Shaping before drilling

[KurtHuhn]

Of you folks that shape before drilling, have you any advice for someone considering doing this? Mostly, I'm interested in how you drill the mortis and airway, the tobacco hole seems like I could do it. In particular, how do line things up?

I've seen references to the use of epoxy to hold the pipe onto the tailstock so that the stummel can be advanced at a controlled rate. I was actually under the impression that people would hold the stummel in their hands and press it onto a drill bit spinning out in the open. Now, that doesn't sound at all crazy to me - I'm a big guy, and a former powerlifter and competing bodybuilder, and I've done similar operations in the past. However, it ocurrs to me that most people wouldn't find that experience pleasant....

So, back to my question. How do you line up everything? Do you really spend all that much time on it, or does it just sort of come together at the end?

[Nick]

I kinda go half way on this. What I've taken to doing it shape the pipe up horizontally first, then drill. That is to say, using a band saw and a scroll saw I rough out the pipe so that I have the shape I desire going from left to right. Its important in this method that the block is square. After this, I chose the area in the block which I want the final pipe to come from. For example, the first half inch of the block might diplay less than average grain, but the middle inch and a half might have outstanding grain. Once I've decided where I want the pipe place within the block, I chock it up on the drill press and drill. I generally go mortise, draught hole and tabacco chamber. From there, I take off the excess on either side of the chamber and finish as one normally would.

Though I've only done a few pipes, I find that this give me a high degree of creative freedom as well as allowing me to use (at least as far as one can see on the fron and back of the stummel) the best part of the wood.

Kinda unconventional I guess, but hey, whatever works right?

[ToddJohnson]

Of you folks that shape before drilling, have you any advice for someone considering doing this? Mostly, I'm interested in how you drill the mortis and airway, the tobacco hole seems like I could do it. In particular, how do line things up?

First you shape, then you draw a vertical center line around the entire pipe. This is your reference point. Then draw lines for the angle of your mortise, draft hole, and tobacco chamber. Where they intersect you put what amounts to a live center (though this one is more or less dead). It should just be a sharpened pin of sorts.

I've seen references to the use of epoxy to hold the pipe onto the tailstock so that the stummel can be advanced at a controlled rate. I was actually under the impression that people would hold the stummel in their hands and press it onto a drill bit spinning out in the open. Now, that doesn't sound at all crazy to me - I'm a big guy, and a former powerlifter and competing bodybuilder, and I've done similar operations in the past. However, it ocurrs to me that most people wouldn't find that experience pleasant....

The epoxy dots are dropped on the three intersections of the mortise angle, draft hole angle, and tobacco chamber angle with the vertical center line. The epoxy has nothing to do with holding anything steady. It just provides a surface into which you can insert the pin in your tailstock. This way you don't dig into your shape by 1/8". It also helps when you have a drastically curved shank and can hardly make the angle. Having a little dolop of epoxy basically allows you to have a steady base as you drill when otherwise it would be somewhat prone to slip.

BTW, I would imagine that Jess Chonowitsch, who is of average weight and stature, could probably crush your skull with his bare hands. You don't have to be Arnold to do this, but a fair amount of *hand* strength is useful.

So, back to my question. How do you line up everything? Do you really spend all that much time on it, or does it just sort of come together at the end?

I'm not sure exactly what you mean here, but I find that it's more time efficient in the long run. Things definitely don't "just sort of come together at the end." You do have to line them up and it is more difficult to drill perfect holes than with a proper 2 jaw chuck on a lathe. I don't recommend that anyone try this method who's never seen it done before. It can be very dangerous and result in serious injury. Also, and I want to emphasize this, if you do decide to expirament with drilling by hand,
*******DO NOT TRY THIS WITH SPADE BITS*******
*******DO NOT TRY THIS WITH SPADE BITS*******

Hope that helps. Good luck.

Best,

Todd

[ToddJohnson]

I don't know that I'd even want to try it with a reshaped spiral bit, it shouldn't catch as much but still seems like it would be difficult to keep it straight and hang onto the thing.

That's what the tailstock is for. You don't have to keep things lined up. It does that for you. All you have to do is be able to hold the stummell against the tailstock while you advance it onto a spinning bit. I certainly wouldn't try it with a twist bit either, although I think Tyler and Trever have both had some success with this.

Todd

[KurtHuhn]

Although I'm confident I could hold the stummel stationary against my reshaped silver and demmings bit (especially with the tailstock helping) I'm always looking for ways to make my life easier.

What do you use for the tobacco chamber, Todd?

[ToddJohnson]

Although I'm confident I could hold the stummel stationary against my reshaped silver and demmings bit (especially with the tailstock helping) I'm always looking for ways to make my life easier.

What do you use for the tobacco chamber, Todd?

Hey Kurt,

I use a special type of modified drill bit. If I can figure out how to post pictures to this site, I'll do that sometime. I think somebody said there are pictures of them on the Danishpipemakers.com website, though I don't know where.

Best,

Todd