Armed with the 'pipemaking for the rank amateur' article and some enthusiasm, I purchased a briar kit and had some fun. I've been a painter for years and needed to switch gears and try something new. Slightly overwhelmed by all the knowledge I tried to absorb online, I had what Tyler calls "analysis paralysis" and had a hard time knowing how to start. So, letting go of expectations of grandeur with my first attempt, I just jumped in without a design or plan and went at it with a dremel. I figured as long as I had fun making whatever mistakes I was about to make, then I'd be moving in the right direction. I wanted to try the various kinds of bits and see how they performed, I wanted to see just how much trouble I'd be getting into my doing something figurative and detailed, and generally see how I felt about the whole process. I had a great time, here's what I did:
I now have a new block on my bench, waiting to figure out what it wants to be. Thanks to all of the contributors of this forum, I spent a number of my breaks perusing all the eye candy and being inspired with everyone's ingenuity and creativity.
~Paul
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WOW! It's worth mentioning that I have been painting/drawing/making stuff my entire life, I was fairly solitary as a kid and so that's how I would entertain myself... decades later and I have never stopped. So though this is my first real attempt at making a briar pipe, I find a lot of the skills translate and probably give me a bit of a leg up. It's probably like learning a new language after already learning several others.