Lining up shank end correctly

[buistd]

Hi there - After a good (lucky) run with my first three pipes, I have run into a bit of trouble with 4 and 5. I realise that for the experienced pipe makers out there this is probably a tedious question to have to answer but I'll go with it anyway! Any tips on ensuring that the shank end (done with Forstner bit) is perpendicular to the bowl? I've been having all sorts of troubles with getting the lines I have drawn on blocks to actually correspond to how I am drilling them!

[Ocelot55]

What do you use, a lathe or a drill press?

[buistd]

Drill press

[Ocelot55]

I'm not sure if there is a "trick," just proper execution. Start with a block that has been squared. It can be done without squaring, but squaring reduces the likelihood of messing up. Draw all your lines on the pipe very precisely. The trick for me was making sure that as I set the block in the vice I was constantly checking where I was up and down and side to side. If you just worry about just the side view your stem could wind up coming off the stummel at an angle.

Most of it is just trial and error. Oh and DO NOT MOVE THE BLOCK ONCE IT IS SET....for a straight pipe at least.

[The Smoking Yeti]

The biggest thing is as he said- line it all up. Once you drill the mortise- DO NOT MOVE THE VICE. Follow it up immediately with the forstner.

[Sasquatch]

Forstner first.

[the rev]

sas, if you are doing a big bend do you do forstner, mortise then airhole?

rev

[Ocelot55]

Forstner first.

Yep.

Rev, I find it easier to drill the mortise first with a steeper bend and follow up with the draft hole, otherwise your draft hole wants to act like a pilot hole for the mortise.

[buistd]

Thanks for the replies. I have been doing the forstner first but haven't yet squared my blocks. That's probably where I'm going wrong. They look squared enough to my amateur eye but I didn't realise they have to be properly squared. Next question (at the risk of sounding like a rube) how do I square a block with limited tools?

[Ocelot55]

You don't have to square your blocks at all, it just makes things a bit easier. I've made quite a few pipes on a drill press without squaring the blocks that I have perfect drilling on. You just have to take your time.

I just recently bought a disk sander from Grizzly to square my blocks. Relatively inexpensive.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Disc-Sander/G7297