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I just finished up this big boy--the first pipe I've made in about four months.
The big, honking pit on the top of the stummel was an unwelcome surprise, though the dye helps it blend in a little bit. I'm getting more adventurous with dyes now, and I've having fun layering them. I've never enjoyed wood finishing so much!
Critique is fine, but I've got a pretty good idea with what's still wrong with it. The shape came out more or less as I had envisioned it, but now I'm not sure I envisioned the right design. I'm still learning new things with every pipe.
I kinda like it! You followed the grain and that's a good thing. I always like having the plateau on the bowl and shank. You did a fine job on the stem, it bends with uniformity.
I'm with Bruce. I like it too. It's rustic and simple and looks comfortable to smoke. One thing you could work on is to even out the stain a bit but it's not a bad little pipe. Keep having fun exploring.
Thanks, guys. I had to bend that stupid stem three times before it would go where I wanted it! I really enjoy leaving the natural top on at both places. I think it gives the pipe a nice, balanced look if I get the pipe orientated the right way in the block. Following grain is not difficult, but then I've been looking closely at grain orientation in my other woodworking projects for years. Sometimes grain will surprise you when you cut into the wood, but usually the grain is pretty predictable if you look closely at every side of the block.
I'm still trying to figure out how to get an even stain on a pipe like this. It seems that even sanding after application of the stain is critical. Sand too much in one spot, and you've got a light spot in the final finish. Sand too little in that spot, and you've got a blotch. It helps to be sanding back with a high grit, but even with 600-grit sandpaper, it's all too easy to sand too much in noe spot.
That dark ring around the top bugs me. As far as I could tell, I sanded that area evenly, but I know the top of the plateaux sometimes absorbs more stain than the rest of the wood, making it darker. Perhaps I should have compensated by sanding a little more around the rim. I'm going to keep experimenting on pipes like this to try to get an even color all around. In the meantime, I would really appreciate any pointers.
