Mill for Stems?

[JSPipes]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone tried using a milling machine for shaping stems? I was looking at some tables for my drill press that have all the adjustments of a milling machine, they aren't very expensive. Couple that with a vise and instant mill.

The thought came to me today while trying out a new Taig lathe (making a replacement stem for one of my own pipes).

Joel

[rathpipe]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone tried using a milling machine for shaping stems? Joel wrote.


Hello Joel,
I have a small Enco mill and have been eyeballing the tooling I have, thinking about making a stem. I inherited this from my Father and know very little about it but have been playing for some time, now. Dad had an index head, rotates by degrees and has a 3-jaw chuck. I'm thinking I could put a drilled rod in and mill it to whatever rough shape I want and then get out the file. This index head can either be mounted in line with the mill spindle or perpendicular to it.
Still thinking,
Larry

[Gary_Gill]

A lathe is a better solution. If happen to have a mill and an indexer with collects you could probably machine a stem. Just a long way around to get there.

[JSPipes]

Gary, I have a small Taig for tenons and rough shaping of a stem. I was thinking about a mill for the button and other parts or the stem. Seems like a pretty precise way to do it. But maybe a little too tedious.

[NvilleDave]

But maybe a little too tedious.

I think the best thing you could do is practice and get better on the disk sander--far, far quicker and much more efficient.

Dave

[rathpipe]

Hey guys,
What exactly is a "Taig?" I really am a newbie at this stuff. I have more time on a router but doubt it will do me any good with pipes.
Merry Christmas
Larry

[Gary_Gill]

Larry,

The Taig is a very small engine lathe. Check out the "pipe making how to" on this site. Tyler has videos of stem turning on a Taig lathe. Great information on pipe making.