2 newbie questions

[mathias65]

i feel stupid having to ask both of these questions, but am going to anyway.

first. how does one cut the slot in the end of the stem? i can find specific, fairly easy, tools for almost every function of pipe making, but have found nothing for this yet.

and second, and perhaps more embarrassing. how does one find the true center of a circle? for example the center of a round rod of stem stock. i'm afraid my geometry training is by far too limited, and waaay to far in the past, for me to remember the easy way to figure this out.

[Nick]

There are ots of ways to cut the slot. Most of them involve a drill bit used in a dremal. What works for me is to snip a scroll saw blade in half and cut the slot with this and then widen the slot with a 1/16 bit in the dremal.

No clue about the circle.

[TRS]

Slot: http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Attachments ... px?pid=199

Center: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=65339

[Nick]

Those littel cutters make a nice strait slot, but its too shallow for me. I like my slot pretty deep.

Is it just me, or does that sound kinda dirty?

[Tyler]

Those littel cutters make a nice strait slot, but its too shallow for me. I like my slot pretty deep.

Is it just me, or does that sound kinda dirty?

You just use the slot made by that tool as a guide. You have to find another way to open it up more deeply.

I chuck a small bit in my lathe headstock, and "smear" open the slot using the flutes of the bit to cut. If I need to open it even more, I use a modified jig saw blade. Then I clean that up with files.

[TRS]

I like deep slots too Nick! Nothing like em! I use the cutter to make the intial shape and then a scroll saw blade rigged to a little handle (someone from the forum's idea) to finish it up. I ground the toothless side of the blade to a taper at the tip so it gets into the hole more easily. And my slots have gotten more betterer and proper than the one I sent to you Nick....

[mathias65]

thanks for the info,

i just ordered one of those multi-tools. looks like a pretty useful tool.

i'll go by home depot tomorrow and look into that dremel cutter bit.

[TRS]

thanks for the info,

i just ordered one of those multi-tools. looks like a pretty useful tool.

i'll go by home depot tomorrow and look into that dremel cutter bit.

Yeah mat, every Lowe's, Home Depot and Menard's (sw MI) I've been in has had that cutter. I think it runs about $6-$8.

[LexKY_Pipe]

Don't miss the sticky posted by Kurt. It's a great visual to see how a stem is made from scratch.

[m.c.]

I also grind a piece of saw blade into the shape of a needle file. (Grind the toothless side.) It cuts way faster than a needle file. Grinding such a tool is pretty easy if you use a thin and narrow blade. Producing oodles of sparks by sticking a piece of steel to the wheel beats any Spring Festival fireworks I have ever seen.

Too find the center of a rod, just chuck it on the lathe and drill a tiny hole with a small bit on the tailstock.

[TRS]

Too find the center of a rod, just chuck it on the lathe and drill a tiny hole with a small bit on the tailstock.

I think he's not got a lathe....

[mathias65]

right. no lathe. waaaay beyond my budget.

[Alan L]

right. no lathe. waaaay beyond my budget.

Go to Harbor Freight and get a doohickey called a "center square." It'a V-shaped tool into which you place your rod and scribe a line across the end. Turn the rod about 90 degrees and scribe another line. The point the lines cross is the center.

If you're using roughly square lucite rod, just scribe a line from corner to corner both ways. Same idea.

[jogilli]

you can do it even simpler w/out buying anything... draw four lines .. or a square and then cross the two far ends.. i have a craftsman line drawing thingy.... forget what its called but the thingy works.. I flush the ebonite against the post and draw a square then play connect the far corners... works like a charm..combination square..

james

http://www.woodcraft.com/Catalog/Produc ... 8bcfad87ba