Non-Flush Stem and Freehand Drilling

[d6monk]

Hey everyone,

When shaping first and then drilling how would I go about doing something like this? (this is one of Todd's pipes):



Do I just chuck up a large forstner bit in the headstock and drill a large mortise before I go on to make the regular mortise and draft hole? Also, is this hole tapered at all? Is the white part of the stem tapered through the entire length or is there a straight part at the tenon end?

Thanks!

[Sasquatch]

I would say YES, NO, YES. I would taper the stem VERY gradually there so the thing fit like a military peterson, but of course, over that length, the tenon proper is going to be doing the "work".