Pipe Fails!

[SchmidtN]

So, Sas hunted me down last night because he wanted to chat with me and figure out how he could get his pipes up to my level of craftsmanship. After imparting a little knowledge on him the conversation delved into girls, beer and anything else that popped into our heads. During that time we decided that what this forum needs is a topic dedicated to blocks of wood that just did not want to become a pipe.

Here we go: Pipe Fails!

First up is my very first pipe. It was a cheap-o piece of briar and had a pretty big sand pit in the tobacco chamber. This pipe was never going to be sold, but it definitely wanted to be a shop pipe.



Next up is a pipe fail that is ALL Sas' fault. He goaded a bunch of us into making a pipe he knew was impossible to do. OK, so maybe it was just a little bad luck, but I broke this pipe nonetheless. The shank cracked and I didn't notice it until I went to stain the grain.


Also, last summer I broke a 1/8th drill bit and sent the broken stub into my finger...


So there you go... pipe fails. Feel free to add your own pipe fails to list... it'll set you free.

[Growley]

I'm confused by this topic. Maybe that's because I've never had a pipe fail I wish that were true. When I first started making pipes way back, about 8 months ago, I was making pipes and fails at the rate of about 50/50! I've love to be able to blame the briar on all of my fails, but alas, I can't.

[SchmidtN]

Just a place to vent about blocks of wood that didn't want to become a pipe.

[Sasquatch]

Burnouts and misdrills and blocks with big holes in
These are just some of my favorite things...

[Blueb3]

Do I even dare ask wtf happened in the 3rd pic?

[SchmidtN]

An air hole that never found the bottom of the tobacco chamber is my guess.

[Ocelot55]

Seeing all that beautiful briar really makes me cringe!

That's why I use the cheap ones...I would probably commit Seppuku with a Frisbee if I screwed up a $40 Tuscan Plateau.

[Sasquatch]

Do I even dare ask wtf happened in the 3rd pic?

Just a little flaw in the wood. Hit it with a dremel, it got bigger. Tried a drill, it got bigger. It just went from the bottom of the block right to the middle. Real shit sandwich cuz it was a nice looking block.

[d.huber]

Burnouts and misdrills and blocks with big holes in
These are just some of my favorite things...

Wait, what's wrong with this one?

[d.huber]

So far I've only completed one pipe without screwing it up along the way or completely destroying it. I just like to keep things interesting.

Fail #1!



Fail #2!



Fail #3!



I'm still trying to figure out what I did wrong with that last one.

[wdteipen]

Can bad stems be included in this thread? If so, here's a recent debacle:

Thing 1:


Thing 2:

[Sasquatch]

Wait, what's wrong with this one?

That looked like that after 1/2 a bowl was smoked. It just cracked and spiderwebbed all over the very bottom of the bowl. Bad briar? User Error? Dunno. But the Sasquatch warranty is pretty all-encompassing (once).

[wmolaw]

Now this is a subject thread in which I can participate! Let me take some pics over the next couple of days.

Love it!

[Massis]

Worst 2 fails so far were one where I sanded into the chamber and two: I drilled an airway with a 3mm and then wanted to enlarge it to 3.5mm, but misaligned the block.
I only noticed when I sanded into the airway.
Looked down into the airway and couldn't see any light coming through, untill I tilted the block slightly further down and noticed my second airway which I had sanded into

Hey, that's why I use $5 ebauchons from Jaume for now...

[archaggelosmichail]

I drilled an airway with a 3mm and then wanted to enlarge it to 3.5mm, but misaligned the block.

Thats a jod that it must be done with a hand chuck, you can't miss it that way.

[Massis]

I drilled an airway with a 3mm and then wanted to enlarge it to 3.5mm, but misaligned the block.

Thats a jod that it must be done with a hand chuck, you can't miss it that way.

Yeah, I know that now

Strangely enough, I can't seem to measure blocks. Every time I measure airway alignment etc, my drilling is off by a few mm. When I drill the airway by eye, I get dead center every time! (not that I have a big sample size...)

[wmolaw]

This was, I think, my second briar pipe. I got overly aggressive in drilling the air hole. When I drilled the tobacco chamber it seemed perfect.

Then I began to shape and sand and lo and behold, I hit the extended drill hole! What a dope.

I was going to throw it away until I saw a pipe in the oom paul contest where the carver had put in a brass plug/screw. That got me thinking and I bought some brass machine screws,found one that fit, screwed it in and ground it down. It looks GREAT, a lot better than in the pictures.

As to the pipe, I know, way too much material. The bit was one from an old pipe. I have been thinking of redoing this pipe, especially the shank and putting a new stem on it, but not sure.







So, I have you guys to thank for me not wasting a piece of briar and a ton of time.

And I sure as hell learned to be very careful as to the depth I drill the air hole!

[archaggelosmichail]

Just at the time that i was going to stain the pipe....

[wmolaw]

Damn! What is the first picture?

[Charl]

Damn!