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Anyone have any bright ideas for cutting the rings in bulldog/rhodesian strummels without using a lathe? I make all my pipes with a drill press and sanding disc. The only thing I've never figured out is a method to cut the rings. bob gilbert

I used masking tape and a pen to draw the lines on the stummel, then used a triangle file and needle files to create the rings. It's tricky and takes time, but it works.

I may be thinking way outside the box here, but I bet you could make some sort of jam chuck to fit the pipe bowl over and use your drill press as a lathe.

Or you could buy a cheap used lathe and an inexpensive chuck and do the same thing. Make a jam chuck.

Not to be insulting here, but in case you don't know a jam chuck is simply a piece of wood cut just small enough to be a tight friction fit to the inside of the bowl, thus able to hold the rotating bowl while you make gentle cuts.

Todd

How do you clean the jam off the pipe after?


Actually I hate to say it but I think Harris is right. Rig up a way to spin the stummel on the drill press, and at the very least it will let you draw lines which you could saw/carve later, and you might be able to groove the thing that way too....

Sasquatch wrote:How do you clean the jam off the pipe after?

No reason to clean off the jam. Just add peanut butter!

Todd

staffwalker wrote:Anyone have any bright ideas for cutting the rings in bulldog/rhodesian strummels without using a lathe? I make all my pipes with a drill press and sanding disc. The only thing I've never figured out is a method to cut the rings. bob gilbert

If you're using a spade bit, make a dowel to fit into the smoke hole and chuck. While spinning, in the dowel, cut your rings.
If using a bit, slide the pipe onto the bit, cut the rings.
You can fit any device to set your height, or just rely on steady hands.
You can do this! You're accomplished and this should be easy!

taharris wrote:I may be thinking way outside the box here, but I bet you could make some sort of jam chuck to fit the pipe bowl over and use your drill press as a lathe.

Or you could buy a cheap used lathe and an inexpensive chuck and do the same thing. Make a jam chuck.

Not to be insulting here, but in case you don't know a jam chuck is simply a piece of wood cut just small enough to be a tight friction fit to the inside of the bowl, thus able to hold the rotating bowl while you make gentle cuts.

Todd

I have used the DP in the past but with a somewhat different method. I put the tool everyone uses to cut the bit slot, in the chuck of the DP. Then I've clamp the stummel in a heavy vise, making sure everything is level, I then slide the vise on the DP table into the spinning tool and using both hands turn/slide the vice in a circle with the strummel contacting the tool for 360 degrees. It's difficult but it works. I would like to find another method.

Glad you told me what a jam chuck is, I didn't know. bob gilbert

baweaverpipes wrote:

staffwalker wrote:Anyone have any bright ideas for cutting the rings in bulldog/rhodesian strummels without using a lathe? I make all my pipes with a drill press and sanding disc. The only thing I've never figured out is a method to cut the rings. bob gilbert

If you're using a spade bit, make a dowel to fit into the smoke hole and chuck. While spinning, in the dowel, cut your rings.
If using a bit, slide the pipe onto the bit, cut the rings.
You can fit any device to set your height, or just rely on steady hands.
You can do this! You're accomplished and this should be easy!

Thanks for the vote of confidence. See you in St Louis? bob gilbert

Wuss Beaver is just trying to suck up to you, Bob. I don't know why, but don't be deceived. He is a blatherskite.

Rad

RadDavis wrote:Wuss Beaver is just trying to suck up to you, Bob. I don't know why, but don't be deceived. He is a blatherskite.

Rad

Hmmm. Could it be because I'm such a good looking young fellow?

RadDavis wrote: He is a blatherskite.

Rad

OH DAMN. Looks like its ON NOW

This might be the most stupid idea ever but here it goes;)

If you make some kind of devise like this, with a hard, sharpened metal screw from the side. Then you might be able to screw the screw into contact with the wood and spin the drill press, screw in into the scratched surface, and continue like that until you basically get a turned slit into the surface.



I made a similar device for cutting a tenon once and it worked OK although some refining were necessary.

/Jon