Drilling the airway correctly.

[LAG]

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!
Do you have a method to drill the airway exactly at the bottom of the chamber, and not too high or too low? Often, I drill too high or too low and briarblock is good to burn in the stove ! Thanks.

Lag

[d.huber]

Draw your lines correctly then double check them before you drill.

Make sure you're working with sharp, quality drill bits.

Make sure your block is square if you're drilling first.

Make sure your drilling apparatus is correctly aligned.

Drill the mortise first, then the airway, then the chamber.

Should hit the bottom every time.

[baweaverpipes]

Airway prior to chamber.

[sandahlpipe]

Airway prior to chamber.

This works for me.

[BobR]

Make sure the bottom of the drill bit intersects the bottom of the bowl. The centerline of the drill bit will be slightly higher than the bottom of the bowl. One way is to actually put the drill bit on the block as stated and mark the center line of the drill bit then draw that line on the block. That's where you drill mortise then do not move the block and drill the airway. This assumes you are at least using a drill press that doesn't move. Just swap out the bits.

[wdteipen]

Airway prior to chamber.

This works for me.

Me too.

[Jthompson1995]

Make sure the bottom of the drill bit intersects the bottom of the bowl. The centerline of the drill bit will be slightly higher than the bottom of the bowl. One way is to actually put the drill bit on the block as stated and mark the center line of the drill bit then draw that line on the block. That's where you drill mortise then do not move the block and drill the airway. This assumes you are at least using a drill press that doesn't move. Just swap out the bits.

This works if you are drilling a straight pipe with plenty of meat on the shank. If it is a bent pipe or a straight with a thin shank you'll need to angle the airway from the mortise to get an attractive curve to the shank on a bent and keep enough meat under the chamber for bent and straights.

[LAG]

Thank you very much, dear friends !
I bag your pardon if my english is so bad, but I'm from Belgium and I was an ass at school !
I use a drill press, but I thought I had drill the chamber first to see the wick happen when drilling airway like make Rainer Barbi on Youtube ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh8RBsz0AF4

Do you drill before shaping the pipe or after ?

All the best for you !

Lag

[baweaverpipes]

Do you drill before shaping the pipe or after ?

Lag

A lot of pipe makers drill and then shape.
I shape most everything and then drill, unless it's a billiard, then I use a two-jaw chuck.
With the two-jaw chuck, you shape the shank, drill the mortise, drill the air hole, shape the bowl, drill the chamber.
When drilling the chamber last, you can see where the air hole lines up.

[smokindawg]

Yep, airway first then chamber........ Hard to screw it up that way. Well, most the time anyway. LOL

[LAG]

I read your answers again.
It is easy enough for a straight pipe with a square block. But a curved pipe, or a not perfectly square block, it happens that it moves in the vise with the pressure. How to fix a not perfectly square block in the vise? Do you have any idea?

[Jthompson1995]

I read your answers again.
It is easy enough for a straight pipe with a square block. But a curved pipe, or a not perfectly square block, it happens that it moves in the vise with the pressure. How to fix a not perfectly square block in the vise? Do you have any idea?

Learn to shape first, drill second. Still drill the airway first then the chamber but no chuck is used to hold the pipe. This does require a lathe though and since you said you're using a drill press may be hard.

I've seen photos of custom made chucks to hold preshaped stummels in a drill press But you'd have to make it yourself and add in adjustability for different shapes.

Another option would be shims to hold a not quite square block straight but that's not without risk either.

[Nate]

I read your answers again.
It is easy enough for a straight pipe with a square block. But a curved pipe, or a not perfectly square block, it happens that it moves in the vise with the pressure. How to fix a not perfectly square block in the vise? Do you have any idea?

In addition to shaping before drilling, you can always just square the block yourself.

[LAG]

Thanks for your ideas and advice.

[LAG]

Ok I make a device mandrain ou vise steel manual with threaded rods to keep the heather block. But I will always do my very square block. There is less risk that it moves when drilling.