Your block preparation suggestions...

[Mark Beattie]

I've been having mixed results in squaring my in-cut blocks since I've started. There always seems to be some misalignment when trying to makes draught holes and chambers meet. Also, my block never seems to be perfectly square, even after squaring it on my disc sander.

If you have a method that works well for you, I'd like to hear it. This has been the demise of many of my pipes. Or if you have a suggestion for different tooling, I'd be open to hearing that a well.

Thanks in advance.

Mark

[Sasquatch]

What tooling have you got? How large is the sander? Tools like table and chop saws inherently make things square, but they are also inherently not that easy to cut small pieces on safely.

Can you build some jigs to control things at 90 degrees to the sander?

[smokindawg]

I made a jig for my 10" disc sander so that I could get my blocks as square as possible. I just used a square and set up a piece 90 degrees to the wheel and then drilled holes and screwed this guide to the table. It works quick and easy. I can square up blocks very quickly now and have done many on this set up and my drilling has been dead on with every block I drill.

[taharris]

A decent band saw with the right blade will help.

I use a 14" Grizzly with a 3 tph hook tooth blade.

And obviously you need a fence.

Todd

[Mark Beattie]

What tooling have you got? How large is the sander? Tools like table and chop saws inherently make things square, but they are also inherently not that easy to cut small pieces on safely.

Can you build some jigs to control things at 90 degrees to the sander?

I have a King Canada 6" disc sander. My problem is that bed that I would rest the block on is only hinged and locked at one location and the other end of it has a lot of play to it ( sometimes up to 1/4" ). It makes drilling very difficult.

I will be

I made a jig for my 10" disc sander so that I could get my blocks as square as possible. I just used a square and set up a piece 90 degrees to the wheel and then drilled holes and screwed this guide to the table. It works quick and easy. I can square up blocks very quickly now and have done many on this set up and my drilling has been dead on with every block I drill.

smokindawg, I'd be interested to see what you've come up with with regards to your jig. I may try to re-create it if it's worked well for you. Nothing worse that all this design work and having a pipe ruined because of it.

Thanks!

[RadDavis]

Even if you get the block perfectly square, it can be out of whack in the lathe chuck. There are about 4 ways to get the block wonky in the chuck.

Mark your centers wherever you can, and go by those when you're chucking the block on the lathe.

Rad

[JHowell]

Even if you get the block perfectly square, it can be out of whack in the lathe chuck. There are about 4 ways to get the block wonky in the chuck.

Mark your centers wherever you can, and go by those when you're chucking the block on the lathe.

Rad

Not if the chuck is perfectly square and super rigid.

If you're trying to square blocks on a disc sander, get a big one, 12 inch, bigger if you can afford it (I can't). The bigger and more industrial the sander, the better the wheel will be and the less flex there will be in the table adjustment. Do your best to get the table square to the wheel. Sand one side face of a block, then the bottom. Measure this angle with a machinist's square that you've tested for squareness. Not good? Adjust table. Good? Square the end to the first side. Check with square. Good? Use the square to check the alignment of the remaining side to the end and the bottom. This will give you some idea what you're correcting. With the bottom against the table, sand the remaining side. Check with the square as you go to make sure you're really getting it square.

With enough work you'll get the table dialed in, and you'll learn how not to put too much pressure on one side or another, but you'll still want to use the square to check every angle you cut. If you just trust the table you'll be off.

[RadDavis]

If you just trust the table you'll be off.

Sort of like if you just trust the lathe chuck.

Running away.

Rad

[smokindawg]

Didn't know there was so much involved Jack............ Maybe instead of over thinking it, I may be under thinking it. The simple way I'm doing it works, but I may have gotten a good table by luck.

I'm with you on get as big a sander as you can afford though Jack...... Not sure how well a 6" is going to work as there isn't much room for sanding a block of any size. I've found that my 10" is cutting it close on even the small blocks I'm using.

