N7GTB

[N7GTB]

Greetings all, I just joined.

Real name: Vern Van Zandt
Age: 62+
Location: Kennewick, WA.

Years a pipe smoker:
Off and on since 1977, initially using an old pipe I inherited from my Dad. I quit sometime in the mid 1980's when the local pipe shop closed. In the days prior to the internet, tracking down pipe tobacco just wasn't a big priority for me. I dusted my small collection of pipes off again last year when I realized a new local cigar shop began selling pipes, tobacco, accessories, etc...

How you got into pipe making:
Not sure I'm really there yet, as I am still working on completing my first (pipe). I'm always interested in learning new things. So after some initial research I purchased a 'how to' book, as well as a kit from Vermont freehand. I've built furniture, and my 17ft wood fishing boat, so I feel I have better than beginner wood working skills and tools. With that in mind, I decided to give pipe making the old college try. So far, I've managed to fashion something that looks like a basic bowl and shank that is drilled; carved/sanded/filed from a block of scrap maple simply as a practice exercise. No plans to smoke that one, since I'm uncertain if maple is a 'safe' wood. I have however began working on the pre-drilled briar block, a bent Ebauchon kit.

Other interesting facts:
No clue how interesting this is, but after many years of chasing the dollar and helping my wife raise two boys, we decided it was time for me to retire and play. I ride a Victory brand motorcycle and go fishing when weather permits, and enjoy making things with my hands. My arsenal of shop tools includes metal lathe (1950's Southbend heavy 10L), wood lathe (early model 10ER shopsmith), small DIY aluminum foundry, Lincoln Powermig 215 welder, Asian made milling/drilling machine, Rockwell band saw, blah blah blah.

As a volunteer, I've enjoyed using my software/hardware engineering skills, to assist high school students in building autonomous 'Sumo' robots to compete in events against other students from local area schools. I'm also a licensed amateur radio operator, hence the strange looking login.

I look forward to learning from as many as possible here.
-Vern

[cpd2186]

Welcome Vern!

[UnderShade]

Welcome to the forum!

[Adui]

Welcome from another Ham! N7HQY.

[LatakiaLover]

Howdy.

You sound like a prime candidate to give pipe making a test drive.

The main "gotcha" that catches people off guard is that pipes are casually-shaped objects from natural materials that also require watchmaker precision in certain areas. Meaning that a good pipe maker must be both sculptor and machinist.

The threads here go back 15 years or so, but phpBB's search engine isn't so hot. Better to use Google. Just preface a search with site:pipemakersforum.com to "aim" or limit where the googlebot looks.

[N7GTB]

Howdy.

...

The threads here go back 15 years or so, but phpBB's search engine isn't so hot. Better to use Google. Just preface a search with site:pipemakersforum.com to "aim" or limit where the googlebot looks.

Great tip, thanks...already used it to search for chuck jaws. I'll probably make a set, as the ones on my NOVA chuck are for bowl turning... But I'm finding that (for detail work) just a file and/or sandpaper, a vise, a dowel and good 'ol elbow grease seems to yield pretty decent results.

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.

[DocAitch]

Welcome, Vern.
Almost every one making pipes started with a Pre drilled kit, and a pre molded stem.
You are certainly starting off a sight ahead of most pipe makers. Your shop makes me drool.
I would suggest that you look into a heavy grinding disc- mine is just a Kolbalt disc with stick-on 35-40 grit discs on a motor (with a home made dust hood), and a french wheel (easily made on your lathe- there is a recent thread). You will find that the rough shaping of briar with hand tools gets old pretty quick. You will have plenty of opportunity to use files and other hand tools when you get the thing rough shaped.
Avoid the first error of new pipe makers- never work the shank/stem unit of a pipe in progress when they are separated. Except in special circumstances (such as the really heavy filing), the stem says on the stummel.
Looking forward to seeing your work.
DocAitch