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Learning more with each pipe.

No5:



No6:



No7:

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Those are not bad at all!

Are you buffing your stummel and stem seperately? The fit at the stem/shank join doesn't look really flush in the pics. They look like the corners are rounded, creating a little"v" where they come together.

Also, it looks like you are staining the inside of your bowls. That is a no-no.

Rad

The stain inside the bowl is just around the top.

Actually, I wrapped some duct tape around a socket to make it fit tight inside the tobacco chamber. But the capillary action of the alcohol dye ran inside the bowl anyway, the top 1/4" to 1/2" of the bowls have stain on them - I will try to sand some of it out.

The "v" you mentioned isn't actually a V... it's a tiny little gap between the shank/stem. That's an area that has me scratching my head. Still working out the process of figuring out how to get a perfect fit between shank and stems!

Kim, do a forum search for the technique of using sandpaper attached to a wood block. It eliminates that "v"/gap problem. It has been described a number of times.

KKendall,
Save the duck tape for shank repairs.

Go out to a hardware store. Pick up some tapered rubber plugs (about $0.40 for 4), they come in several sizes. Before staining, spit on your finger and wipe the inner chamber edge and take an appropiate sized stopper and shove it right into the chamber. I mean shove it till you can see that the exposed plug is slightly compressed where it enters the chamber. Stain the rim upside down and you can take that cleaner all the way against the plug's side wall. Don't remove the plug until after the stain has somewhat set.

The spit, all right truth told, water will soak into the edges and assist in stopping the stain from seeping.


Don't forget to wash your hands before eating.

This is crazy!

All you have to do is be a little bit careful when staining the rim. Stain will usually get about 1/32" into the top of the bowl, and that is easily removed.

There's no need at all to plug the bowl unless you're dip staining.

Plugging the bowl *invites* capillary action.

Rad

I'm with Rad on this one. I use a bent pipe cleaner to apply the stain and when it's nearly dry and could use a re-dip soon, I carefully apply what's left on the bowl top. A tiny bit can creep over the rim, but my very last step after buffing and waxing is to sand the bowl interior with my finger and 150 grit. This removes any tool marks, wax, tripoli, and stain plus gives the bowl a little tooth for the cake to grow on.

I have slipped, dripped and you name it into a bowl, so I plug them.











What little discoloration I have tried to zoom in on is from stain that was on the plug from previous use that has rubbed against the wall as I twisted the plug in. It easily sands out. As for capillary action, I have yet to see it happen and I imagine that the porisity is not the same on all blocks. It may become a factor when I get to Mimo's blocks, so I will keep rad's comment in mind. It is certainly not a requirement but it seems to work for me and if you happen to be a bit unsteady in the hands or plain clumsy it could help also.

Hey, each to their own.

BTW: I really slopped the stuff right up against that baby just to see if it would seep.

I like my powl plugged

I'm not shocked.

I was asked by a local pipe/cigar shop if I'd be willing to put a few pipes in his shop. The shop is inside a fairly busy mall (right next to a Sears).

I brought 3 of them in on Saturday afternoon (No 5 & 6 above plus No 4, the raptor (pick axe) I made a couple of months ago). I decided that No 7 above was mine. I didn't consider it "sellable", so like cooks have to eat their mistakes, I guess I will smoke mine!

Anyway, I got a call 2 hours after dropping them off that 2 of them had already sold... and a call yesterday afternoon, the 3rd one is gone now, too!

I hated to lay them down on the counter and walk away, but I'm glad I finally did!

You sold some already? Congratulations. I'm still at the stage where I smoke them as soon as they're done.
I like the grain action on #7, and the shape too.

The first 3 I made were broken in before they were done!!

If you sold all three so fast, perhaps they were under priced, eh?