Lovat for your viewing.

[Revelation]

I think I am progressing fine this was my first saddle bit and rustication. I am still working out a few things with the right mix of shellac and dna and file work around the button. but overall happy with it. It is what I would call a group 4-5 size with nice and thick walls. 2 1/4" tall and 5 7/8" long.

[Massis]

I'm no expert but a few - to me - obvious pointers:
1) theres a definite wave in the shank. clearest in the last picture, about halfway from the stummel there's a dip in the shank.
2) did you sand the shank without the stem attached? the edges of shank & stem are rounded
3) from what I can tell - picture quality isn't great, the smooth parts need quite a bit more sanding before polishing

[Revelation]

Thanks for the pointers, I see what you're saying about the smooth parts. I sanded it to 3200 micromesh but that is where I was having problems with the shellac, I dilute to 50/50, maybe I need to thin it more and apply more coats to get it better.

I see what you're saying about the shank in the pic but I don't see it in the real thing. Maybe its an illusion from the bad pics.

So many little intricacies to this

[Massis]

maybe it's not so much a lack of sanding as a problem with polishing?

I just finished my first pipe with shellac and had the same streaking when I didn't let it cure long enough before polishing or when I polished it too aggressively.

FYI: my shellac is a 2 pound cut, mixed at home from flakes.

The easiest way to find out if shellac is to blame is to not use it in the next pipe I finished my first 20 pipes without shellac, never had any problems with durability or any complaints from customers.

Or perhaps it's not about the grit your sanding to, but the amount of time you spend at each grit? Make sure all the scratches from the previous grit are gone before moving to the next (so at 320, all scratches from 240 should be gone before you move to 400).

[sandahlpipe]

The rough texture left behind by the shellac can be buffed off smooth areas with Tripoli. You can improve the straightness of your shank by holding a straight edge on it and looking for light gaps. The shank and stem should be continuous lines without any bulges or gaps. Especially the stem blade. Take a look at George's video on how to shine the crease behind the button. It's quite helpful.

[Charl]

To my eye, the cant should be a bit more forward as well.