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On a final note on tooling, while I like the geometry of the Woodriver spindle gouges, I prefer P&N tooling for most of my tools. Granted, they come unhandled, but if you have a lathe that's easy to fix. Or you can purchase an aluminum "universal" handle, which I also use and like for ...

You've got an issue with your pics.

What is a dremel? :? :lol: Never used one and can't really see that I will. Buy a lathe. I've got to agree with this. While the Dremel has it's place, I find rasps, files and sandpaper to be my preferred method of shaping. And while I'm no expert, I don't see a whole lot of use for a Dremel in pipe...

Make some V-blocks from wood, it'll be fine.

Hand-cut the slot to fit the stem if necessary, though I don't see you having issues.

One way I was taught early on in my bowl turning career to find flats is with a pencil. It should never stop on the curve. If you feel it stop, you've got a flat spot. It's hard to explain without showing you, but lay the pencil over your index and pinky, and put the other two above, now rock the pe...

A pen vise works excellently for drilling stems on a drill press. And, if you buy a nice one, you only have to center it once and it's good to go until you move it. Even if your stems or blank material are different sizes, you'll still hit square on the center. http://www.woodcraft.com/product/20043...

I've never sold a pipe, and I may not ever do so. But I've had my lathe work in 6 galleries, sold online, ebay, tried many different things and learned a lot in the process. My first time bringing my stuff to a gallery was crushing. It was the first time I saw a real pro's work, and I was humbled to...

You will soon wish you had larger wheels. If you haven't used them, return them for the 6". As well, the "box store buffs" are nowhere near the quality of what Beall supplies. I have a few I use for metal, etc, and they don't come close to the Beall buffs. If you want a deal, go to Gr...

How the hell did this come from sandblasting?

If you are shaping pipes by hand, I'd suggest a high quality hand-struck rasp. Preferably two, a cabinet makers rasp and a rat-tail, and around 18-grain (sometimes called tpi). A modelers rasp at 25-grain is another good addition. Avoid machine made rasps if possible, as they are nowhere near equal ...

And as a last note, do not use a Tormek to sharpen gouges made for turning, and don't strop them either. It's not necessary and will only make your life harder than it needs to be. You want the rough ground edge. It cuts better and lasts longer than a polished edge. Trust me, I have an 8" Torme...

Seeing as I make my living turning wood, I'll throw in my 1/2 a cent's worth of BS. Myself, I think if you don't know how to properly use a skew yet, a good 1/4" or 3/8" spindle gouge with a relieved fingernail grind is one of the most useful tools you can have. If you use it properly, it ...

I have some pics I can send you of some very useful turning tools you can make yourself if you're interested.

One thing Kurt missed is the size of your wheel. 900rpm with a 4" wheel is a LOT different than 900rpm with an 8" wheel. (no offense meant to you Kurt) A 4" wheel has a 12-1/2" circumference, a 6" has an 18-3/4", and a 8" has 25-1/8". So for every revolution, ...

Someone is marching to the beat of a different trombone player. I think that's great! However, I'm not sure why you're here on the forum. Experienced pipe makers here come to offer help. Inexperienced pipe makers come to look for help. You've apparently come to tell us about your ridiculously high ...

A small wall hanging dust collector (like this: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=30676&site=ROCKLER ) should work just fine. But make a Thien Baffle to act as a pre-filter. As for the ash can, I'm willing to bet is has a bunch of filters that will kill airflow. It's not what I would use. ...

If you're using a reground spade bit, I wouldn't bother drilling a pilot, it only makes the bit chatter (at least in my case). Once I stopped using a pilot hole, I get next to nothing for chatter. But, I do things a bit different than those using a drill press. I hold my block in my lathe chuck (bas...

First, the grit your using will make a difference in the speed you need. Lower grits (numerically) can be run faster than higher grits without clogging or burning (the wood, not you). Higher grits need to be run a touch slower. But you may not be running a slack-sander fast enough for it to matter a...

I love the Poker. Though myself, I'd prefer it with a bit. But anyway, still beautiful.
The freehand Dublin is nice too, very nice!

I am no master of classic shapes, but it looks like a slightly short Canadian with a slightly longer than usual stem. Anyway, it doesn't matter, it's slightly different than the norm and one heck of a good lookin pipe!

Myself, I like it. I wouldn't change a thing.