Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:16 pm
Everyone does it differently. I drill mine at 300 or so. I believe Todd Johnson used to drill at 1200. Do what is comfortable and safe for you.
I drill a pilot that is around 5/16. I go just far enough to nick the top of the draught hole to make sure I'm on center. If you are off center, then you can adjust in the final drill with the spoon bit. After I drill the pilot, I go straight to it with my final size spoon bit. I don't use a tailstock for this operation, but go freehand. This is a personal feel thing for me. Again, do what you are comfortable doing.
If you could ask Todd, Jody, Brad, Tonni, or me how we drill using spoon bits, you'd likely get different answers from each of us. We've all learned some basics and modified the process to one we feel most comfortable with. For that reason, I really think that it is wise to plan what you are doing, know the basics (I believe there's an entire thread here with the whole process explained), and then carefully explore the method. In fact, you'll probably get excellent results from experimenting and then bouncing your successes and failures off one another in this forum. Eventually you will all, or most of you will, feel comfortable with the process that you've developed.
Essentially what I'm saying is that pipemaking as a whole is a fairly relativistic endeavor. There are very few hard and fast rules. Most of it is individualistic, hand drilling included. I might sand to 600 grit and someone else to 30,000. If both of our results are functional and beautiful, the steps in between really do not matter.
Best of luck gentlemen. I'm off to stamp a pipe and coat its bowl.
Best,
Jeff
I drill a pilot that is around 5/16. I go just far enough to nick the top of the draught hole to make sure I'm on center. If you are off center, then you can adjust in the final drill with the spoon bit. After I drill the pilot, I go straight to it with my final size spoon bit. I don't use a tailstock for this operation, but go freehand. This is a personal feel thing for me. Again, do what you are comfortable doing.
If you could ask Todd, Jody, Brad, Tonni, or me how we drill using spoon bits, you'd likely get different answers from each of us. We've all learned some basics and modified the process to one we feel most comfortable with. For that reason, I really think that it is wise to plan what you are doing, know the basics (I believe there's an entire thread here with the whole process explained), and then carefully explore the method. In fact, you'll probably get excellent results from experimenting and then bouncing your successes and failures off one another in this forum. Eventually you will all, or most of you will, feel comfortable with the process that you've developed.
Essentially what I'm saying is that pipemaking as a whole is a fairly relativistic endeavor. There are very few hard and fast rules. Most of it is individualistic, hand drilling included. I might sand to 600 grit and someone else to 30,000. If both of our results are functional and beautiful, the steps in between really do not matter.
Best of luck gentlemen. I'm off to stamp a pipe and coat its bowl.
Best,
Jeff