Achieving round stummels without a lathe

For discussion of the drilling and shaping of the stummel.
LatakiaLover
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by LatakiaLover »

The Smoking Yeti wrote:
LatakiaLover wrote:Sounds like you guys are getting into repair territory, now. :lol:
I think the words "repair" and "ghetto" can be used interchangeably in this sentence.
Indeed. Sometimes it can be a tough neighborhood.

That's why I like it. :lol:
UFOs must be real. There's no other explanation for cats.
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Sasquatch
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by Sasquatch »

Nice tools make things faster and easier. That has been said on this board many times by many folks. It's true.

Honestly, my first thought when I read the O.P. (and really, no offense, please!) was "Just fucking do it. There's no secret. Sand it till it's round."

Now, there is a nice little non-visual trick to assist - put your thumb in the chamber and spin the pipe around it, allow your fingers to touch the outside of the bowl. The rotation will show you where it isn't round, even if it looks round.

But all this other talk of method is basically irrelevant. Doesn't matter what you use, and it doesn't matter if you have a lathe - the bottom half of the pipe ain't round no matter what. A lathe is a head start but essentially no different in final result than drawing a circle on top of the bowl.
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Sasquatch
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by Sasquatch »

Reaching WAY back into the Sasquatch archives,here's a pipe that never saw a lathe.

Image

Now... just go fucking do it.
ALL YOUR PIPE ARE BELONG TO US!
Snorri
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by Snorri »

Nice tools make things faster and easier. That has been said on this board many times by many folks. It's true.

Honestly, my first thought when I read the O.P. (and really, no offense, please!) was "Just fucking do it. There's no secret. Sand it till it's round." .
None taken…that was my initial attitude. I got my rasps, files, sanding supplies, and was all gung-ho to just do it by hand, even if it’s time consuming, but I guess I let myself get psyched out by posts, articles, and literature which made it sound like unless you have a metal lathe you have a snowball’s chance in hell of ever churning out anything halfway decent.

I’m going to follow your advice and just fucking do it pretty soon here. I really appreciate the advice guys.
The Smoking Yeti
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by The Smoking Yeti »

Snorri wrote:
Nice tools make things faster and easier. That has been said on this board many times by many folks. It's true.

Honestly, my first thought when I read the O.P. (and really, no offense, please!) was "Just fucking do it. There's no secret. Sand it till it's round." .
None taken…that was my initial attitude. I got my rasps, files, sanding supplies, and was all gung-ho to just do it by hand, even if it’s time consuming, but I guess I let myself get psyched out by posts, articles, and literature which made it sound like unless you have a metal lathe you have a snowball’s chance in hell of ever churning out anything halfway decent.

I’m going to follow your advice and just fucking do it pretty soon here. I really appreciate the advice guys.
Just curious- what tooling do you have? a drill press perchance? But yes, you can honestly turn out something really good with just the above tools.
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Snorri
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by Snorri »

I've got a drill press, I've got a set of decent rasps and files, I've got most of the various pipe specific tools which PIMO makes, mortise tool, tenon turning tool, etc. If I want to trim any excess material I'll have to do it by hand with a coping saw, but that doesn't bother me.

The only thing stopping me right now is that I need a new set of jaws for the drill press, and "word on the street" is that my folks found this out and decided to get me some. I've been staring at the same block of briar for a week just dying to dig into it, but I'll have to wait until the 25th... :)
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WCannoy
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by WCannoy »

Sasquatch wrote:Reaching WAY back into the Sasquatch archives,here's a pipe that never saw a lathe.

Now... just go fucking do it.
Reaching waaaaay back into the Cannoy archives... These were made in 2004, 2002, and 2001 respectively, no lathe.

Image

Image

Image

and obviously, no lathe on these either... :lol:

Image Image

Image Image

This message was brought to you by the "Just Go Fucking Do It" school of pipemaking.
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WCannoy
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by WCannoy »

Snorri wrote: I've been staring at the same block of briar for a week just dying to dig into it, but I'll have to wait until the 25th... :)
Oh that's just wrong!
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by The Smoking Yeti »

Snorri wrote:I've got a drill press, I've got a set of decent rasps and files, I've got most of the various pipe specific tools which PIMO makes, mortise tool, tenon turning tool, etc. If I want to trim any excess material I'll have to do it by hand with a coping saw, but that doesn't bother me.

