Stem Rod Diameters?

guirguispipes · Post by **guirguispipes** » Fri Oct 12, 2012 7:50 am

Hello all,

What diameter do you usually buy your rod stock in? 18mm? 20mm? 22mmm, 25mm? It looks to me like 22mm is wide enough for just about 99% of pipe stems one would make. But from your experience have you guys found either the 18mm or the 22mm diameters to be wide enough to make a wide variety of stems too?

Thanks everyone!

P.S. Ebonite rod is a lot more expensive than I would have guessed. Where are you guys getting your rods from? Anyplace else besides PME?

e Markle · Post by **e Markle** » Fri Oct 12, 2012 9:14 am

If you're making classics, 18 will work fine. Yeah it's expensive. I try to buy stuff at the shows or when someone arranges a group buy here.

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Fri Oct 12, 2012 3:03 pm

Since I make a lot of "chubby" pipes and other robustly proportioned stuff, I tend to buy my rod stock in 20 and 22mm. From time to time I use 16mm, but not often.

caskwith · Post by **caskwith** » Sat Oct 13, 2012 4:03 am

The main size I keep on hand is 20mm, this covers most of my needs. I also like to keep 1" on hand in black and Ivory. Of course i have collected various sizes of all sorts of rod over the years but this is what I order for general use.

e Markle · Post by **e Markle** » Tue Oct 16, 2012 1:03 am

If you're a beginning pipe maker and all you're shooting for right now is to learn to make pipes just buy the 18 mm. Once you have an idea of what's going on then you can spend those extra buckets of cash to buy 48 mm rods that you turn down to a 17 mm stem.

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 1:51 pm

Joke's on you Ernie - I buy those fatass rods, cut in quarters, turn 'em down, and sell 'em to dummies like you for a huge profit.

Post by **Tyler** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 9:39 pm

One thing new makers (and Sas) tend to do is make war clubs, aka huge pipes. 18mm will not really let you do that. So, if you like big pipes (and you just don't care), better get 22 or so.

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 11:52 pm

Newbies and Sas.

You are getting a lump of coal for Christmas Tyler.

e Markle · Post by **e Markle** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 12:33 pm

Sasquatch wrote:Newbies and Sas.

You are getting a lump of coal for Christmas Tyler.

Tyler told me he's sending you a signed copy of his new book for Christmas: "Pipe Making for UBER Dummies". I'm looking forward to seeing your first sub 8 oz pipe after you read it.

When you comin' down to Vegas or Chicago?

P.S. I think this should be the fight we discussed having.

mredmond · Post by **mredmond** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 12:43 pm

I really need to get to a show. An Ernie vs. Sas slap fight must just be the thing to get me there. I imagine Tyler standing in the back of the crowd, arms crossed, look of utter satisfaction on his face.

e Markle · Post by **e Markle** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 4:43 pm

mredmond wrote:I imagine Tyler standing in the back of the crowd, arms crossed, look of utter satisfaction on his face.

He really is divisive, isn't he?

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:46 pm

e Markle wrote:
Sasquatch wrote:Newbies and Sas.

You are getting a lump of coal for Christmas Tyler.
Tyler told me he's sending you a signed copy of his new book for Christmas: "Pipe Making for UBER Dummies". I'm looking forward to seeing your first sub 8 oz pipe after you read it.

When you comin' down to Vegas or Chicago?

P.S. I think this should be the fight we discussed having.

Take more'n a goddam book to get me to make sub-8 oz pipes.

The little ones might be good for bubbles, but when a man needs a smoke and only 8 coins of Escudo will do....

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