#0820 and #0821

Charl · Post by **Charl** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:21 am

#0820: Some of you might have seen the post I had with the cracked shank. I cut the kudu horn inlay and about 10mm off the shank and replaced it with a longer insert of Rhodesian teak. Even though the insert (I think) is better, I'm not happy with the results. To my eye there is no flow.

#0821: I'm quite happy with this little one. A shame about the surface crack on the one side of the stummel. But at least it doesn't look as if it goes through into the bowl.

I've said it before: this forum is a wealth of information about pipemaking. Thanks!

But for a guy like me in the middle of nowhere, I need honest critique. If I want to get somewhere with pipemaking, I wont get there by showing my pipes to my best friend! So please, tell me what you think! If its mediocre tell me, if it sucks, tell me! I'm a big boy, I will take the punches!

android · Post by **android** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:01 pm

charl, i'm certainly no expert so take anything i say with a grain or two of salt. i like your pipes, particularly the first one but i agree with you that the flow is interrupted. on the other hand, i think the overall shape you created is very pleasing, it's a bummer you had to patch. the bend could perhaps be more spread out along the stem.

i also like the idea on the second one, and think it turned out really well but i wonder what it would look like with a longer shank and slightly beefier stem.

the bottom line is i'd be excited as hell to smoke either one of them.

nice work.

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:29 am

Charl,
It looks to me like the volcano shank extension needs to be concave radiused at the top and the bottom. You also need a clean radius at the upper shank/bowl junction continuing into the shank extension, instead of the almost straight diagonal it now has. Then again, maybe it's just the picture.

See if you can obtain ABS in SA. I'm pretty sure vulcanite/ebonite is extremely difficult to obtain there, but if you can make stems from ABS they will look much better than the recycled stems you're using now. In the "Stem Work" section of the forum, Kurt has given detailed instructions for making Delrin (you could use ABS) tenons if you don't own a metal lathe. See viewtopic.php?t=1530

Charl · Post by **Charl** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:13 am

Thanks, Android and Frank, I appreciate it.

On the volcano, I've actually been thinking to shorten the insert by about half (maybe more) and then making it flush with the stem. I agree with you Frank, but I'm just wondering whether there will be enough wood left to play around with.

By the way, the Rhodesian teak looks good, hey!

Vulcanite is very scarce here, acrylic in rods or even square tubing you can get rarely. We used ABS sheets of 1mm thick at work, so maybe I'll be lucky. Will have to look into it!