Hi Billy,Billy Klubb wrote:
1) when you guys drill a block, do you drill the mortise & airway first or after the chamber? and the "why?"
2)for those that do hand cut, do you cut the bowl shape first or the shank?
3)staining: I have heard and read a little about using a darker stain at first to identify scratches and to make the grain more pronounced. is there any reason not to do like this? are there stains to stay away from?
4)buffing the finished pipe: what's the difference between Tripoli and White Diamond? do these stand up better on the finish than carnauba wax?
Several of these are subjective, but here is how I do it:
1) I always drill: mortise, airway, chamber. There are advantages to doing chamber first though. Just do what you're comfortable with.
2) I generally shape before drilling, but I can't really say I do shank or bowl first. I basically rough the shape out as I go. I guess technically I finish the shank first, but it's not as though I do the shank and only then turn my attention to the bowl.
3) This is just personal preference; I personally don't do this. If you want to do it, I'd suggest you consider using a lighter stain instead of darker. It won't matter very often, but in case you do have a pipe that can be stained with a lighter color you won't have to backtrack (i.e. sand it off) to do so. The lighter color is still pretty visible.
4) Tripoli is much more aggressive than white diamond. I use red tripoli but never the brown. I may not understand what you're asking about the wax, but if you're asking if they are a substitute for wax, the answer is no. You'll generally want to polish the pipe with white (or whatever you like), and then apply the wax. You would not leave compound exposed on the pipe.
Good luck!