Layout on block

TRS · Post by **TRS** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:40 pm

Hi everyone. I'll start off by thanking you all now; this is my first post but I've been reading and digging and reading all week and this forum is an amazing resource. I'm gearing up to try my first pipe shortly and trying to get as much information as possible. Please bear with me, I'm a total novice with woodworking and the tools involved.

My first of many questions involves layouts, and I didn't seem to find much on the subject. How do you place a layout on the briar block? I've seen what looks to me like a drawing on just one side and also the side/front/top/back drawings. Ugh, sorry it's a bit of a vague question.... thanks!

SimeonTurner · Post by **SimeonTurner** » Sun May 31, 2009 5:07 pm

Hello and welcome!

There's a lot of ways to lay your pipe out, and it depends somewhat on your personal preference. I think it is safe to say that most people do it in the way you described; drawing the general layout of the pipe on one side of the block.

If you are making a standard shaped pipe rather than a freehand, it is usually a good idea to make a general sketch of the shape as you want it to look on the side of the block (make sure you have squared all sides of the block before doing this). Then, once you have what you think is a good looking rough sketch, layout your tobacco chamber, smoke hole, and mortise so as to accommodate the shape of your sketch. Sometimes you will find that this is tricky, as the shape you draw may not accommodate the angles needed to make your tobacco chamber and smoke hole line up properly, so I suggest using a light touch with a pencil that you can easily erase.

I tend to do all of my measuring in millimeters rather than inches, just because it is easier to work with nice round numbers, but that's just a personal preference. I also typically will measure my drilling lines for the appropriate depth and scribble those measurements right onto the pipe so I can see them easily as I start my drilling.

If you haven't already, I suggest you check out the pipemaking book that PIMO sells. It is actually quite useful for learning the ropes of layout, drilling, etc. I think as time goes on, if you keep making pipes, lots of the PIMO info gets pushed aside as you develop your own personal tricks, techniques, and style, but it is a great place to start, especially if you are relatively new to woodworking in general.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Sun May 31, 2009 5:10 pm

To start off, you may try simply drawing pipes in a sketchbook. This is actually a lot more helpful than it sounds - trust me it sounds boring, but isn't. Then, when you get a few drawings that you like, try adding in the axes for the tobacco chamber, airway, and mortis - and try to get everything lined up.

When transferring this to a block of wood, I typically just draw the pipe on one side and work off of that - though I am primarily a "drill first" kind of guy, so that method works well for me. Other makers might not draw on the block at all.

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Sun May 31, 2009 5:15 pm

SimeonTurner wrote: I tend to do all of my measuring in millimeters rather than inches, just because it is easier to work with nice round numbers, but that's just a personal preference.

I actually do too. I started using them initially because of my European customer base, but quickly found metric to be far more comfortable to use and get accurate measurements. Not necessarily needed for making pipes, but in some of the other things I make, it's a necessity.

If you haven't already, I suggest you check out the pipemaking book that PIMO sells. It is actually quite useful for learning the ropes of layout, drilling, etc. I think as time goes on, if you keep making pipes, lots of the PIMO info gets pushed aside as you develop your own personal tricks, techniques, and style, but it is a great place to start, especially if you are relatively new to woodworking in general.

Excellent advice! The PIMO book is, in no uncertain terms, an absolute treasure trove for beginning pipe makers.

TRS · Post by **TRS** » Sun May 31, 2009 5:45 pm

KurtHuhn wrote:To start off, you may try simply drawing pipes in a sketchbook. This is actually a lot more helpful than it sounds - trust me it sounds boring, but isn't.

Strangely, I already do this for fun.

Thanks for the quick replies! I ordered the PIMO book a few days ago, should be here any day. Good to hear it covers this issue.

SimeonTurner · Post by **SimeonTurner** » Sun May 31, 2009 6:03 pm

The PIMO book will be really helpful for you.

I know some pipemakers actually draw every pipe out on graph paper and then literally cut the shape out and transfer it to the block. Others draw it out in a sketch book and then make a similar drawing on the side of the block. Like Kurt said, some don't even draw out a shape at all (this is especially true with freehand pipes where the pipemaker is trying to let the wood guide the shape based on the grain).

Looking forward to seeing pictures of your early efforts!

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Sun May 31, 2009 6:11 pm

I don't do any measuring at all, sure as hell not in millimetres!

Depending on your tools.....

I square up a block first. Run it through the table saw, cut the angled bits on a chop saw. Then I have a nice easy thing to work on. Obviously, i leave the lumpy plateaux surface alone....

I will draw a pipe up, cut it out, and trace the shape in the appropriate way on the block, and then I will make some cuts on the block which help to drill.... I will cut the thing on the bottom side to be perpendicular to the chamber hole, and often cut the "front end" of the block perpendicular to the angle of the airway. This allows the thing to sit flat in a vise and be at the correct angle for drilling. I am a dummy, so I try to make things easy!

I will draw a picture and post it.

