I Is A Pipesmaker, And You Can Too

[Alden]

Well, I just got power to my shop last Monday. Tuesday was too busy to work, Wednesday I spent the day moving in and setting up my lathe, and Thursday....oh Thursday. Turned my first briar pipe on Thursday !
I have to say I've never used the phrase "this is better than sex" but I may have found something as good. This pipemaking thing is pretty sweet!
I wanted to bring something I made to Chicago, so I started 4 pipes. The first three are coming along, the third developed a fissure through the side of the bowl.
Right now I have 3 drilled and rough shaped pipes with stems. A Cutty, a Billiard and a Cherrywood/Poker nosewarmer.
Three and a half more days to finish them up !
Heres a few shots of progress

[Sasquatch]

Those are lookin' pretty sweet man.

It's not better than really good sex, but it's better than those times in the morning where you work away at it and ... well, never mind.

[Ocelot55]

...I want a lathe!

[Alden]

Thanks Sas ! A little encouragement goes a long way. Like this morning when my wife said "Hurry up you freaking neanderthal, what is wrong with you"
For my first effort, I'm pretty dang happy so far. The chamber on the Billiard is drilled at too much of an angle, and I've already got the bowl too small for what I wanted to do. I'm afraid I'll need to sand down that beautiful shank to match the smaller than expected bowl.
The Cutty is coming along nicely and the Cherrywood is coming out way nicer than I expected.
All I have to do now is NOT screw them up filing and sanding, and I think my first 3 will be pretty nice pipes.
Ocelot, get a lathe dude ! Its so damn easy to shape and drill a pipe, its not even funny. Buy one.

[Sasquatch]

LOL My wife rolled over and whispered in my ear: "Get the fuck out of here and go back to your room, pig."


Yeah the shank on the billiard is thick now, knock it down by almost half I'd say, and you'll have a really sharp pipe.

[Alden]

Yeah the shank on the billiard is thick now, knock it down by almost half I'd say, and you'll have a really sharp pipe.

Will do.
I wish I had gotten the bowl right, I like how the shank looks but it wont be right with a small bowl. I didnt think I'd have much problem shaping a billiard, but it is harder than it looks. Next time I'll know to leave more wood as I'm roughing it out, but I'll have a mental picture of where I'm trying to go with it too. That was my biggest problem, not knowing the steps to coax the shape out of the block.
Necks time it be mo' better.

[Alden]

"Get the fuck out of here and go back to your room, pig."

The whispered sweet nothings of true love
Why does Charlie Sheen cry during sex ?
Mace will do that to you...

[Alden]

Its looking mo' like a pipe.
I wish I left more belly underneath the bowl. Dont know for sure how thin it is, but enough to worry me.