hi everyone, it has been a while! hope everyone is doing well. not sure why i am asking this question 3 years down the road. when it comes to shaping a bowl and the stummel i do it by hand. so for the top to get a perfectly round top i have use a patteren made out of metal, sometimes it moves around if i am not careful. so what i am asking is it there a tool or compass to use on the top after i have drilled the chamber to trace and make the nice round top.
thanks,tim
shaping the top of a billiard etc.
- KurtHuhn
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Re: shaping the top of a billiard etc.
Before drilling the tobacco chamber, I flatten the top of the briar with a Forstner bit. This aids in preventing the tobacco bit from wandering, but it also leaves an incised witness mark concentric to the tobacco chamber. Before I got a lathe, I would use that witness mark as a guide while freehanding the top of round pipes. You can see what I mean here:
My pipe kit customers also use that witness mark while freehanding, which is part of the reason why I keep drilling the way I do.
My pipe kit customers also use that witness mark while freehanding, which is part of the reason why I keep drilling the way I do.
Re: shaping the top of a billiard etc.
Cool idea Kurt
One of the reasons I do some sanding with foam backed cloth is that it tends not to depress exactly into features - if I bend it round, I can get a very round shape sanded quite easily - sanding to a mark like Kurt's kit has becomes pretty easy. You can also use a file to get close to the round, but it is probably easier to go too far.
One of the reasons I do some sanding with foam backed cloth is that it tends not to depress exactly into features - if I bend it round, I can get a very round shape sanded quite easily - sanding to a mark like Kurt's kit has becomes pretty easy. You can also use a file to get close to the round, but it is probably easier to go too far.
ALL YOUR PIPE ARE BELONG TO US!
Re: shaping the top of a billiard etc.
One simple way to re-trace the outer bowl outline is to plug the bowl with snug fitting dowel rod, then "roll" a pencil-lead and spacer around the dowel.
Re: shaping the top of a billiard etc.
I do the same. Well, it's the same principle. Except my "dowl" is my thumb in the bowl.
Re: shaping the top of a billiard etc.
Before I got my lathe, I just used to eyeball it. Just go slow and steady, and it's not that difficult to get a nice looking round rim.
The more you can do without being dependent on machinery/jigs, etc., the better.
Rad
The more you can do without being dependent on machinery/jigs, etc., the better.
Rad
Re: shaping the top of a billiard etc.
When I first started carving I used a fostner bit, but for the longest now I use these.
Hope you can see it alright. I keep three on the bench. 2 with circles and one with ovals,
the ovals have three diferent profiles on them. You can get these at any art and drafting store.
Dan
Gabrieli Pipes
Hope you can see it alright. I keep three on the bench. 2 with circles and one with ovals,
the ovals have three diferent profiles on them. You can get these at any art and drafting store.
Dan
Gabrieli Pipes
- ToddJohnson
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Re: shaping the top of a billiard etc.
I agree with Rad wholeheartedly. There's nothing wrong with machinery or jigs, but the more you can train your eyes and hands to do without other aids, the better you'll get at at bringing your ideas to life in briar.RadDavis wrote:Before I got my lathe, I just used to eyeball it. Just go slow and steady, and it's not that difficult to get a nice looking round rim.
The more you can do without being dependent on machinery/jigs, etc., the better.
Rad
TJ
Re: shaping the top of a billiard etc.
I pretty much use those to set up, 'till I'mm a third of the way into shaping those pencil marks are gone and I'm on auto-pilot.
Best
Dan
Gabrieli Pipes......in other words I agree guys
Best
Dan
Gabrieli Pipes......in other words I agree guys
Re: shaping the top of a billiard etc.
As a matter of fact, a compass will do exactly what you want. Just hold the pointy leg against the inside wall of the chamber and move it around the diameter to draw a circle that's centered on the chamber.timthorpe wrote:. . . so what i am asking is it there a tool or compass to use on the top after i have drilled the chamber to trace and make the nice round top.
thanks,tim
There's a tool called a hermaphrodite caliper (or odd leg caliper, or jenny caliper) that works even better, but most guys don't have one in their toolbox.
"Cut your own wood and you warm yourself twice." - Henry Ford