Bent Apple For Your Comments

[shikano53]

For critique please



The dust and or debris is cleaned off the tenon and mortise

[JMG]

My main critique is the proportions are off. The shank is too skinny and not long enough. Bowl shaping looks pretty good though.

[shikano53]

Thanks!

[wdteipen]

I agree with JMG. It's very unbalanced. Bowl is very heavy looking compared to the shank. Shank is too short. The bend in the stem is abrupt. Heat the stem more thoroughly (not in one spot) and shoot for a graceful bend that carries through the length of the stem. The bowl dips down below the bottom of the shank which is generally a mistake; especially for traditional shapes like apples. It gives this pipe the appearance of a hawkbill even though it's not.

[DocAitch]

And to add to Wayne’s comment on heating, if you have a Delrin tenon in there, avoid heating that area. The epoxy may let go.
I wrap a wet paper towel over that area while heating.
DocAitch

[Sasquatch]

I don't believe for one second that you sat down, drew this pipe, designed this pipe, and said "There we go, that's the pipe I'm going to make." The result is a pipe that has a straight shank and a bent stem, a huge underhung belly, and no visual balance at all, just a random assemblage of shapes, sizes and ideas.

A bent apple is a little bit hard. Draw one. Draw another. Draw another. Draw another. Go look at some on smoking pipes. Draw another. Draw another. Then look at all those shapes you've drawn out, literally cut it out of the paper, transfer it to a block, cut THAT out of the block, and make the pipe from that - you'll have very little room for error, and the pipe will be better because of it. You are working with far too much "extra" wood, and nowhere near enough of a plan.

A bent pipe isn't just a pipe with a bent stem. You don't just take a billiard, crank the stem 20 degrees with a heat gun and say "Now that's a bent billiard." A bent pipe has an angled shank, a curve which is echoed (and corrected) by the stem.

There's a pipe in there yet, and apple variant even, I think you could get a Prince out of this, you just have to keep cutting all the bloat away. Your job isn't to use the whole block, your job is to get a nice pipe out of any given block.

[shikano53]

Thanks guys for all your straight up comments and corrections. Sask, I will try to redress this and turn it into (hopefully) A Prince.
Again very much appreciate the advise and comments.
I think I'm going to stick to trying to perfect/improve my billiards. Still a long way to go there! So far I've attempted 14 billiards and read some really great advice from other guys attempting the same. Wow! what a ways to go.
I'm running out of altitude years wise but, dang! What a hell of a fun ride!