Re Do 1970s effort

For discussion of the drilling and shaping of the stummel.
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DocAitch
Posts: 1109
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 12:44 am
Location: Baltimore, Maryland

Re Do 1970s effort

Post by DocAitch »

I was inspired by Walt Cannoy's analysis of his two pipes to re do one of my old ones, made during the 1970s.
I have always liked this pipe and have smoked the bejesus out of it, but after joining this forum, I have looked at it with new standards in my head.
A pipe with which I had been satisfied now appeared to be somewhat crude and clumsy. The contours were lumpy, the shank looked like a pie roller suck on the side of the bowl, and the stem was heavy and uninspired.
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I over did the reshaping of the shank, making the previous heavy cylinder into an overly delicate but curved shank. I replaced the stem, and I minimally touched up the bowl to remove some of the lumpiness and smooth the contour.(In the photos, there is some schmutz on the stem which wiped off)
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Image
During the refinishing, dark areas appeared on the bowl that will not sand out, and I fear that this may be a sign of burnout. I don't plan on removing much of the cake, so a complete burn out is unlikely. Because of the spots, I used a dark walnut stain which would not be my first choice for a briar pipe, and it looks a little spotty. I am not sure if this is due to the age and well used condition of the pipe or if there is a technical difficulty with my staining method.
The shank is now overly delicate and it is unlikely to survive a drop, so the pipe will stay home with me.
Walt Cannoy, if you read this, thank you. Although I didn't "get" all of the message in your analysis, enough stuck with me that I am now attempting to apply it.
DocAitch
"Hettinger, if you stamp 'hand made' on a dog turd, some one will buy it."
-Charles Hollyday, pipe maker, reluctant mentor, and curmudgeon
" Never show an idiot an unfinished pipe!"- same guy
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Alden
Posts: 1675
Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 11:39 pm
Location: Dallas Texas

Re: Re Do 1970s effort

Post by Alden »

I like your original. I can't think of many that are making real true 70's style freehands these days. Of course, theres still a billion of them floating around from the 70's.... But it would be kind of neat to see a guy pick it up and run with it again.
DocAitch
Posts: 1109
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 12:44 am
Location: Baltimore, Maryland

Re: Re Do 1970s effort

Post by DocAitch »

Thanks,
I like the final except for the thinness of the shank.
I am a shape-first then-drill carver and tend to be a grain whore- I will approach a block of briar to get the grain out, allowing the shape to develop as I work- this leads to a lot of tulips (like the one above) and volcanoes. Occasionally when I see what I have done to the block, I am reminded of Musashi who sat down with a large block of wood intending to carve a Buddha- when he was finished he had a very small Buddha, but that was what was in his block of wood.
Shaping first for me tends to produce that 70s look, but presents some technical difficulties with the tenon hole and shank face, which I do last. I am working on a clamping device to use a drill press because my lathe is tiny (7x10") and I can't use the neat method presented in Pipepedia.(Scott Thile?)
I really like the things you guys do with lathes and shaping, and I am enamored of the hand cut stems that you are doing with the inserts. I am aiming for the 70s look with hand made stems, which I think will be attractive.
So far, all of my stems , including the the one above, are pre molds.
DocAitch
"Hettinger, if you stamp 'hand made' on a dog turd, some one will buy it."
-Charles Hollyday, pipe maker, reluctant mentor, and curmudgeon
" Never show an idiot an unfinished pipe!"- same guy
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