pipemakersforum.com

The two stems shown are huge. New old stock Chesterfield stems about 90 years old. Eight inches from end to end.

The one on the left is in original condition. The one on the right was identical in every dimension before its base portion was "shrunk" to a new diameter and taper rate.

How d'yall thunk I dun dood it?

Pin gage in the airway and turned a taper on the metal lathe.

Good guess, but no way to use a either a steady rest or live center, and support from just one end via pin gauge would be too whippy for anything but a chunky/chatter-y cut.

A really big pencil sharpener.

Pin chucked up in a cordless drill and then run by eye against the belt grinder?

I'm going to go with alternate idea to Jeremiah's guess - pin gage in airway and slowly and lovingly sanded down with sandpaper on a metal lathe? No chattery cut then, right?

caskwith wrote:Pin chucked up in a cordless drill and then run by eye against the belt grinder?

.

Exactly so.

A bizarre enough solution that I thought it worth mentioning here.

It was also fast. Adjustable speed from a crawl to 7000 fpm + infinite grit range (from 40 to 5 micron) = the only limiting factor is your steadiness and confidence.

This is the sort of thing that makes repair work fun. Always new problems to solve.

RickB wrote:I'm going to go with alternate idea to Jeremiah's guess - pin gage in airway and slowly and lovingly sanded down with sandpaper on a metal lathe? No chattery cut then, right?

That would never work because the paper would load up instantly and infinitely. (try it and see)

Chris isn't the tool guru for nothing, hey!

LatakiaLover wrote:

RickB wrote:I'm going to go with alternate idea to Jeremiah's guess - pin gage in airway and slowly and lovingly sanded down with sandpaper on a metal lathe? No chattery cut then, right?

That would never work because the paper would load up instantly and infinitely. (try it and see)

Ha - I'll 100% take your word for it. Shot in the dark for sure.

I have done similar to make tapers on all sorts of things, it's also my favourite method for sharpening centre punches and scribers either on the belt grinder or bench grinder. It's also how I make tapered drill bits since you can't buy them here.

I like my solution better.

LatakiaLover wrote:

caskwith wrote:Pin chucked up in a cordless drill and then run by eye against the belt grinder?

.

Exactly so.

A bizarre enough solution that I thought it worth mentioning here.

It was also fast. Adjustable speed from a crawl to 7000 fpm + infinite grit range (from 40 to 5 micron) = the only limiting factor is your steadiness and confidence.

This is the sort of thing that makes repair work fun. Always new problems to solve.

Would you mind a picture? Just want to make sure i got it right


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

BTW, George does all of this stuff in his living room. Don't need no fancy shop!
Or maybe it's his dining room.

caskwith wrote: It's also how I make tapered drill bits since you can't buy them here.

Tried that, failed miserably. Bought tapered bits in the USA. Still using the same bit a few years and about 50 pipes later with no ill effects, so it's worth the added cost. Certainly now that Steve "I sell EVERYTHING!" Norse has them in stock as well.

My homemade tapered bits work great

WOW!!! You never stop amazing me...