Hey Jim,
I started using a Jet Mini lathe and a skew. I would spin the wood in a Lamb Chuck, place the chisel on the rest and then have at it.
I have also used a self centering 4 jaw chuck, chucked up a wooden dowel the same diameter as my tobacco chamber, jammed the bowl on the dowel and shaped using a skew.
I now have an old Atlas Metal Lathe that I use to turn both bowls, shanks and stems. I still use a Lamb Chuck but instead of screwing it onto the headstock, I chuck the Lamb Chuck in a 4 jaw self centering chuck, it spins much truer that way.
I also use my atlas to spin my french wheel for shaping.
Now for Barry:
Barry cuts his mortise and tenons on two different horizontal drill presses. The head stock of one press spins a tenon tool similar to a Pimo or a J. H. Lowe tenon tool, and the other spins a mortising tool the same as a J. H. Lowe mortising tool. They are both set for the same diameter cut so the process was quick.
After he turns his shank and drills his draft hole, Barry then loads the pipe by the shank into a self centering chuck on the mortising press and it takes about two seconds to drill and champher mortise and square the end of the shank.
The same goes for the stem, He either chucks up a pre molded stem or a piece of rod into a self centering vise turns on the press and boom...in about two seconds the stem is drilled, the tenon is cut and the surface squared. He polished the tenon on a wheel with a little black compound and it fits right into the mortise perfectly.
I hope I explained this clearly, here are some pics. In the first picture you can see the Mortise cutters on the window sill on the right.
Mike
