pipemakersforum.com

New site for some drill bits, lathe chucks, misc tooling for pipe makers:

http://www.briarpipetooling.com

Interesting.
A lot less expensive than Lamb. Looks like the site is still under construction.

You're right, it's only a couple days old.

I have bought drill bits from Trent on a couple of occasions. They have performed really well for me over the last couple years. I have never used the chuck shown on the site but I have held it in my hands. I have no reason to think it is not a great tool. Trent is a good guy. I would not hesitate to buy tooling from him.

John

Thanks for the good word. It's always good to hear from someone trusted too.

Music City Pipes - Scott,

I understand your principles for doing good business, but I don't necessarily understand why your detailed post is inserted in this thread. There appears to be some implicit warning here in regards to doing business with Rudat. If so, please elaborate.

Thanks!

Scott makes valid points on all counts.

As he mentions, competition in the marketplace is always welcome. Considering that custom pipemaking is a very small community (compared to wood turning , pen turning, etc.), any competition in the supply of tools and materials is very welcome indeed, especially if the quality is up to the standards demanded by artisans.

Since this is the first time I have heard of Trent, I am pleased to hear that John gives a positive recommendation.

Incidently, last night I emailed Trent a diagram with a query about an S & D bit I was interested in having ground to a particular shape. I received a reply first thing this morning. So far, so good re communications.

Dear friends,

I have two Trent Rudat tobacco chamber bits that I have used happily for over a year now. They are still sharp and cut well.
He also sent me the drills BEFORE I had gotten around to sending him my payment.
I had occasion to meet him in Chicago last year and I can say he is a very nice fellow.
I have no experience with any of his other products/services, but he seems a serious and
committed craftsman.

Best to all,

Steven Magruder Morrisette

I bought a couple of bits from Trent and they work FANTASTIC. The inside walls of the tobacco chamber are almost like glass...NO sanding needed. I have also user Ken Lamb's bits. They may be pretty, but I can't say they do a better job...afterall... it'a a PIPE not an aircraft engine!!!

I have also purchased a drill chuck on a motor arbor. Fits like a glove on the motor shaft and now I can use different size sanding discs, wire wheel (for cleaning plateaux), etc.

Good guy to do business with.

He'd rather sell you one quality tool that will last you a longggg time, and get your referrals/word-of-mouth, than to sell you one tool (once), that will wear our quickly, forcing you to buy another...obviously somewhere else, and getting a bad reputation, ie; no more business.

i have 5 bits that trent has ground for me. i also have one of this chucks
and it is a dream .the chuck i have is the very one shown on his web site

i do not have pins in it because it has some very deep center lines that work well for me

the chuck that i had made is self-centering just because that is the way i work. i have had this chuck for a year now.

i learned of trent rudat thru this forumn from john(artguy)crosby and scott(munkey)anderson. if you have a special tool that you have in mind e-mail trent and ask if he can make it. he also makes other tools for pipe-making not just chucks and drill bits. i am not a machinst nor can i grind my own drill bits.

so i am thankful that i have found someone who is able and willing to do it for me.

trent is not a newcomer he has been around for awhile ( i reeally encouraged him to start a web site and no i did not make it for him someone else did)

best
jim

This is from a post of mine on another board in this forum:

"I just sent Trent Rudat an email about regrinding the bit I got from him two years ago in Chicago. I was never very happy with it - it seems to have a pretty pronounced shoulder, if that makes any sense. The tobacco chamber goes down fairly straight, then there is a pronounced lip or ring, after which the taper is rather sudden. Make sense? Anyway, I am hoping he has gotten better at shaping in the last two years and can fix this one for me. Anyone had him reshape one of his bits? Don't want to make the guy mad, just not quite happy with the shape of the bore."

I looked at the pictures on his new website, and the bits look a LOT better than the one I bought from him a few years ago. I emailed him and he said there would be no charge to regrind the bit, I just needed to ship it to him and include a little $ for return shipping. Since he only lives like an hour or so from me, I just dropped it to him first class mail in a padded envelope (less than $2.50 to ship) today and was told he should get it tomorrow. I included a check for $2.50 so he can ship it back. Hopefully (as I suspect) over the last couple of years he has gotten a lot better at grinding these bits.

Trent told me if he sends me ANYTHING I'm not happy with, just send it back and he will fix it or make it right.

ScoJo - I'd say that's pretty amazing. For him to take care of you after having the bit for a couple years. Wonder how many places you'd see THAT!

ScoJo wrote:This is from a post of mine on another board in this forum:

"I just sent Trent Rudat an email about regrinding the bit I got from him two years ago in Chicago. I was never very happy with it - it seems to have a pretty pronounced shoulder, if that makes any sense. The tobacco chamber goes down fairly straight, then there is a pronounced lip or ring, after which the taper is rather sudden. Make sense? Anyway, I am hoping he has gotten better at shaping in the last two years and can fix this one for me. Anyone had him reshape one of his bits? Don't want to make the guy mad, just not quite happy with the shape of the bore."

I looked at the pictures on his new website, and the bits look a LOT better than the one I bought from him a few years ago. I emailed him and he said there would be no charge to regrind the bit, I just needed to ship it to him and include a little $ for return shipping. Since he only lives like an hour or so from me, I just dropped it to him first class mail in a padded envelope (less than $2.50 to ship) today and was told he should get it tomorrow. I included a check for $2.50 so he can ship it back. Hopefully (as I suspect) over the last couple of years he has gotten a lot better at grinding these bits.

I had a similar experience, again about 2 years ago. I ended up reshaping and sharpening my bit with good results. I bought the bit with the idea that I'd probably have to reshape it anyway so I wasn't terribly disappointed and didn't make an issue out of it. When you consider that at the time I couldn't find a standard 3/4 HSS twist bit for the price he was charging for the shaped one I still think it was a good deal.

I met Trent at Chicago this spring but know several other makers who use and trust his tooling recently. I purchased a chuck and several bits and they are working fine. We chatted for about an hour and he has quite a few friends and customers in the community, several of whom I know and who recommended his work.

I recently bought a French wheel from Trent and can confidently say it is one of the best additions I have ever made to my shop. It has cut my stem and stummel shaping time in half. I think he wants 100 bucks for it. At that price it is a steal.