My first pipe

[prolax14]

Hey guys my names Zach Klein and im 19 years old and currently in college. I got interested in pipemaking recently and want to thank you guys for teaching me pretty much everything i know. This is my first pipe please critique it and if u have any advice for me feel free to chip in. My workshop is basically my dorm room, and i am very limited on tools i use. I I made this pipe mostly from carving, sanding with a dremel and hand sanding. I treated the bowl with a buttermilk/sour cream/charcoal mixture. If anyone needs an apprentice let me know =P






I was going to try to do some rutification on my next pipe if anyone has any low cost techniques for that. Also i was wondering if anyone could give me advice on fitting the stem tighter and putting on shank rings.

Thanks
Zach

[Sasquatch]

Given what you are working with, that's come out not bad.

The thing that sticks out is the joint between shank and stem. I'm not sure how you are drilling a mortise and fitting the stem, but if you work real slow you should be able to get a pretty decent fit. Once you do, just leave it there, and file and sand right over top of it to smooth the joint out.


If you have a dremel, just put a small burr on it and tap it on the pipe 1000 times for rusticating.

[prolax14]

yeah im just trying to learn as i go, im gonna try rusticating my next pipe and hopefully invest in some better equipment. A band saw or a lathe would save me plenty of time =D

[ND Pipes]

Sasquatch said it all....

[SWM]

Hi Zach,

looks like a very decent first pipe, congrats!

Best,

Steffen

[wdteipen]

Nice first pipe. To get a better stem/shank fit, keep the stem attached during shaping to keep from rounding the edges.

[prolax14]

yeah i think that was my biggest mistake, i did the shaping of the stummel almost entirely before i even had the stem, than had to adjust. Thanks guys

[DMI]

That's a good start, and most of what needs saying has been.

I would have gone with a saddle stem though, the tapered one you have used looks to big.

When I started out I spent a lot of time on the web looking at pipemakers sites and paying attention to workshop pics and movies, when I saw how they did things I would work out how to do it without the proper equipment. If you look at this thread you'll see a device I came upwith for 'turning' tennons without a lathe.

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5210

[prolax14]

Thanks DMI,
Thats really sweet im gonna have to start fashioning some tools like that, like kurt said "Tools are just tools. What is important is what you do with the tools." i got some more briar on its way ill post my progress. I have been using an air gun stuck in a vice for sanding and buffing wheels. Does anyone have any adive for bending the stem? i boiled the one in this pipe but i had a hell of a time getting it to bend just right. I was thinking of trying a hair dyer or some sort of steaming mechanism for my next one. Any tips?

[ToddJohnson]

Zach,

The final product is not especially successful for anything other than a first pipe. However, the shaping you did to get the pipe to the stage it's in in the second photograph is outstanding. If you took the second photo and plunked in a pre-molded stem, you'd be further on up the road than many who have been doing this for much longer. I'm just curious, what do you think caused you to lose the shape between the rough shaping and the final product?

TJ

[prolax14]

TJ,
I think things really went south when i tryed fitting the stem, i had to reshape the shank a good to to make it fit, than even after it doesnt look right I definantly need to have a stem attached during almost the intire shaping and sanding process, which ive learned was a huge mistake on my part. Hopefully with a buffing wheel i can get a much better finish, i used a dremel with a polishing tip. I have alot to learn in my pipe making hobby and towards the end i cant lie i got impatient and just kind of excited to finish the first one. David was also right when he said the stem i fitted is too large for the stummel, and it even appears that the shank to the stem do not form together perfectly straight. The reshaping kind of messed up the flow of the pipe with the mortise.

Thanks,
Zach Klein

[ToddJohnson]

Yeah, shaping with the stem in the stummel is a must unless you're going to be doing a push bit. If you can repeat what you did with a stem attached, I think you will get some really satisfying results. Keep at it.

Todd

[bandkbrooks]

Love the color of the stain. What process did you use?

[prolax14]

Thank,
I got the rough shape than after some final sanding i stained it mahagony
Buffed with tripoli
Sanded with 400
Stained over it with yellow
added shelac
buffed white diamond
finished with carnauba wax

I would like to see this color combo if you tried it, the colors might be different in the final outcome for me though because i didnt use a proper buffing or sanding tool haha.

-zach klein

[bandkbrooks]

I think I read in a post from TJ or Kurt about using alcohol based dies for the 1st round of staining but then using water based for some of the latter coats. The colors shouldn't bleed together that way.