Bamboo fitting procedure

For discussion of the drilling and shaping of the stummel.
caskwith
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Re: Bamboo fitting procedure

Post by caskwith »

I use a special clamp called my fingers lol
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W.Pastuch
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Re: Bamboo fitting procedure

Post by W.Pastuch »

You sanded the nodes or the area around the joint with the briar? The nodes can be worked to pretty them up a little, I agree with that. I was referring to the area between the nodes where you attach the pieces together, the nodes and "eyes" don't really make the work any more or less difficult.
Edit: The photos would have to be in a higher resolution to see it clearly, but after zooming in the bamboo doesn't look very clean around the joints, possibly because of sanding, can't really tell from the pics..

Oh, you have a clamp that allows you to glue up a perfectly straight piece of bamboo on a perfectly straight shank? Now that must be a piece of engineering!! ;) :D
DocAitch
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Re: Bamboo fitting procedure

Post by DocAitch »

Chris, maybe it's because I am old and feeble, but holding two pieces together while epoxy sets is beyond me. My fingers tremble from fatigue and my mind wanders after about 20 seconds.
Woijek, I am not an engineer, just an old ED physician, but I found that the perils of gluing two pieces with such a small contact surface with good axial compression, without distorting the joint (wider on one side that the other) was worth designing a proper device to hold that axial compression for the hour until the epoxy sets and can be peeled off. My bowls, as you can infer from the photos, tend to complicate the application of true axially directed force.
Of course you are the experienced expert and I am sure that you already have a method.
I was just pulling your chain with the special clamp business :) . I was pleased to see that you overcame your brain freeze enough to read the entire post.
The two pipes that I photographed are among a group of 5 that I am working right now and they are not finished. I do note the areas on the junction to which you refer and have a couple of ideas on how to deal with that slight discoloration. If they work out, I will try to post some higher resolution photos. I just got a set of lights for my light box, so I will work on my photography as well.
Regards,
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
Charl
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Re: Bamboo fitting procedure

Post by Charl »

Wojtek, I've seen those Japanese bamboo pipes you mentioned. Those spacers looks round to me as well. I'm not a big fan of doing it that way, it interferes with the flow in my eyes, but I suppose it could be a bit of a shortcut.
Over here in Cape Town, I found that places doing hydraulic work normally have stainless steel that can be used for bamboo.
Taping the bamboo up doesn't work for me, Doc, unfortunately. It get's in the way and I can't see where I am suppose to be sanding to. Above all, on good bamboos, the "rhythm" and shape of the shank must fit the bamboo. I normally can get real close with the sanding disc, then needle files to tune it in and then finishing with 400 grit on a little wooden stick more or less the size of a needle file. Btw, CA glue for the shank to bamboo joint is A-OK in my eyes and much quicker than epoxy.
Much more learned and experienced people have had posts here regarding the use of bamboo, one of which was Tyler, if I'm not mistaken.
LatakiaLover
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Re: Bamboo fitting procedure

Post by LatakiaLover »

Forget clamps, use gravity.

Secure the stummel on the end of one of those "twist to expand" reamers, then clamp the reamer in a vise so the shank points exactly vertical. (Always possible because you have two-axis adjustment)

When everything is aligned the way you want it, stack washers, coins, etc. to compress the glue joint(s).

I've yet to find a shank-related gluing situation that couldn't be accommodated this way, and compression force is effectively infinite from a few grams to several pounds. Zero cost as well (provided you already have a twist-to-expand reamer.)
UFOs must be real. There's no other explanation for cats.
Charl
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Re: Bamboo fitting procedure

Post by Charl »

What is a "twist-to-expand reamer", George?
LatakiaLover
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Re: Bamboo fitting procedure

Post by LatakiaLover »

There a several brands of the things. All work the same way. Just insert into the bowl and turn the knob on the end until tight and you have a rock solid, any-position stummel holder:


Image

Image
UFOs must be real. There's no other explanation for cats.
Charl
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Re: Bamboo fitting procedure

Post by Charl »

:roll: Dope! Sorry, George, a blond moment here! :lol:
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W.Pastuch
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Re: Bamboo fitting procedure

Post by W.Pastuch »

Charl wrote:Those spacers looks round to me as well. I'm not a big fan of doing it that way, it interferes with the flow in my eyes, but I suppose it could be a bit of a shortcut.
Thanks the info Charl!
I've since spoken to Ray and seen some closeup photos and those spacers are indeed circular. I've just made a pipe with such rings and I think it looks awesome :) Also, it makes fitting bamboo shanks ridiculously easy ;))
I've started 3 more bamboo shank pipes this week basically just to memorize my procedure once and for all. Kamkiel's advice was very helpful and I think I'm getting quite confident with these funny sticks ;)

Related: have you seen the posts on Minoru Nagata's facebook about oily vs. not oily bamboo? He basically asked where to buy bamboo that has not beed overdried (or possibly chemically cleaned/bleached) as he thinks the pale, creamy-white colored bamboo is not oily enough which makes it less strong and less appealing aesthetically.
IMHO, the darker, more oily appearance is quite appealing, but I always thought it was just a characteristic of a particular piece of bamboo combined with age and smoke darkening, but it appears the drying / cleaning process before being used by the pipemaker plays an important role.
Thoughts?
Charl
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Re: Bamboo fitting procedure

Post by Charl »

Very interesting about the oily vs dry bamboo! Kiln drying vs natural drying?
Would love to hear what others with knowledge think!
DocAitch
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Re: Bamboo fitting procedure

Post by DocAitch »

LatakiaLover wrote:There a several brands of the things. All work the same way. Just insert into the bowl and turn the knob on the end until tight and you have a rock solid, any-position stummel holder:


Image

Image
Very simple and elegant, LL. I've been eyeballing that reamer as it sits over my bench. It always seemed wasted if just used for reaming cake.
However, now I have to look for another process on which to exercise my Rube Goldberg streak, and my clamp will join a growing pile of devices under the bench. :x :?
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
Charl
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Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 3:03 pm
Location: South Africa

Re: Bamboo fitting procedure

Post by Charl »

:lol:
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