2nd block drill first potentially catastrophic mistake

[Adui]

So I have my drill press now. I've practiced a bit with it, though only a very little (I used to be quite handy and it seems to be coming back easily)
I drill my first of two blocks, this one will be a bent egg, or at least I think that's what the shape I'm going for is called. It came out acceptable, I think my draft hole thru the stem is about half a mm off center in the bowl. In any case it's noticeable when you look in the bowl, but less that the width of the 1/8th drill bit I used.

The second was to be m next attempt at a billiard. It's the disaster. I drilled the draft hole a good 2+mm off center, it will be noticeable in the pipe shape unless I trim the shank off center to compensate, and I don't think I can safely take enough material off there anyhow.

since I am so new to this hobby, should I go ahead and carve it out for practice. or is this going to be so far off that it will be useless for your critiques to help me?

[Adui]

I probably shouldnt have bothered asking. I know me, Im going to carve that sucker anyhow...

[Flygare]

Go ahead and carve it. There is a lot to learn from shaping and finishing anyway.

It will probably smoke alright even with the hole a bit off.

And dont beat yourself up over it, mistakes happen all the time in the beginning. Have you managed to find out why you ended up a bit of?

When I used a drill press I started with bringing the drill down outside the block to make sure everything was lined up correctly.

Do you use a regular jobber bit or a brad point? The jobber tends to wander...


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[Adui]

"Have you managed to find out why you ended up a bit of?"

On the second block I'm pretty sure I simply didn't get my center mark measured right. The stem end of the block was narrower on one side than the other so it was a bit of work and I simply missed the mark.
"Do you use a regular jobber bit or a brad point? The jobber tends to wander..." I'm not sure what a jobber point is vs a brad point, but I have the 6" straight drill from VF that I used in the first block. I'm pretty sure I simply didn't have things squared up right when I drilled, but it's entirely possible the bit wandered a bit on me as well.

[KurtHuhn]

Centering everything can be pretty finicky. Use the shortest drill bit you can, and be sure not to use too much pressure - drill bits can flex and wander when driven hard. Also, make sure your drill bit is sharp - dull bits wander. I tend to start the airway with a bit that's only about 2" long, then switch to a longer bit once the hole is started.

But, finish them anyway - honestly, it won't make much difference in smoking. Just look at the airway in a corncob, and consider that those smoke fine.

[n80]

Agree. You've spent the money on the briar, go ahead and carve. I find that my first few pipes, most of which are ugly and have off center draft holes, smoke just fine and are the ones I reach for on my work bench when I'm working. I've grown kind of fond of them.

[Adui]

I'm working it, already made some more rookie mistakes and had to figure a fix for them. If nothing else this one will be a learning experience for sure. As for the bench pipe. Sadly my bench is in the house so I cant smoke at it. But then, I prefer to smoke when I can just sit and enjoy the pipe so I probably would not smoke while carving.

[caskwith]

As long asthe hole is in the centre at the shank end don't worry too much about it being slightly off centre in the bowl. Once you make some long shank pipes even with the most accurate lathe in the work at those lengths the bit will wander slightly. I have just made 2 canadian/lovat pipes with long shanks and they are both off centre, nothing wrong with the setup, the grain of the briar steers the bit. I won't lose any sleep over it.

[Adui]

Well Im carving it, and I will be posting the semi finished product for review anyhow. Im going to wait to stain and polish till Ive made the corrections I can make once you guys tear it apart.