Second pipe - First Billiard Attempt

[jdkearns]

Second Pipe, first attempt at a billiard. Ebauchon block, Giudici stem, delrin tenon and lots of cussing...

Yes, there is some sand pitting and a flaw or three, and I was going to attempt to rusticate, but the pipe has been spoken for (lucky father in law!) and he wants it as is. The stem is a bit thick for me - but the old man like to chew a stem! I know we just had a billiard contest, but I'd love feedback anyway as I want to dive into the classical shapes, and - I really just don't have the developed eye for this yet!

Thanks all for looking - bash away!

John

[Ocelot55]

That's a very pretty pipe. It has some nice grain too. For your first billiard that looks very good. I personally think you overdid the beveled rim. Some is nice, like on a Dunhill rubybark, that looks like a little too much, IMHO.

Other than that, I still think you can remove more material from the back side of the bowl (the front for some troublemakers here). I say this as I am holding up a perfectly proportioned Ashton billiard to compare.

Your father in law should be proud of that one. I hope it brings him many years of enjoyment! Keep em coming!

[Joe Hinkle Pipes]

Looks good for a second pipe. The biggest thing that sticks out is the length and shape of the stem. It looks like a cartoon character streched it like a rubber band. It abruptly tapers then kind of maintains that taper through the rest of the stem. The stummel shows a lot of the same issues i had when making my my first few billiards. Sasquatch gave a tip to use a file to shape the shank to stem transition which results in A tighter tapered look, giving the pipe some elegance rather than the wavy result I was getting. As you make A few more in the same family you will realize how far to go in shaping certain areas like the area between the bowl and the top side of the shank. As you make more those things seem to smooth themselves out As you eye for proportion grows.

[jdkearns]

The biggest thing that sticks out is the length and shape of the stem. It looks like a cartoon character streched it like a rubber band. It abruptly tapers then kind of maintains that taper through the rest of the stem.

That made me laugh, and you are exactly correct! Unfortunately, I have a few more of those pre-molded stem laying around. They didn't look that bad until I put it with the shank... live and learn I guess.

The stummel shows a lot of the same issues i had when making my my first few billiards. Sasquatch gave a tip to use a file to shape the shank to stem transition which results in A tighter tapered look, giving the pipe some elegance rather than the wavy result I was getting.

Thanks, for some reason, it seemed harder to cut more away, even though every time I did it looked better. Prolly just cause I'm new to all of this and I was afraid to cut too deep in any one area and ruin it, but after perusing some classic billiards - I must agree! What type of file/rasp would you recommend?

As you make A few more in the same family you will realize how far to go in shaping certain areas like the area between the bowl and the top side of the shank. As you make more those things seem to smooth themselves out As you eye for proportion grows.

I hope you're right... My eye and knowledge of pipe aesthetics just isn't there - but I love smoking them and I'm having a heck of a good time destroying wood!

Thanks for your time and input,

John

[Sasquatch]

It takes awhile to develop the eye, and longer yet to convert those messages to the hands. But it does come. Even came to me, eventually.


As for files and shank shaping, the rule I like to utilize in the shop is 99% of the time, hand tools are best at making the shape that they themselves are. So if you want a broad flat area, you choose a broad, flat file. If you want a tight round area, you choose a tight round file. The tools take care of a lot if you choose them right. A big flat file just won't leave any humps behind because... well, it sounds stupid, but because it's broad and flat.

I do most of that finish-shaping with 3 files. I have a file that's about 1 1/4" wide and about 10" long, and it leaves a pretty smooth cut. I think it's actually for sharpening axes. I have a rasp that is really aggressive and flat on one side and round on the other (a half-round rasp) and I have a tapered round rasp that is maybe 1/4" diameter at the smallest and probably pushing into 1/2" at the handle end. These allow just about every shape to be trimmed down, smoothed out, and cut fairly sharply.

You can do it with a dremel, you can do it on a french wheel if you have the skill, but to start, files will allow great control and don't cost arms and legs (literally or figuratively).

[jdkearns]

Sas - thanks! I have one combination rasp/file that I don't really use all that much. I was lucky enough to buy an older Jet 1014 for really cheap, and the owner was a retired salesman from Emerson (?) motors, who made the original Daytons before they bought from China. Anyway, boring story long, He threw in 3 of his old motors with the deal - said I was helping him clean out his garage. The best one (1/2hp, 1725rpm), I'm using as a french wheel. It saves A LOT of time - although I feel that it's way to aggressive for my skill level after rough shaping, although I find myself more and more comfortable with it as I go. I do have a set of microfiles that I'm using on buttons, and quite frankly, I'm really just learning all of this stuff. My background, unlike most of you fellers, has very little "shop" experience - so most of this is new to me except a long remembered wood shop class 25 years ago.

And I was lucky to survive that with all my parts attached...