Having it hooked up to dust collection of some sort is a must unless your doing it outside and don't mind a dusty complexion.

[KurtHuhn]

I don't actually need to square up my blocks. The jaws I use allow me to adjust by a significant amount if needed. I just make sure the lines line up, and tighten down the chuck.

On the other hand, this also allows the pipe maker significant freedom to fuck things up in a spectacular fashion.

[Sasquatch]

That's an important feature Kurt. If you're gonna fuck up, make it splendid!

FWIW I use a table saw. I put a sacrificial plywood fence on the miter gauge and start trimming at whatever angles the block is cut on, just making some fine passes, and then once I have the block trued up on the bottom and I guess "front" faces, I can stand it up and do some cutting on the rip fence to true up the sides. The results are spectacularly square blocks, and then a guy can re-saw on various angles to maximize grain tendencies.

This should NOT be attempted on a table-top type saw. I am using a very very good piece of equipment for this and wouldn't want to do it on anything less stable.

[JHowell]

If you just trust the table you'll be off.

Sort of like if you just trust the lathe chuck.

Running away.

Rad

I guess. The thing is, if your chuck is square and rigid, you have one face flat, and you put the same face flat against the same jaw and hold it flat as you snug up you'll line up even if the block is off. But having the block square makes it more of a sure thing. Getting the block square depends in part on the table being square, but also on technique -- It's possible to push harder on one side and get things out of square, which is why checking with a square is a good idea. Or not. Makes me no nevermind.

[geigerpipes]

Here are two tools witch also make it easyer

This is great and quick for the center line :

http://www.veritastools.com/Products/Page.aspx?p=98

The saddle square (A on the picture) makes it easy to transfer the drill lines from one side to another and it's rigid :

http://www.veritastools.com/Products/Page.aspx?p=84

all this is ofcource done after you've got the block squared up proper..

One of the advantages of shaping before drilling is you can skip all of the above but that is another method all togheter

[Mark Beattie]

Just a final reply to close this thread up and also provide some answers for other pipe makers with the same question.

Accurate woodworking machines were not at my disposal so I purchased a 12" disc sander from Busy Bee:

http://www.busybeetools.com/products/SA ... AFTEX.html

This trumped my other, inexpensive 6" disc sander. I made a mitre gauge extension out of 3/4" MDF and squared that with the disc and also the disc to the table and, voila. Perfectly squared blocks with a crisp, sharp edge. Now on to marking them for drilling:

Based on a suggestion from Geiger Pipes I purchased a large saddle square from Lee Valley to create my drilling lines on the block. Thank you for that Geiger Pipes. It really does work well. It is rigid and the one I purchased was the large model which eliminates the need to turn the saddle around to finish penciling the line.

The result: My First aligned draught hole / tobacco hole junction. Couldn't be happier with this method.

Thanks all and good luck.

[JeremyV]

I don't have my briar chuck finished yet, so I've been drilling on a press. I square up on a table saw and then chuck it up in one of these little chingaderas.

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-inch-dri ... 94276.html

I mark my block up on all sides and then make sure I chuck it squarely. Works well.

[KurtHuhn]

I award 10 points for use of the word "chingaderas". I haven't seen that word used since leaving California in 2000.

[wdteipen]

I don't actually need to square up my blocks. The jaws I use allow me to adjust by a significant amount if needed. I just make sure the lines line up, and tighten down the chuck.

On the other hand, this also allows the pipe maker significant freedom to fuck things up in a spectacular fashion.

+1

[Boekweg]

Dont ask me, because ever since i got my wood lathe, i tryied, ..tried?..tride? tochuck up a peace of briar block and work it. it just came out while i was turning it and ricochet (i googled this word) out of the lathe, off my arm, off the wall, off the lathe ....i dont remember where it wound up, but it left abig gash in my arm,... sothere.

good luck my friend.

PS. dont drink to much.