Silver work on stems (videos showing it?)

For discussion of fitting and shaping stems, doing inlays, and any other stem-related topic.
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Kenny
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Silver work on stems (videos showing it?)

Post by Kenny »

Hello all,

I'm wondering if anyone might know of where I could see a video or two on the making of silverwork, like that which is often used by Luigi Viprati or Les Wood?

I'm not looking to learn how to do this, as I have a long way to go with a lot of other aspects before I could even consider silver. But I am very curious as to how it's done and the tools involved, and it's something I'd love to see!

Thanks!

Kenny
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AlfaDog
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Re: Silver work on stems (videos showing it?)

Post by AlfaDog »

I don't know about the actual silverwork but if you wanted to incorporate the design into your work you could try a ladies ring or have a jeweler make something up for you to play around with.
pipeguy
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Re: Silver work on stems (videos showing it?)

Post by pipeguy »

"I never knew how empty was my soul untill it was filled" Arthur
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Bryan Johnson
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Re: Silver work on stems (videos showing it?)

Post by Bryan Johnson »

If you search with Bing (much better than Google, I've always thought) under "silver inlay how to" you'll come up with several links to videos on how to do it with wood. Don't know if this would translate to a pipestem, though. You might want to look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaTwmcuCqtg

Hope that helps a little bit.

By the way, I just ordered a pipe (estate) from smokingpipes.com that has an aluminum cap/cover sort of thing on the lower stem. Never heard of anyone working with aluminum before, and I liked the look of the pipe. I'll let you know what it looks like in person when I get it.
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caskwith
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Re: Silver work on stems (videos showing it?)

Post by caskwith »

I use aluminium quite often Bryan, I like the fact that unlike silver you can make it a strucural piece of the pipe.
Bryan Johnson
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Re: Silver work on stems (videos showing it?)

Post by Bryan Johnson »

Hi! Good to hear from you. Have you posted any photos of your silverwork?

I looked up the make of the pipe I ordered from smokingpipes.com and it's a Mario Grandi. http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estat ... _ID=113613 The aluminum is on the stummel, not the stem, so I'm not sure it's what this thread is supposed to be about. It's a filagree band. I have, however, seen photos of another pipe that has a small silver duck head on the stem towards the base of the stem (where it connects with the stummel) and another one where the lower part of the stem either appeared to be entirely aluminum or covered in that material.

Hmm... as a librarian and writer, both, I'm beginning to get an idea for a book about the use of metalwork on pipes. Lot's of history, lots of beautiful work. Think there would be enough interest? Or is it too specialized? ("The 18th Century Opera Singers of Southern Peru")

Anyway, back to the thread. From what I've looked up, woodworkers seem to either use wire or cutouts to inlay, or some stamp/carve a well in the shape of the design and actually pour molten silver into it. I'd guess that the silver cools fast enough that it doesn't scortch the wood. The question is, however, if the molten method would work on the type of materials typically used in pipe stems. I'd think that the wire/cutout method would work better, but I have no practical knowledge.
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Alan L
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Re: Silver work on stems (videos showing it?)

Post by Alan L »

Bryan Johnson wrote:Anyway, back to the thread. From what I've looked up, woodworkers seem to either use wire or cutouts to inlay, or some stamp/carve a well in the shape of the design and actually pour molten silver into it. I'd guess that the silver cools fast enough that it doesn't scortch the wood. The question is, however, if the molten method would work on the type of materials typically used in pipe stems. I'd think that the wire/cutout method would work better, but I have no practical knowledge.
If it's being poured, it's not silver. I do a lot of poured-in-place inlay with pewter on tomahawk handles(actually lead-free silver bearing plumbing solder, 96% tin 4% silver). Silver flows at around 1800 degrees F, the pewter at around 475.

Guess which one will scorch... :lol:

http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index.php?showtopic=9559
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