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I just finished watching the How It's Made of Dunhill pipes. They use a grinding wheel for stem shaping, or at least just for the button. I'm curious if any of you guys use or have tried a grinding wheel for stem shaping. I'm using a 1" belt sander at the moment. When I'm shaping up near the button the belt flexes and forms a concave, I then use a file to bring it flat. Is a grinding wheel worth trying, or am I wasting my time?

Abe

I use a 1" belt to rough it in, then switch to a double cut bastard (no really, that's what it's called) file to get it to the final shape. A smooth single cut file is used to take out the tooling marks from the bastard file, then I switch to nail files.

Me too. A "safe edge" file, with no teeth on the edges, does a quick job of it.

With the 1/30" belt, I set mine so that it rides right on or just past the edge of the metal backing plate, so I can "hang" the button past the belt but still have support behind the belt - functions very much the way a grinder would.

So I'd say you could set up a grinder to do what you want done, but as Kurt says, you can only get so close on the powered tools anyhow - sooner or later you move to a series of files.

I've been using a grinding wheel, the 60 grit Aluminum oxide thing, with some degree of success.
My grinder is one speed 3450 rpm, so a really light and careful hand is needed, but its nice and rigid, no flex.
mini files are a godsend for the button though.

Thanks for your thoughts fellas. I had been shaping above the backing plate and the belt was flexing a bit. I'll play around with adjusting the belt sander. See how that goes, but I'm sure my problem is I need more practice.

I use a 1x30 belt with the backing plate removed. I like some flex.

Tyler wrote:I use a 1x30 belt with the backing plate removed. I like some flex.

Me too, but mine's bigger than yours. I use a 1x82 belt.

Rad

Tyler wrote:I use a 1x30 belt with the backing plate removed. I like some flex.

That's your whole problem! You're welcome.

So small and flexible is bad?



Dang.