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The wood I'm using in my "atttempt" at pipe making is harvested by me, on my own land. Not in an effort to "show off," but out of necessity and a pure love for "old school" methods.
I've mastered "skinning" the tree, chipping knots, and almost got the "planing" part down pat.
My question is this; the trees I'm working with are Live Oak, Water Oak, Common Walnut, Japanese Walnut and oddly enough... persimmon. Would a hard wood chain be suggested to possibly make the planing smoother? I currently have a pulp wood chain (came on the saw when I bought it)
I know that sounds like a no-brainer, but my concern is that the hard wood chain would bite too hard. In other words, if I were floating my first side and hit a pit, that it would dig in and ruin that block.
Thanks in advance

I have no idea what you are talking about.

Why not just cut it square on a band saw? 2-2.5"H x 2-2.5"W x 3"-4"L will make a pipe.

Rad

I agree. While I'm one to maximize my usage of any tool, when you are talking about making a pipe, you are using a piece of wood 3" long. As far as I know, you are not going to "plane" anything smooth enough to worry about "pits", with a chain saw.

What I'm referring to as planing, may be referenced wrong.
The process I'm using, is basically shaping a round piece of timber into a cube, so that it can be shaped easier once you actually start the pipe making process. Some do this with a band saw, but seeing as how I don't currently have a bandsaw, this is the method I chose.
I'm also working with larger blocks, because I intend to make a solid pipe, billet if you will. May not be everyone's cup of tea, but I like the idea

Sounds interesting. You have to understand that many of us here have never been wood workers, so some of your terms are not familiar.

I never worked with wood at all until I started making pipes, and pipe making usually doesn't involve what most would think of as wood working tools. Most of us just make up stuff.

Rad

That's cool, I really haven't either. I've just been trying to adapt a lot of the old school methods. The "chain saw planing" is something I learned out of necessity and has been very handy over the years.
We've had to use it to "create" 2X6's and whatnot while putting up deer stands and whatnot.
It's a pretty cool trick, although some claim it's "unsafe," if you keep your wits about you, it really isn't.
All you do is with the tree/limb/whatever it is that needs flat sides for your use, lay it horizontally and hold the saw like you were going to cut the vertically, start the saw, only when you make contact, move the saw across the wood horizontally.
The key thing here, is to check for knots, with a chainsaw going laterally they're like a block wall. To get them out of the way, simply lift the saw off of the wood, and *gently* set it on top of the knot. Repeat this across the knot until it evens out with the rest of the wood around it, then it's back to business.
I usually prop the end I'm working with

Thanks fopr the info!

Rad

I've done chainsaw planing before, as well as planKing, but never on anything smaller than 12 inches across. I've never used any special chains for it, just whatever I can get at the small engine shop.

Ok, thanks!
Most of what I'm planing by chainsaw is between 10-18" across. On the larger ones I usually just cut from the end of the timber going with the grain on 4 sides to block it then cut through at the base of the block resulting in 1 block and 4 pieces smoothed on one side. I like that method because I can get the block I need, and the 4 straight cut sides can be used for sign making, wedges, etc,.
I try to use as much of the wood as possible, I hate wasting it, and I've already got enought firewood to choke a mule,
Thanks again!

Rad,

You jackass, you got us moderated with all your nonsense. Now all the broadly applicable and unquestionably helpful information I posted has been removed by Kurt, and no one can read it. I hope you step in a giant tar-ball and get stuck! Jerk.

TJ

P.S. "I'm pretty good with a bow-staff," but my chain-saw skills are questionable.

I didn't intend to get it moderated.
I'll keep an eye out far that tar though, just for you
lol

Dixie_piper wrote:I didn't intend to get it moderated.
I'll keep an eye out far that tar though, just for you
lol

You should be okay in Georgia, but Rad's on the Alabama gulf coast, and has tar-balls coming out his ears. He's been collecting them to coat all his pipe bowls with. Consequently, if you're going to make any pipes out of Oak, you might need to use some of it to make pitch. Otherwise the pipe will leak. The first pipe I ever made was one piece, and made from Walnut. It had a flat bottomed bowl that I bored with a forstner bit. Next I tried a piece of Oak . . . it didn't work. When you held your hand over the bowl to "pressure test" it, you could actually breathe normally right through it. The capillaries are too big, and while it's very hard, it's too porous. Good luck.

TJ

Thanks! Some very useful info there, I appreciate it.
I'm honestly using oak first because 1) I have tons of it 2) to avoid wasting my walnut on first step mistakes.
Now, forgive my ignorance, but when you said I may need tar to make pitch with the oak pipes, what does that mean? Sorry again for my ignorance.
May be helpful to know, just in case this first oak pipe turns out to be half decent (which I hope for, but not expecting a miracle, lol)
Also, you said your first pipe was Walnut, do you know what kind? (i.e. Japanese, common, etc.,) because I know some forms have softer wood than others. Most of mine I believe are common, so friggin hard to "identify" the subtle differences in Walnut.
Thanks again!

ToddJohnson wrote:Now all the broadly applicable and unquestionably helpful information I posted has been removed by Kurt, and no one can read it. I hope you step in a giant tar-ball and get stuck! Jerk.

Actually, it wasn't me. It was another moderator, but I don't know who.

KurtHuhn wrote:

ToddJohnson wrote:Now all the broadly applicable and unquestionably helpful information I posted has been removed by Kurt, and no one can read it. I hope you step in a giant tar-ball and get stuck! Jerk.

Actually, it wasn't me. It was another moderator, but I don't know who.

There's more than one moderator? Apparently one of them doesn't have a sense of humor, because Rad's post was a riot! Where was this other moderator when smelly ebonite guy showed up? Somebody needs to go to moderator school, I think.

TJ

ToddJohnson wrote:There's more than one moderator? Apparently one of them doesn't have a sense of humor, because Rad's post was a riot! Where was this other moderator when smelly ebonite guy showed up? Somebody needs to go to moderator school, I think.

There's a few of them in addition to myself and Tyler, added here and there. I've since been approached by the moderator in question, and no they were not amused. The term "childish" was used in reference to your first post in this thread, so they decided to simply remove everything after it - including a post of mine.

Beyond that, I don't think insulting someone's moderating abilities is really necessary.

Beyond that, I don't think insulting someone's moderating abilities is really necessary.

Bullshit. If this forum is going to become Smokers Forum where any moderator can delete posts on a whim, then I'm done.

Rad

RadDavis wrote: Bullshit. If this forum is going to become Smokers Forum where any moderator can delete posts on a whim, then I'm done.

Moderators have the power to maintain a polite and helpful atmosphere. If you are unwilling to work within those parameters, then I bid you "Adieu". Humor at the expense of others, as well as childish behavior, is not permitted. This is a forum designed to aid those that want to learn about pipemaking in all its forms. I maintain and promote this forum as a place for all to learn, where there are no silly questions, and where nobody should be afraid to ask any question.

I thank you for your contributions, and I hope you reconsider.

I'm not taking sides here (I think), but there have been quite a few threads that got nasty and weren't moderated...this one was fairly harmless. Maybe not amusing to all, but not such a big deal compared to some, and it was intended as humor.

If moderation isn't used when things get legitimately nasty, it shouldn't be used because something is perceived as "childish". That sets a moderation precedent that could change the nature of this forum in a negative way. This is just my opinion...and we all know about those, but it serves none of us to run folks off, especially those with lots of experience. Sometimes the humor is unkind, but it's also what gives this place so much of it's positive character.

- Micah