it turned out. I would appreciate all criticisms, however harsh...

Thank you all. Once again the willingness of members on here to divulge pearls of wisdom amazes me.

Always finish the pipe completely before laser engraving - it's a true PIA to poke carnuba and stuff out of the engraving ... and will necessarily result in scratches. Jens Thanks - My only concern was that the laser may do funny things to the shellac. The pipe is finished but for the stamp/engravi...

Anything to be careful of? I'm concerned that the laser may crack the shellac a wee bit.

caskwith wrote:Totally fine dont worry about it.

Great, thanks Chris.

Whats the price difference. I have often found that floor standing models are better value than bench mounted and if I had to buy a new one I would likely buy a floor standing model and cut it down to fit on a bench. Floor mounted is no more expensive than the bench ones, but it lacks a little in t...

Over here in the UK, methylated spirits are sold with a dye in them. Is this ok to use as a solvent for shellac, colour-wise and health-wise?

Hi there - I'm looking into buying a drill press/pillar drill. Of the three option I am looking at, one has chuck to table distance of 310mm, one is 350mm and the other option is a floor-standing with double the space. Common sense says just get the floor-standing, but my space is limited, and to ge...

Hi there - a friend who manages a local B&M has enquired about me making some pipes for his shop to sell under their name. As a rank amateur it takes me far too long to put together a pipe, so it wouldn't be cost-effective for me or him. I was looking into using pre-turned bowls, but most that I...

andrew wrote:There is no need for wax if you are using shellac. The wax may cause the shellac to come off easily. Picture waxing a car and then clear coating it. Not good.

I didn't intend to shellac it originally. Thought the carnauba would do alright on its own.

Hi there - I'm just finishing up a rusticated pipe. I waxed it with carnauba, but unsurprisingly the wax didn't make it into the deeper bits of the rustication so the finish is matte in places. Would it be OK to apply shellac on top of the wax so I can get an even shine?

Great replies, thanks chaps. Glad I know what throat is now!

Hi there - I am looking at getting a new pillar drill/drill press. Been looking online and am a bit confused by some of the technical jargon. What are chuck travel and throat? I want to make sure that I can lower the table enough that I can fit in a long drill bit and a long block without having to ...

Thanks for the replies. I have been doing the forstner first but haven't yet squared my blocks. That's probably where I'm going wrong. They look squared enough to my amateur eye but I didn't realise they have to be properly squared. Next question (at the risk of sounding like a rube) how do I square...

Drill press

Hi there - After a good (lucky) run with my first three pipes, I have run into a bit of trouble with 4 and 5. I realise that for the experienced pipe makers out there this is probably a tedious question to have to answer but I'll go with it anyway! Any tips on ensuring that the shank end (done with ...

Hi there - I have been looking at buying some more carnauba wax. The only bars I have seen for sale are a mix of beeswax and carnauba. Do pure carnauba bars exist or is the blend with beeswax the norm? If so, what percentage of carnauba in the blend is acceptable/desirable.