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Sun May 31, 2009 6:18 pm

Let's try this:

Danskpibemager · Post by **Danskpibemager** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:07 pm

I lay everything out on paper, the design, centerlines, mortise, airway and tobacco chamber and then cut it out and use double stick tape so I can orientate the shape to the best grain direction on the block and stick it to it. Once all the holes are bored I cut the shape out on the bandsaw and then hit the sanding disk. Works like a charm every time.
Regards and welcome to the world of pipe making!
Kevin

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:55 am

I use CorelDraw to get the exact profile shape and size that I want, including the chamber, draught hole and mortise centre lines. I then print it out and glue it to the side of the block with regular white glue.

pierredekat · Post by **pierredekat** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 6:31 am

Frank wrote:I use CorelDraw to get the exact profile shape and size that I want, including the chamber, draught hole and mortise centre lines. I then print it out and glue it to the side of the block with regular white glue.

I don't know why I never thought to use glue before, you know.

Here, I've been using tape. But the big problem with tape is that, as you work your way toward the lines, the tape disappears. Unless you re-tape along the way, your layout comes loose.

Woohoo, no more re-taping! Thanks, Frank!

LexKY_Pipe · Post by **LexKY_Pipe** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:24 am

Really helpful comments guys. Thanks.

smokindawg · Post by **smokindawg** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 5:02 am

Before I draw on the block, I actually trace the shape and size of the block on a piece of paper and then draw on that. I can make changes easily and not have to sand the drawing off the block to make any changes I may need to make. This works best for me as a novice and may not work for everyone.

alan · Post by **alan** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 10:11 am

I'm still in my first year of pipe making, and I gotta agree that getting PIMO's book was a great move. Looking at the pipes I was turning out at the time, I can see a definite difference between anything made before reading the book and the pipes that I started making immediately after reading. The book is pretty cheap too.

Reading the book will also really help you in understanding what you are reading on this forum. By the time I finished it I had a big red spot on my forehead due to a bunch of d'oh moments

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 2:18 pm

pierredekat wrote:Woohoo, no more re-taping! Thanks, Frank!

My pleasure, Robert. Occasionally my strange ideas actually work.

smokindawg wrote:Before I draw on the block, I actually trace the shape and size of the block on a piece of paper and then draw on that. I can make changes easily and not have to sand the drawing off the block to make any changes I may need to make.

I scan the block, then use the scanned image in CorelDraw to fit the pipe shape to the block.

TRS · Post by **TRS** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 2:19 pm

alan wrote:Reading the book will also really help you in understanding what you are reading on this forum. By the time I finished it I had a big red spot on my forehead due to a bunch of d'oh moments

Yeah, for about a week I've been reading and reading through this forum. I got the book the other day and have been reading through it over and over. I'm beginning to have a very good understanding of the process. Now to assemble the materials!

And a hearty thank you to everyone on this forum! Every time I come up with a question, 5 minutes of searching here reveals the answer. Exemplary!

FredS · Post by **FredS** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 5:16 pm

Frank wrote:I scan the block, then use the scanned image in CorelDraw to fit the pipe shape to the block.

I scan mine too. Not with a cheesy flatbed scanner though. I use a stereophinc laserizer to generate an electronic point cloud. Then I import that into my ProEngineer solid modeling program and generate a rasterized 3D model. Then I experiment with different designs until I find the one that makes best use of the briar. Then I export an SLA file to my sterolithograpy machine so I can make a full scale prototype. If it looks good, I'll fire up the MasterCAM program and import the file to generate tooling offsets and toolpaths for the 5-axis CNC machining center. From there it's a simple matter of fixturing the block and pressing the green button. It only take me 10 minute to make the pipe. It takes 40~50 hours to do the prep work though.

Makes me feel good at the end of the day to look at a pipe I created with my own hands.

ckr · Post by **ckr** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 5:42 pm

LOL Fred,

I am somewhat surprised you didn't correlate ultrasound imaging of the block into MasterCAM to avoid pits. Dude, you really got to get with the times.

FredS · Post by **FredS** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 5:56 pm

You can do that?

Talk about gettin' with the times - why are we still whittling on chunks of wood from a dead bush anyway? I'm thinking about just canning briar altogather and making the entire pipe from acylic. Natural materials and "hand made" pipes are over-rated.

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 6:12 pm

FredS wrote:
Frank wrote:I scan the block, then use the scanned image in CorelDraw to fit the pipe shape to the block.
I scan mine too. Not with a cheesy flatbed scanner though. I use a stereophinc laserizer to generate an electronic point cloud. Then I import that into my ProEngineer solid modeling program and generate a rasterized 3D model. Then I experiment with different designs until I find the one that makes best use of the briar. Then I export an SLA file to my sterolithograpy machine so I can make a full scale prototype. If it looks good, I'll fire up the MasterCAM program and import the file to generate tooling offsets and toolpaths for the 5-axis CNC machining center. From there it's a simple matter of fixturing the block and pressing the green button. It only take me 10 minute to make the pipe. It takes 40~50 hours to do the prep work though.

Makes me feel good at the end of the day to look at a pipe I created with my own hands.

ROFL! I just sprayed single malt everywhere! Only another engineer would ever get that!