Router Bits For Tobacco Chamber

[Frank]

Hi folks. I'm new to the pipe making thing, but it caught my interest when I decided to quit cigarette smoking and return to pipe smoking.

I have a reasonably equipped workshop, since I do some knife making and model wooden ship building, amongst other things.

I am still reading through as many of the forum posts as possible before posing some questions of my own, but for those of you who still bore the tobacco chamber straight sided with a rounded bottom, I thought these might be of interest:

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite ... _core.html

I did a fair amount of web crawling, and their prices seemed the most reasonable, plus free shipping.

IMO, slightly more expensive but better than Spade bits, but not as good as Spoon bits or reground Silver & Deming but a lot less expensive. Probably also easier for newbies to pipe making like myself.

[Nick]

Early on I tried to use a router bit, but it wouldn't cut deep enough. I still don't know what the deal is, but the bits will sink about the depth of the head, and then stop. Even when you really lean on them, the don't move much and just end up heating up the wood .

[LexKY_Pipe]

I wonder if the router bits are designed to cut more horizontally than vertically?

[NvilleDave]

When I first started I tried them--chattered like crazy.

[Frank]

Rather than trying to bore the entire chamber with the router bit, I will very likely prebore the tobacco chamber with a standard Silver & Deming bit one size smaller, then finish the chamber with the router bit.
Hopefully that will work.

[NvilleDave]

Rather than trying to bore the entire chamber with the router bit, I will very likely prebore the tobacco chamber with a standard Silver & Deming bit one size smaller, then finish the chamber with the router bit.
Hopefully that will work.

That helped cut down on the chattering considerable but I still wasn't able to consistantly get a clean finish on the bottom of the bowl. But as with everything else your mileage may vary.

Dave

[Mikem]

I have only made a couple of pipes but have use 3/4 and 7/8 and 1" round nose bits and my lathe. They seem to work a little better than the core box bits. The bits are about 3" long with the cutter portion being a little over 1" long. I prebored the hole (again using the lathe) with the same size forstner bit about half way down the chamber and then finishing off with the router bit. I have been using my lowest lathe speed and have been getting some pretty clean cuts. I am trying to find someone who will make me some vertical panel bits but only 3/4, 7/8 and 1" in diameter instead of the customery 1 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter. I think they would have the perfect shape for a tobacco chamber whole.

[Frank]

@Mikem
By panel bits, do you mean spade bits, the flat type bits?

Frank.

[Frank]

My router bits arrived today, so I took them out for a test spin.

Bear in mind that I have a mid size metal cutting lathe and that I use a large 3/4" chuck in the tailstock to hold the bits. Nice and stable. Lathe speed set to 160 rpm.

I used black walnut, which should be about as hard as briar.

All the bits I use have 1/2" shanks for stability. 1/4" shanks are too likely to flex.

To get the starter hole dead centre, I used a 1/2" Pilot bit, bored about 3/16" deep. I then switched it out for an 11/16" Silver & Deming bit and bored to about 7/8" depth. I then switched to the 3/4" Round Nose Router bit and bored the full depth of the cutter blades, 1-5/16". Not a hint of chatter and a nice smooth hole. I decided to take it a tad deeper than the cutter blades and went to about 1-1/2" depth, no chatter, nice smooth hole.

I then swithed to the 7/8" diameter Core Box bit which has cutter blades only 11/16" long (MLCS Woodworking doesn't have Round Nose bits in 7/8" and I'm not shelling out $35-$50 per bit elsewhere). I took the 7/8" bit about 1/4" deeper than the existing hole I had bored with the 3/4" bit. No chatter, smooth hole.

These Router bits seem to work for me, but as Dave remarked, your mileage may vary. At this stage, shelling out $100 for a professionally ground bit is not an option for me, and I don't feel like fussing with hand grindind a Spade bit.

As for tapered holes, I'll cross that briar..... umm.... bridge when I get to it. Heck, I'm still waiting for my 4 jaw chuck to arrive so that I can practice on scrap wood before I even buy a chunk of briar.

@Craig
I'm sure you're correct, in that Router bits are probably meant for lateral shear cuts rather than boring/drilling.

Regards,
Frank.

[NvilleDave]

My router bits arrived today, so I took them out for a test spin.

Bear in mind that I have a mid size metal cutting lathe and that I use a large 3/4" chuck in the tailstock to hold the bits. Nice and stable. Lathe speed set to 160 rpm.

I used black walnut, which should be about as hard as briar.

All the bits I use have 1/2" shanks for stability. 1/4" shanks are too likely to flex.

