Thank you all for the guidance! I will post final pics when it is done.
I really am going to start looking and pictures of pipe shapes to be sure I understand the shape before diving in.
First Lovat, Need Help Before Finishing (FINISHED)
-
clickklick
- Posts: 177
- Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2015 2:34 pm
Re: First Lovat, Need Help Before Finishing (Updated)
Acting like a loon in the front yard, close to the road.
-
clickklick
- Posts: 177
- Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2015 2:34 pm
Re: First Lovat, Need Help Before Finishing (Updated)
Finished. What else did I screw up?
Acting like a loon in the front yard, close to the road.
-
LatakiaLover
- Posts: 3120
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2007 4:29 am
- Location: Kansas City, USA
- Contact:
Re: First Lovat, Need Help Before Finishing (FINISHED)
A few stem execution issues ---
The overall silhouette of the blade portion when viewed from the top is bloated in the middle and curves inward toward the button (the sides are convex), instead of flaring outward slightly (concave). Visually, such a profile looks categorically "wrong" and is almost never seen on higher quality pipes.
The button itself is slightly too narrow side-to-side for the finished width of the bite zone. (Which is how the previously mentioned profile came to be, I suspect. Establish the width of the button before shaping the top-down profile, not the other way around.)
You left some file grooves/notches inside the funnel. Also, the slot's end-view cross section (the opening) is asymmetric, the slot's edges are un-radiused (sharp edges will touch the smoker's tongue), and the inside of the slot & funnel is not polished.
You left the top and bottom edges of the button sharp instead of radiused. How much those edges should be rounded varies and is a matter of taste, but it should always be done to some degree. (inside your mouth, sharp = bad)
The 90-degree crease where the front of the button meets the bite zone is rough/unpolished for a millimeter or so. It should be as smooth and shiny as the rest of the stem's exterior.
The top line of the blade portion (side view) shows a dip near the middle and a high area on the button side of it.
The overall contour of the bite zone in end-view cross-section looks to be overly flat and slab-like, leaving thick, rounded edges which are inelegant and uncomfortable. Like the first point, it's something which is almost never seen on higher quality pipes.
It's impossible to tell for sure from a photo without knowing the scale, but the thickness of the bite zone behind the button looks to be (guessing, here) between .170" and .180" If so, that's thicker than what's considered the best compromise between durability and comfort, which is .153" -- .156" Many high end guys who know exactly what they're doing go into the .140's routinely, but a new carver will just waste a lot of material. Shoot for .160 for a while. If the roof and floor of your funnel would be too thin/fragile at .160", then reduce the slot height
Finally, the amount of stem material is dangerously thin at the base of the "V", where the diameter of the Delrin, the depth of the Delrin, and the stem material all converge. A surprisingly modest drop will probably snap the stem off at that point.
The overall silhouette of the blade portion when viewed from the top is bloated in the middle and curves inward toward the button (the sides are convex), instead of flaring outward slightly (concave). Visually, such a profile looks categorically "wrong" and is almost never seen on higher quality pipes.
The button itself is slightly too narrow side-to-side for the finished width of the bite zone. (Which is how the previously mentioned profile came to be, I suspect. Establish the width of the button before shaping the top-down profile, not the other way around.)
You left some file grooves/notches inside the funnel. Also, the slot's end-view cross section (the opening) is asymmetric, the slot's edges are un-radiused (sharp edges will touch the smoker's tongue), and the inside of the slot & funnel is not polished.
You left the top and bottom edges of the button sharp instead of radiused. How much those edges should be rounded varies and is a matter of taste, but it should always be done to some degree. (inside your mouth, sharp = bad)
The 90-degree crease where the front of the button meets the bite zone is rough/unpolished for a millimeter or so. It should be as smooth and shiny as the rest of the stem's exterior.
The top line of the blade portion (side view) shows a dip near the middle and a high area on the button side of it.
The overall contour of the bite zone in end-view cross-section looks to be overly flat and slab-like, leaving thick, rounded edges which are inelegant and uncomfortable. Like the first point, it's something which is almost never seen on higher quality pipes.
It's impossible to tell for sure from a photo without knowing the scale, but the thickness of the bite zone behind the button looks to be (guessing, here) between .170" and .180" If so, that's thicker than what's considered the best compromise between durability and comfort, which is .153" -- .156" Many high end guys who know exactly what they're doing go into the .140's routinely, but a new carver will just waste a lot of material. Shoot for .160 for a while. If the roof and floor of your funnel would be too thin/fragile at .160", then reduce the slot height
Finally, the amount of stem material is dangerously thin at the base of the "V", where the diameter of the Delrin, the depth of the Delrin, and the stem material all converge. A surprisingly modest drop will probably snap the stem off at that point.
UFOs must be real. There's no other explanation for cats.
Re: First Lovat, Need Help Before Finishing (FINISHED)
Big difference, hey? Nicely done!
One other thing I see that bothers me is the top line of the shank when seen from the side. It still dips.
Lots learned, would love to see the next one!
One other thing I see that bothers me is the top line of the shank when seen from the side. It still dips.
Lots learned, would love to see the next one!