My first pipe... and first crack...

Briarfox · Post by **Briarfox** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 5:12 pm

I'm very new to pipe carving and have just finished the initial sanding on my pipe. As I was getting ready to move to sanding by hand I noticed a nice crack that began to develop. I sanded and sanded but it's still there. I figured that it wasnt a big deal and added character.

I wet the pipe down to see how the grain turned out. And then I saw it. There was a little dampness inside the bowl. and its next to a small blemish which I realized was part of the crack on the outside.

So is there anything I can do to save this pipe? I'm going to finish it regardless as practice and since it's my first pipe. I'm unsure how I can fill it. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

sethile · Post by **sethile** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:40 am

Welcome to the forum, and to pipemaking! Sorry your first pipe had a crack in it.

I'd go ahead and finish it, as you say, for the experience, if nothing else. I don't think I'd try to fill it. One of my early efforts had a really bad flaw that also went all the way through. I decided I'd finish it, and smoke it anyway. So far it smokes great. I suspect it will eventually burn out, but why not enjoy it until it does? You could try pipe mud, or one of the pre-carb treatments mentioned elsewhere to get a little extra cake started. That could help protect that area from burning out as quickly.

May your second chunk of briar make up for the first!

flix · Post by **flix** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 3:00 pm

Briarfox, or can we call you BF?

I had a pipe just like that. I filled it with quite a bit of compressed cigar ash, be sure to really pack it in tight, then used my own spit to make it into mortar. The customer was happy with the result (to my amazement).

Just my $.02...

--Michael

LexKY_Pipe · Post by **LexKY_Pipe** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 5:43 pm

The pipe mud treatments mentioned above are the way to go. Since it's your first pipe, I'd enjoy it for myself. I don't think I'd pawn it off except to a really good friend

darksider57 · Post by **darksider57** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:18 pm

I'm really new to pipe making also so don't anybody hurt themselves laughing but what is pipe mud and where do you get it?

darksider57 · Post by **darksider57** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:34 pm

Ok I found it in another post.

Briarfox · Post by **Briarfox** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:44 pm

Thanks for the relpy's guys. I'm going to get it finished up and get to my next block of briar!

Heinz_D · Post by **Heinz_D** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:58 pm

Briarfox: The pipe mud method will be a good solution - but in my opinion it'll be better to use a mixture of waterglass and carbondust, mixed to viscous slurry. This mixture will get more heat resistant than pipe mud, I think.

Just my two cents, but I'm an chemist and I trust more in this method, I tried sometimes to lift the bottom of some pipes with a little bit too high drilled channels...

Briarfox · Post by **Briarfox** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:58 pm

Heinz_D wrote:Briarfox: The pipe mud method will be a good solution - but in my opinion it'll be better to use a mixture of waterglass and carbondust, mixed to viscous slurry. This mixture will get more heat resistant than pipe mud, I think.

Just my two cents, but I'm an chemist and I trust more in this method, I tried sometimes to lift the bottom of some pipes with a little bit too high drilled channels...

Where would I go about getting these materials. I'm not quite sure what waterglass is =P I'll go google it.

Post by **Tyler** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:38 pm

Go to a pharmacy that does compounding and ask for waterglass. They'll have a bottle for you. It is Sodium Silicate.

For the carbon, go to a health food store (or perhaps even the same pharmacy as for the waterglass), and get some activated carbon. Most often it is sold in capsules form. No problem though, they are easy to pull apart.

In place of waterglass, you can use a mix of buttermilk and sour cream. Mix to a toothpaste like consistency with the carbon , and you're good to go.

Tyler

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:56 am

I prefer the snail slime and cow patty mixture myself. It has a much more neutral taste.

Briarfox · Post by **Briarfox** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 1:39 pm

lol

Thanks for the info all. I've got the pipe sanded down completely and am ready to buff/wax it. Even if this isn't a good smoker it's still a great learning experience.

Thanks Tyler for all the outstanding help you have provided with your website, on these forums and CPS forums!

Wilbur · Post by **Wilbur** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 1:03 am

Wow, it's good to hear of first pipe horror stories. For me, not you...because I went ahead and purchased a "pipe kit". The whole thing looked a little weird when I opened it.

The block looked sort of small but I guessed that that was okay. Then I looked at the drill for the tobacco chamber and it was drilled really close to the front outside edge. MAYBE an 1/4 of an inch, and you are out of space.