To get the starter hole dead centre, I used a 1/2" Pilot bit, bored about 3/16" deep. I then switched it out for an 11/16" Silver & Deming bit and bored to about 7/8" depth. I then switched to the 3/4" Round Nose Router bit and bored the full depth of the cutter blades, 1-5/16". Not a hint of chatter and a nice smooth hole. I decided to take it a tad deeper than the cutter blades and went to about 1-1/2" depth, no chatter, nice smooth hole.

I then swithed to the 7/8" diameter Core Box bit which has cutter blades only 11/16" long (MLCS Woodworking doesn't have Round Nose bits in 7/8" and I'm not shelling out $35-$50 per bit elsewhere). I took the 7/8" bit about 1/4" deeper than the existing hole I had bored with the 3/4" bit. No chatter, smooth hole.

These Router bits seem to work for me, but as Dave remarked, your mileage may vary. At this stage, shelling out $100 for a professionally ground bit is not an option for me, and I don't feel like fussing with hand grindind a Spade bit.

As for tapered holes, I'll cross that briar..... umm.... bridge when I get to it. Heck, I'm still waiting for my 4 jaw chuck to arrive so that I can practice on scrap wood before I even buy a chunk of briar.

@Craig
I'm sure you're correct, in that Router bits are probably meant for lateral shear cuts rather than boring/drilling.

Regards,
Frank.

Thanks for the report Frank. I'm sure the speed you're cutting at is a big factor leading to your success in getting a good cut. This whole pipe making deal (to me) is a big experiment--I experimented with ball nosed end-mills at one point and they worked great. However, I found (for me)the advantage to using a "bullet" shaped chamber is they give me more shaping options by leaving more material around the bottom of the bowl. I just want to give you some food for thought--this experiment is a long one so next time you're thinking "what tool do I get next" you have something to consider.

Dave

[Mikem]

@Mikem
By panel bits, do you mean spade bits, the flat type bits?

Frank.

Frank, The router bits I am refering to are used for making raised panel doors on cabinets. Instead of the large round cutters, like what is used on a shaper, they stand up vertically. The best way to picture them is to picture a tall straight bit with a curved design on the side almost coming to a point. The problem I have found is that the smallest one made has about a 1 1/8" diameter. I would think the shape itself would be perfect for a tobacco chamber.

I tried the spade bits and have watched other pipe makers use them. For some reason they just scare me. I know they work, because a lot of people use them, but from what I see they tend to chatter and are difficult to sharpen. I am the worlds worst when it comes to sharpening drill bits, lathe chisels, etc. Carbide router bits are pretty easy to sharpen.

Here is a sight that shows what I am refering too and some of the different shapes: http://www.bladesnbits.com/category120.ihtml

[Frank]

@Mikem
The Router bit you're referring to is a Cove bit. Unfortunately they don't come in sizes small enough for a tobacco chamber, plus it looks to me as if the cutter blades don't meet at the point, i.e. there is a small gap about 1/16". I doubt you would be able to bore with them.

As yet, the commercial manufacturing industry is not geared towards supplying the Pipe Making hobbyist community. Guess we have to rely on our own and other pipe maker's skills to make the small tools needed. This forum is a gold mine of information on that score.

Regards,
Frank.

[Skip]

I started out with spade bits that I bought from Tim West for about 18 dollars if my memory serves me. I had pretty good results.

Next I tried rounded end mills that I bought from MSC. and others. I liked them but some times they left odd looking cut marks in the bottom of the bowl. They seemed to be very speed sensative. They gave very smooth results on the side of the chamber. My favorite one was a mill that was sold as a tool for making thimbles. This one is tapered and lets me drill small bowls that are shallow as well as larger, deep ones.

I then bought a couple of Ken Lambs bits. They are very good with no down side other than price. Since I have two of his bits that are both the same size I do not use them all that often.

After the saw dust settles I find my self reaching for the spade bits but I dont know why. It could be the same reason that I keep using my 1890`s lathe while the modern one sits collecting dust.
Skip

[Frank]

My favorite one was a mill that was sold as a tool for making thimbles. This one is tapered and lets me drill small bowls that are shallow as well as larger, deep ones.
Skip

@Skip
Do you perhaps remember where you bought this "Thimble Bit"? Sounds interesting and about the right shape too.

Regards,
Frank.

[KurtHuhn]

Frank,

I've seen thimble bits at woodturnerscatalog.com and Woodcraft. I have not, however used them.

[Frank]

Thanks Kurt.
They don't seem to have them at Woodcraft anymore, but they do still Have them at Woodturners catalog. I've bookmarked the page for future reference.

Regards,
Frank.

[Skip]

I did buy mine at woodturnerscatalog.com
I think it is one of the best tools I ever bought. You can make classic churcwardens or cuttys and leave plenty of wall thickness.
At 49.99 they are not cheap but they are versatile and do not seem to be speed sensative.

Skip