Most common rod stock diameter

For discussion of fitting and shaping stems, doing inlays, and any other stem-related topic.
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Bluesytone
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Most common rod stock diameter

Post by Bluesytone »

First of all, if someone can help me rephrase this question to keep the thread from going downhill fast, please do so... :roll:

Anyway, before all the giggling starts.. I'm curious what diameter rod stock most of you find yourself using to cut stems. I realize that it depends on the pipe, but my hunch thus far and for what i have worked with it tends to be 20mm and 22mm. I suppose it also depends on how much to you typically cut down the stock from. Do you tend to buy larger diameter to leave more room for mistakes?
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caskwith
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Re: Most common rod stock diameter

Post by caskwith »

I use almost exclusively 20mm (comes in at 20.2mm or so). I keep 25mm on hand in black but rarely need it. Have some oddments from old commission in various sizes including plate stock.
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sandahlpipe
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Re: Most common rod stock diameter

Post by sandahlpipe »

I keep a bunch of different diameters in stock, but for the average pipe, I can get away with 18mm. I have a rod of what I believe is 50mm in stock that I use occasionally. If you have the option, a variety of different widths makes for less waste. I make the stem blade pretty close to 16-17mm wide, so anything over 18mm just involves more machining.

As for making mistakes, if I do screw up a stem, it's scrap, not something that a larger diameter would have fixed.
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Massis
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Re: Most common rod stock diameter

Post by Massis »

mistakes are usually made in the final step (sanded just a bit too far...) so larger diameters won't help. 90% of my stock is 20mm, have some odd pieces in 18mm and 22mm.
Bluesytone
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Re: Most common rod stock diameter

Post by Bluesytone »

thanks everyone. It sounds like I was on the right track. I have been stocking up a little each order with 20mm and a little bit of 22mm but haven't needed anything outside of 20mm yet.
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Bluesytone
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Re: Most common rod stock diameter

Post by Bluesytone »

sandahlpipe wrote:I keep a bunch of different diameters in stock, but for the average pipe, I can get away with 18mm. I have a rod of what I believe is 50mm in stock that I use occasionally. If you have the option, a variety of different widths makes for less waste. I make the stem blade pretty close to 16-17mm wide, so anything over 18mm just involves more machining.

As for making mistakes, if I do screw up a stem, it's scrap, not something that a larger diameter would have fixed.
what would you use a 50mm diameter for?
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sandahlpipe
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Re: Most common rod stock diameter

Post by sandahlpipe »

Every once in a while, I have the urge to make a stem with some wild and crazy saddle/stem treatment. I suppose I could stock ebonite plate for that purpose and laminate it together, but I have the rod, so I don't need to. I've probably used just over 1/3 of the rod in like 5 years. The last stem I made filled up about a full gallon bucket full of shavings from turning the rest of the stem to final diameter.
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LatakiaLover
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Re: Most common rod stock diameter

Post by LatakiaLover »

Bluesytone wrote: what would you use a 50mm diameter for?
This sort of thing:

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=10931
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RickB
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Re: Most common rod stock diameter

Post by RickB »

I use a lot (relatively speaking) of 25mm, but I'm also still using Japanese ebonite at this point, and that outer millimeter or two is sometimes garbage.
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Bluesytone
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Re: Most common rod stock diameter

Post by Bluesytone »

LatakiaLover wrote:
Bluesytone wrote: what would you use a 50mm diameter for?
This sort of thing:

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=10931
Amazing work there!
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Sasquatch
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Re: Most common rod stock diameter

Post by Sasquatch »

Nothing smaller than 25 mm. Everything else just breaks.

Image

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