Sandblasting and stems

[Sasquatch]

I never trust anyone whose name starts with a W anyhow.

That hurts.
DocAitch aka “Walter”

Aside from George I think I got at least 50% of the thread participants with that shot.

[Doug535]

Ok, so I took a lil of your guy's advice and incorporated a couple together. Came up with this setup, a junk stem with a washer to back up a piece of leather to protect the end of the shank. This is my first attempt at a sandblast with my new setup. I think I should feather a little easier on the mortise end of the shank, but I'm somewhat pleased with the outcome. What say ye?

[Doug535]

[seamonster]

It looks like your stem is now proud of the blast. How will you bring the stem down to the level of the stummel? Can't shape them separately, as you'll round over the edge....

PS great blast!

[Doug535]

It looks like your stem is now proud of the blast. How will you bring the stem down to the level of the stummel? Can't shape them separately, as you'll round over the edge....

PS great blast!

First actual try at a blast on a somewhat completed pipe, not gonna be anything more than a shop pipe. Proportions were off anyway. Hence my comment of feathering a lil easier on the transition to stem comment. It is just a few thousandths proud in a couple spots, will hopefully do better on the next one now that I know how the briar reacts to the new blaster. Thanks for the comment.

[DocAitch]

That is a great blast.
The proud stem illustrates one of my preferences. I am lazy, and taking down the stem is going to be a shitload more painstaking work than I want to do.
Sasquatch's method of tapering his blast is the only way to avoid that, and that is going to be a skill that will take some time to acquire.
Good luck with that.
DocAitch

[sandahlpipe]

It it ends up with the stem proud of the shank, you can carefully remove material with a file to bring it flush. Fading the blast towards the shank is a better approach though.

[LatakiaLover]

Do the final shaping of the stem after blasting, then level, then re-texture the leveled area by hand. It's the only way to get consistency. The English makers produced many millions of sandblasted standard-shaped pipes, and that's what they determined to be the only high volume production method that yielded the desired results every time. There's no need to re-invent that particular wheel.

It cures all sorts of problems, up to and including hourglass-shaped shanks from the occasional soft area or lingering blast nozzle. (Yours wouldn't look so dramatically bowed inward---or require so much leveling after blasting---if the shank had been tapered slightly to start with).

[Doug535]

Do the final shaping of the stem after blasting, then level, then re-texture the leveled area by hand. It's the only way to get consistency. The English makers produced many millions of sandblasted standard-shaped pipes, and that's what they determined to be the only high volume production method that yielded the desired results every time. There's no need to re-invent that particular wheel.

It cures all sorts of problems, up to and including hourglass-shaped shanks from the occasional soft area or lingering blast nozzle. (Yours wouldn't look so dramatically bowed inward---or require so much leveling after blasting---if the shank had been tapered slightly to start with).

George, the shank was tapered before. Just my heavy handed blasting. Spose you could call me the taper-eraser.

[LatakiaLover]

Ah, so it was. Looks like the right amount, too.

Just be as careful through there---you'll get better with practice---and when an hourglass does accidentally happen just extend the leveling enough to correct/remove it when final-shaping the stem, and re-texture the flattened area by hand. She vorks goot every time, ja.

You can still do it, in fact:

[Doug535]

Ah, so it was. Looks like the right amount, too.

Just be as careful through there---you'll get better with practice---and when an hourglass does accidentally happen just extend the leveling enough to correct/remove it when final-shaping the stem, and re-texture the flattened area by hand. She vorks goot every time, ja.

Mange tak!

[LatakiaLover]

det var så lidt

[RickB]

Highly envious of that blast. Damn am I itching to get a blasting setup.

[Doug535]

Highly envious of that blast. Damn am I itching to get a blasting setup.

Rick, it went a lot quicker than I expected too. This was about 10-15 mins total. Just gotta work on feathering. Thinking I might use some of my scraps turned down to cylinders to practice with.

[DocAitch]

Go ahead and re shape this pipe. Take off the wonderful blast on the shank, reduce the diameter of the stem, and then re blast it, carefully, using the trigger control to reduce blast flow as you approach the stem shank junction.
I would use files/nail emery boards only for this re shaping. Rotate the stem 90 and 180 degrees periodically to maintain the roundness, and be careful to carry out the taper to the bite area.
If this is a shop pipe, you have nothing to loose.
I think this is close to what Wojtec was proposing.
From the original photos on the other thread about this pipe, you should have some room.
DocAitch.

[W.Pastuch]

So here is what I meant, achieved by masking, gentle blasting around the shank/stem junction area and sanding afterwards.
The area touching the stem is perfectly smooth and transition into the sandblast over about 4mm.
I like it this way, if you think it's ugly, well, what can I say, I don't really care... ))

P.S. On the photo you see the smooth area getting wider on the right side, that's where the smooth part for my stamp starts.

IMG_20180515_112035_01 by Wojtek Pastuch, on Flickr

[caskwith]

I like that finish.

I think when it boils down to it, there is a personal preference thing here. The only thing that is really important in my view is that you have a good transition, it doesn't matter how you do it.