need *more* help...

For discussion of the drilling and shaping of the stummel.
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bscofield
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need *more* help...

Post by bscofield »

New problem... I'm attempting to make my first pipe wherein the shank and stem flow in one continous line and are not interupted by a purposefuly un-fitted stem/shank transition. BUT, I am having a TERRIBLE time trying to get the stem to go flush against the shank end!!! :x :x

It's not the tenon length, I know that. I guess it's something at the base of the tenon where it joins to the rest of the stem. What's the best way to get this joint done correctly?
Last edited by bscofield on Thu Apr 15, 2004 1:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Tyler
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Post by Tyler »

Ben,

Trick #1: Chamfer the mortise. Imagine a profile view of the end of the shank:

............... _________________
...............|
........----> \ _ _ _ _ _ _
.................|
.................|_ _ _ _ _ _|
........----> /
...............|___________________

Please pardon all the periods...for some reason all the spaces are removed if I don't fill them with an actual character. The arrows highlight the chamfer. This is easily done with a cone or spherical grinding stone chucked in a drill. You simply push it to the face of the shank, and the mortise will keep you aligned, then grind away.

Trick #2:

Insert the stem as far as you can, and check for light between the shank and stem. Observe all 360° of the fit, and determine the spot that is touching the stem. Take a full piece of 400 grit and set it on a flat table, grit side up. Carefully sand the face of the shank by pulling the pipe gently toward you along the sand paper with the face of the shank squarely on the paper. From your inspection of the fit, apply slightly more pressure to the area of the shank that was touching the stem (Where you saw no light between the shank and stem). Now go back to the top of these instructions. Repeat as many times as necessary until you see no light. NOTE: By removing wood from the end of the shank, you are making the decreasing the depth of the mortise. This can lead to the tenon bottoming out before the stem and shank contact. In this case, simply decrease the length of the tenon by using the same piece of sand paper on the table, and gently sanding some length off the tenon.

Of course, if the tenon is not exactly squre with the face of the stem that will contact the shank, this is all very difficult. Turning the stem well, is key in having things fit just right.

I hope that helps.

Tyler
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ArtGuy
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Post by ArtGuy »

I do the exact same thing but instead of sandpaper I use one of those soft foam ladies nail files. It has a smooth grit on one side and a more course grit on the other.
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