pipemakersforum.com

I'm on winter break from school so I'm getting some pipework done. Here's the latest for a very patient customer and friend:









It's not perfect but it's decent. The most glaring problem is the bulge at the top of the shank where it meets the stem and the angle of the saddle afterwards. It's not that I didn't remove enough material there but that I overblasted the shank between there and the bowl. The taper was perfect after final shaping. It was a rookie sandblasting mistake. The cant on the bowl could have been a touch less too. What else do you guys see that needs improved?

Sorry for the poor picture quality. I was rushed to get the pipe out in time for Christmas.

I have taken to blasting before I have the final shaping on the stem sanded smooth. That way I can take blasted pipe, work the stem to fit it nice, no humps, match the taper, etc, and if I have to do a touch-up on blasting (from hitting the shank with sandpaper or a file here or there) then that's no big deal - so I essentially finish the stem with a nude blasted stummel on it.

That's a good idea. I actually left the shank taper exaggerated to counter the blast but still over blasted.

I'm trying to figure out what kind of sorcery you used to get the bulldog to sit on that bottom line. Nice work, Wayne!

sandahlpipe wrote:I'm trying to figure out what kind of sorcery you used to get the bulldog to sit on that bottom line. Nice work, Wayne!

It is indeed sorcery aka. my kids dental wax for their braces.

The shank's top line that you already mentioned is the only thing that's a smidge "off" I can see. Noice job, mate.

If it eats at you, just make the dead-on side view profile exactly what you want by lowering the top edge of the stem a little, and then carefully radius the resulting facet. I do it all the time. Blasted square/diamond shanks almost never blend with their stems without such tuning.

My only other comment---and that's all it is, not a criticism---is if your button had softer edges, I'd bet your customers would like the mouth feel better. Such details are one of those "can't please all the people all the time no matter what you do" things, of course, but whenever one of my stem buyers has the option (meaning it doesn't have to exactly match an original's to look authentic), 80% of the time an ergonomic/soft feeling one is what they ask for.

I always love your pipes, Wayne, but I have a few comments for this one.
Yeah, the bowl cant is just a tad too much
The proportions on the bowl would look more graceful if the rings were cut closer to the rim, and moving the widest part of the bowl up a bit. In that way the bowl would look "lighter".
The flat surfaces on the bowl caused by the shank transition could also be more subtle.
These are just preferences and personal taste. It's still a very beautiful pipe.

The only critique I have (and it's already be addressed) is that the top line of the shank has a slight dip due to the sandblast. Other than that I think this pipe is about as good as they come. Excellent job, Wayne.

Masterful work Wayne!!!