So I thought "gotta be careful there", very little room and you could easily sand right through. Looking down the stem it had been drilled left of center, but the second hole (what's this called?) the one that actually goes to the chamber, was drilled right against the entire right side of the the stem hole. So another warning to be careful because there was very little room to shape the stem or you sand through the stem. Whats more. is that because of the small size of the block, and the odd angle of the stem there was little or no choice as to what shape you may want for the pipe because with the bit pre drilled your stuck trying to avoid things instaed of visualizing the pipe!

As I began to sand the front of the bowl a crack appeared. So I began praying that it would just sand away. BUT NOOOOOOOOOOO! It got bigger and longer and bigger, until there was daylight showing through the bowl.

So I figured alright I'll still finish the pipe just for practice, same go round with the stem! Did you know that briar burns very well?

So I guess it's back to the beginning.[/i][/list]

ckr · Post by **ckr** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:16 pm

Wilbur wrote:As I began to sand the front of the bowl a crack appeared. So I began praying that it would just sand away. BUT NOOOOOOOOOOO! It got bigger and longer and bigger, until there was daylight showing through the bowl

Sounds very familiar, was the defect visible inside the chamber before you started?

If so, be thankful you did not order 4 kits, switch your supplier as it sounds like you paid good money for a 'throw-away'.

Briarfox · Post by **Briarfox** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 5:32 pm

Well pipe #2 (drilled myself, hand cut stem) has an even worse crack... I can see daylight and run a pin through it. On to pipe number 3!

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 3:06 am

Wilbur, it sounds like your kit was a POS right from the start - lousy drilling & an obviously defective briar block.

Wilbur & Briarfox, you guys should have returned the kits for a replacement straight away as soon as you noticed anything to your disliking.

First try to resolve the problem with the supplier. If you continue(d) getting crap briar/kits from them, then you might want to post the name(s) of the suppliers so others can be wary of them.

Briarfox · Post by **Briarfox** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 1:02 pm

Well my first was a kit. I packed some cigar ash in the crack and it's still smokable, just not pretty.

My recent crack was a block that I purchased from the same supplier as the ket. After I drilled out the block I noticed several blemishes in the tobacco chamber. After sanding/shaping I now have 2 cracks going through. One really bad one.

So how common is defective briar? I just assumed it was part of the hobby, that being defective blocks.

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 2:36 pm

Briarfox wrote:So how common is defective briar? I just assumed it was part of the hobby, that being defective blocks.

Unfortunately, quite often blocks will have unseen defects until you begin cutting & sanding the stummel. This is an aspect of pipe making that you have to accept. Many pipemakers often end up with one decent pipe after going through three (or sometimes more) blocks of briar. Most of the custom pipemakers on this forum will not sell a pipe with a fill. They usually end up as personal "shop smokers".

If, however, the block or kit has an obvious visible defect before you even begin work on it, then you should have the right to return it for a replacement.

JHowell · Post by **JHowell** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 11:50 pm

Briarfox wrote: So how common is defective briar? I just assumed it was part of the hobby, that being defective blocks.

Depends. Grecian briar? Very. I hate to say it because it's often great-tasting wood, but I once drilled 30 blocks of Grecian briar to get 8 pipes. I don't have the same problems with Italian wood -- often there are flaws, but it's rare for them to be as huge as the ones I found regularly in Grecian.

pierredekat · Post by **pierredekat** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 4:55 am

Briarfox wrote:My recent crack was a block that I purchased from the same supplier as the ket.

I hate to say this, but this might be part of your problem. Some US suppliers have discovered better briar sources than others.

Or else they have learned to eat bad shipments, without trying to pass them along, thereby avoiding a bunch of unhappy customers.

But there is a little bit of skill involved, on the part of these suppliers, and a whole lot of luck -- certainly wouldn't want to be in that business, myself, I can tell you that.

If you're really committed to making a pipe out of briar, I would try a different source.

Now I have purchased my last lots of briar from Vermont Freehand, and knock on wood, I haven't found a single "crack" thus far.

I have found plenty of blemishes -- bug bites and such -- but nothing that couldn't be rusticated/blasted away.

But as surely as anything, if I recommend them, you will place an order and get yet another cracked block.

So I am only saying that is where I have gotten some nice blocks lately.

Otherwise, you might consider trying a different wood altogether. Like, large pieces of well-seasoned cherry can be had fairly easily.

Be careful about buying "turning stock", as it is quite often unseasoned, and you might well find yourself in the same boat as you are now, crack-wise.

But there are several sources of kiln-dried and/or well-seasoned hardwoods out there. Other woods worth considering include: apple, ebony, mesquite, olive, osage orange, pear, plum, and many, many more.