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Don't quit your day job just yet. Figure on making around 250-300 pipes before you hit your stride, unless you're one of the very rare exceptions.

If pipe making were a church, the guild bears the marks of a cult. That’s not to say there aren’t good guys in there. But the appeal to only people who follow their creed, rejecting outsiders, even if they’re rejecting the mainstream, and misleading innocent and inexperienced people into thinking th...

Welcome to the forum! I really enjoyed the first season of the Orville. That’s really fun you got to be a part of making it!


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I appreciate it. I ordered a few. I figure if it’s as easy as you demonstrated, it’s worth a try. The pottery saws do ok, but they flex and I still find necessary to use modified jigsaw bits and back and forth. These are the sorts of things I’m happy to find by watching your videos. Sent from my iPh...

I’ve finally finished watching the whole playlist. Your explanation of dwell time is excellent. I’m trying to find the bits you suggest for cutting a slot. I know you said they’re used in decoy carving, so I spent quite a while searching online and all I’m finding is burrs. Do you have a link or a m...

I’m halfway through and really appreciating the level of detail you’re putting in.


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It’s a nice pipe. The bottom line seems to have some unevenness under the bowl. The bowl/shank junction is in the shadow and harder to see. Aesthetically, a more classic proportion would have the stem a little bit shorter.


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I was going to say the same thing about the bowl being a little tall, but yep, it’s solid otherwise.


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That's very much improved. There's only one thing that I'd fix: the bottom line. To my eye, the bottom line is too much of a taper as it goes under the bowl. And I don't understand the purpose of not having the same saddle on the bottom of the stem as you do on the top. With a shape based in symmetr...

I'm not familiar with the siphon system you're describing where there's an air tube inside the siphon tube. Perhaps the 14CFM nozzle is missing a piece? It sounds like it's probably not getting enough suction to draw the media through. It's also possible your air supply is restricting the CFMs. I pe...

I would eliminate the variables one by one. See if it works if you remove the pickup tube and it siphons out of your hand. If not, take the front of the gun apart and make sure it's assembled properly. I occasionally have where the tube is clogged with sand. I'm not recommending the procedure, but i...

I have no experience with the newer Cyclone cabinet. I'm still using the E100. Siphon systems are pretty simple mechanisms. I upgraded the gun on mine to Skat Blast, and have been pretty happy with it. Is the air coming out of the nozzle without media? Or is there neither air nor media coming out of...

Ok, so now that you see the principle, there’s a little wiggle room there. You can taper those lines about 1° or less so they’re slightly wider at the bowl than the stem end. But they should appear straight, even if they are in fact a little tapered.


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The bulldog is a tough shape. The biggest issue is that you need to keep the lines straight and parallel. Yours are straight, but not parallel. I would make the stem and shank the same dimension. Having a step there doesn’t make any sense. Having stem and shank the same dimension is helpful in seein...

The pippin file is a great tool once you know how to work it. I have them in a 0 and a 2 cut. The 2 can give a finish ready for 320 sandpaper if you do it right. They can be used for a tighter radius using the tip and a wider one with the back of the file. And unlike a flat file, you can work the tr...

The bowl is good. The bamboo is good. The stem flare is wrong. It needs to flow together there. First, make the flare more of a flare (concave on both sides of the disc) instead of a bead. Second, make a smoother transition if you’re going to trumpet the stem. You have a V-shaped stem colliding with...

1. I think you'll be happy with the Menzerna compounds. 2. Danish oil gives depth, but doesn't make things shiny by itself. Oil-based finishes are meant to penetrate the wood and give the finish depth. They harden in the wood. If you want shine, that can be something like shellac, varnish, lacquer, ...

I got my new compounds (and new buffing wheels) and have tried them out on a couple of shop pipes so far. So far, it seems like I'm getting a better shine with less effort. I can't tell a difference between the fine and extra-fine in finish so far. I think the coarse one is slightly more effective t...

It’s very nice. I can relate to the issues around the finish line. If I can offer one suggestion on the shape, it’s that the profile of the rim looks flat. I think if you canted the bowl a bit in either direction, it would give you more movement. It’s not wrong the way it is, though, so it’s just an...

One possibility is just that your machinery isn't sturdy enough to handle whatever tool you're using to face the shank and/or stem before inserting the tenon. Another is that you're moving the stem or shank between facing the shank and stem and drilling the mortise(s). George did a video on how to r...