Dagnabbit

For discussion of fitting and shaping stems, doing inlays, and any other stem-related topic.
Post Reply
User avatar
timberwolfer21
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 2:37 am

Dagnabbit

Post by timberwolfer21 »

Sanding my first hand cut stem
Image
sanded thru the bit...
Image

Have since found a thread that mentioned using a thin strip of tape to show where the draft hole is from the side of the stem.


Bob
Midland, MI
User avatar
sandahlpipe
Posts: 2106
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:49 pm
Location: Zimmerman, MN
Contact:

Re: Dagnabbit

Post by sandahlpipe »

Ouch! At least you're not the only one here who has sanded through the airway.
---
Fail early, fail often. Your success depends on it.

Jeremiah Sandahl
http://sandahlpipe.com
pipedreamer
Posts: 1056
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 6:25 pm

Re: Dagnabbit

Post by pipedreamer »

Goes hand in hand in the beginning. I like the shape of the stem. My first ones were total disasters!!!
kamkiel
Posts: 405
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 10:35 am
Location: Chongqing, China

Re: Dagnabbit

Post by kamkiel »

Hate it when that happens
wdteipen
Posts: 2817
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:05 pm

Re: Dagnabbit

Post by wdteipen »

It was too long anyway. Handcut stems takes some practice. Keep at it.
Wayne Teipen
Teipen Handmade Briar Pipes
http://www.teipenpipes.com
DocAitch
Posts: 1109
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 12:44 am
Location: Baltimore, Maryland

Re: Dagnabbit

Post by DocAitch »

I did exactly the same thing on my first hand cut. LL uses tape or a 1/16 th plastic rod inserted in the airway.
I now insert a 1/16" steel rod when I check the side.
Kurt Huhn did a photo essay in the stickies above, check it out.http://www.pipemakersforum.com/photo_es ... cut_stems/
Also check out a thread posted by George Dibos (Latakia Lover) viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8600 on shaping and finishing the button area.
It looks like you were going to run into a problem with your button. There a couple of other videos on shaping stems on Youtube by J Alan. There is also a nice photo of a stem in progress by Scotties22 on a recent post in this section.
DocAitch
Last edited by DocAitch on Tue May 17, 2016 8:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Hettinger, if you stamp 'hand made' on a dog turd, some one will buy it."
-Charles Hollyday, pipe maker, reluctant mentor, and curmudgeon
" Never show an idiot an unfinished pipe!"- same guy
caskwith
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2007 6:00 am

Re: Dagnabbit

Post by caskwith »

It happens, the more stems you make though the less often it happens.
User avatar
timberwolfer21
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 2:37 am

Re: Dagnabbit

Post by timberwolfer21 »

DocAitch wrote:I did exactly the same thing on my first hand cut. LL uses tape or a 1/16 th plastic rod inserted in the airway.
I now insert a 1/16" steel rod when I check the side.
Kurt Huhn did a photo essay in the stickies above, check it out.http://www.pipemakersforum.com/photo_es ... cut_stems/
Also check out a thread posted by George Dibos (Latakia Lover) viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8600 on shaping and finishing the button area.
It looks like you were going to run into a problem with your button. There a couple of other videos on shaping stems on Youtube by J Alan. There is also a nice photo of a stem in progress by Scottie22 on a recent post in this section.
DocAitch
Thank you for the links. Very good stuff there.

I left the button long intentionally to trim back to 3.5mm when it was time to slot it.
User avatar
timberwolfer21
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 2:37 am

Re: Dagnabbit

Post by timberwolfer21 »

wdteipen wrote:It was too long anyway. Handcut stems takes some practice. Keep at it.
Thanks Wayne. How much shorter? Struggling a bit with proportions.
DocAitch
Posts: 1109
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 12:44 am
Location: Baltimore, Maryland

Re: Dagnabbit

Post by DocAitch »

timberwolfer21 wrote:
DocAitch wrote:I did exactly the same thing on my first hand cut. LL uses tape or a 1/16 th plastic rod inserted in the airway.
I now insert a 1/16" steel rod when I check the side.
Kurt Huhn did a photo essay in the stickies above, check it out.http://www.pipemakersforum.com/photo_es ... cut_stems/
Also check out a thread posted by George Dibos (Latakia Lover) viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8600 on shaping and finishing the button area.
It looks like you were going to run into a problem with your button. There a couple of other videos on shaping stems on Youtube by J Alan. There is also a nice photo of a stem in progress by Scottie22 on a recent post in this section.
DocAitch
Thank you for the links. Very good stuff there.

I left the button long intentionally to trim back to 3.5mm when it was time to slot it.
I think that it will work better if you slot it first. The slot will help you to maintain your orientation for the rest of the shaping and there is less likelihood of cracking the button while working on this area.
DocAitch
Last edited by DocAitch on Tue May 17, 2016 8:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Hettinger, if you stamp 'hand made' on a dog turd, some one will buy it."
-Charles Hollyday, pipe maker, reluctant mentor, and curmudgeon
" Never show an idiot an unfinished pipe!"- same guy
User avatar
sandahlpipe
Posts: 2106
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:49 pm
Location: Zimmerman, MN
Contact:

Re: Dagnabbit

Post by sandahlpipe »

Yeah. Cut the slot first, then use the slot to orient your tape on the sides.
---
Fail early, fail often. Your success depends on it.

Jeremiah Sandahl
http://sandahlpipe.com
User avatar
timberwolfer21
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 2:37 am

Re: Dagnabbit

Post by timberwolfer21 »

DocAitch wrote:
timberwolfer21 wrote:
DocAitch wrote:I did exactly the same thing on my first hand cut. LL uses tape or a 1/16 th plastic rod inserted in the airway.
I now insert a 1/16" steel rod when I check the side.
Kurt Huhn did a photo essay in the stickies above, check it out.http://www.pipemakersforum.com/photo_es ... cut_stems/
Also check out a thread posted by George Dibos (Latakia Lover) viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8600 on shaping and finishing the button area.
It looks like you were going to run into a problem with your button. There a couple of other videos on shaping stems on Youtube by J Alan. There is also a nice photo of a stem in progress by Scottie22 on a recent post in this section.
DocAitch
Thank you for the links. Very good stuff there.

I left the button long intentionally to trim back to 3.5mm when it was time to slot it.
I think that it will work better if you slot it first. The slot will help you to maintain your orientation for the rest of the shaping and there is less likelihood of cracking the button while working on this area.
DocAitch
Thank you DocAitch! Will do. That makes a lot of sense.
User avatar
timberwolfer21
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 2:37 am

Re: Dagnabbit

Post by timberwolfer21 »

sandahlpipe wrote:Yeah. Cut the slot first, then use the slot to orient your tape on the sides.
Thank you. It's a learning experience and I'm just getting started. Nothing made me more nauseous than hoping that line was a sandpaper scratch and not the draft hole emerging to the light of day.
wdteipen
Posts: 2817
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:05 pm

Re: Dagnabbit

Post by wdteipen »

timberwolfer21 wrote:
wdteipen wrote:It was too long anyway. Handcut stems takes some practice. Keep at it.
Thanks Wayne. How much shorter? Struggling a bit with proportions.
I would say about twice the depth of the roughed button in the photo.
Wayne Teipen
Teipen Handmade Briar Pipes
http://www.teipenpipes.com
wdteipen
Posts: 2817
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:05 pm

Re: Dagnabbit

Post by wdteipen »

Bear in mind that that advice is coming from a guy that tends to make his stems too long. :D
Wayne Teipen
Teipen Handmade Briar Pipes
http://www.teipenpipes.com
Post Reply