The only thing stopping me right now is that I need a new set of jaws for the drill press, and "word on the street" is that my folks found this out and decided to get me some. I've been staring at the same block of briar for a week just dying to dig into it, but I'll have to wait until the 25th... :)
SWEET!

Honestly if you take the time to figure it out, a drill press could easily be your entire pipemaking workshop. Buffing, drilling, sanding, all of it. For sure having a nice vise for the drill press will make things way easier- if you start cutting stems from scratch(which is sweet) you can learn to use Delrin for tenons- the pimo tenon cutter sucks ass. As does the mortise tool.

But as Todd said- just fucking do it.
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http://yetipipe.tumblr.com/
pipedreamer
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by pipedreamer »

NOTHING, stops a pipe carver from making pipes!
Snorri
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by Snorri »

Well, I started making my first pipe. So far so good, I’ve already made a few big mistakes but I’m also having a blast doing it. Right now I’m at work just counting down the hours until I can go home and mess with it some more. I would say that at the moment the biggest lesson I’ve learned is to slow down. I was in a rush to play with my new toys, and I just slapped some rough lines on the block without squaring it up. I got lucky and lined the tobacco chamber and draft hole up perfectly, but when I drilled and faced the mortise my stem ended up being at too steep of an angle and slightly canted away from the bowl. I’m still going to finish the pipe for the practice, but the end result could have been better if I had just invested in the prep work.

A few other things I’ve learned, the PIMO tenon turning tool does suck. It was useful for removing the bulk of the material on the pre-fab stems I bought, but the arm which holds the cutting blade has a fair amount of play even when the set screw is tightened. I ended up having to use a file and sandpaper to get a snug fit. Also, I should wear gloves. I must have stabbed/scraped myself with a file about a dozen times. Ouch!

Please don’t think I’m trying to impart any wisdom here. I’m only giving an update on my progress as a thank you for all of the helpful advice I received. I participate on a lot of other forums, and I always find it frustrating when someone new asks for help, only to never be seen or heard from again. I really do appreciate the help, and I wanted everyone to know that your comments and your time weren't in vain!
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by The Smoking Yeti »

Snorri wrote:
Also, I should wear gloves. I must have stabbed/scraped myself with a file about a dozen times. Ouch!
I once sanded my taste buds off...
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http://yetipipe.tumblr.com/
Snorri
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by Snorri »

Alright, so I finished my first pipe. I'm not really looking for critiques, it's a first pipe, I know it sucks. I'm not even sure what shape/style this was supposed to be, the shank is at a slight angle, the stem/shank junction needs work, etc. It could be worse though, and I'm sure it will be a decent little shop pipe while I work on improving. I apologize for the awful pictures, I was in a hurry. Anyway, thanks again for the advice gentlemen. I'm really looking forward to learning what I can and getting a few more pipes under my belt.

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Sasquatch
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by Sasquatch »

Hey right on, way to go!

I'm guessing you learned that round is pretty easy, compared to all the other little things that have to go correctly to make a pipe! :D
ALL YOUR PIPE ARE BELONG TO US!
Snorri
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by Snorri »

Yeah, I don't know why I thought making something round would be the hardest part. With a good file and some repetitive hand motion you can do that with your eyes closed. But drilling the tobacco chamber centered, and lining that up with the draft hole, and getting the mortise drilled and faced at the perfect angle, and having everything fit flush? Damn man, it's a lot harder than I thought...
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baweaverpipes
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Re: Achieving round stummels without a lathe

Post by baweaverpipes »

Ocyd wrote:
:whisper: These people seem to be all crazed about billiards for some reason I'm not quite sure I understand. If you ask they'll tell you you need to do 12,000 of them and then one more.
I'm a firm believer in developing the skills to make classics before moving on to other shapes. Virtually all shapes emanate from the billiard, it's one of the hardest pipes to execute well.
BAW
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