My number 3

[scotties22]

I drilled this by hand about a month ago and then forgot about it. I found it while I was working on my second pipe and decided to finish it. I did rebend the stem after I took the pictures (thanks Ocelot for the suggestion). I also resanded the chamber to get the stain out. Let me know what you think and if you see anything that needs fixin.











The last picture is a little washed out. Sorry about that, I'm still honing my photo skills

Thanks for looking.

Scottie

[Cory]

Few things I see right off the bat:

1. Stem/shank joint. Gap,mismatched diameters, and conflicting taper. Remember to keep your stem attached when shaping. Not only does this ensure equal (or really close) diameters, but also prevents rounding the edges which is one of the causes of the infamous gap.

2. You need to define the cheeks a bit more. This will also help with the taper problem I mentioned above (most noticeable in pictures 3 and 4).

3. The bottom of the pipe isn't quite symmetrical. If you look at the last picture, the left side could use some sanding/filing to even it out a bit.

4. Also your draft hole comes a bit high in the tobacco chamber - will probably leave some unburned tobacco towards the end of a bowl.

[scotties22]

Thanks Cory,

You are right on all accounts. I gave up on the gap. The more I tried to fix it the worse it got. I didn't face the shank before I fit the stem and it was all downhill from there. I have an apple going now that I paid extra attention to that area and it looks much better. I see what you mean about the cheeks and the bottom of the pipe. I had overlooked both. The draft hole does come into the chamber about 1/8 of an inch too high. I got a little froggy on the drill trigger and went a little deep with the chamber. Thanks for the critique.

Scottie

[PhilipMarc]

The "chin" needs to be taken down.

EDIT: I can't tell if it's the chin that's too large or the front wall that's not even. I'm assuming this is a dublin, and if so the walls should be pretty straight all the way around the bowl, but the front wall is a little convex.
Also the shank is not defined. It's very square; material needs to be taken off the sides of the shank.

[scotties22]

I confess...I sat down and started on this with nary a thought as to what I wanted it to be. Its not really a dublin and not really a freehand. It truly has no design and now I see the fault in that.

[PhilipMarc]

Yeah it's a good idea to have an idea before you get started as to what the pipe will be. Your first pipes will not come out as planned anyway, but it's still a good idea to have a plan, because then your flaws are quantifiable, and you can actually take real steps to getting better. If you don't have a defined shape, there's no right and wrong, and it's all just a matter of opinion, which won't make you a better pipe maker. Master the classics!!!

[Ocelot55]

Yeah it's a good idea to have an idea...

There is a joke in there somewhere...

Scottie,

You and I already talked about this pipe, so I won't rehash all that. I will say that this is an improvement. Pipemaking takes lots of patience and practice, and you already have a great start. Please keep making more!

[PhilipMarc]

Pipemaking takes lots of patience and practice, and you already have a great start. Please keep making more!

I second that. You obviously have some talent; it just needs to be developed. Keep it up!

My last critique (I promise), is that I think the tobacco chamber is too large for this pipe. The chamber walls look a little thin, which is more about function than form. It might be less comfortable to hold while smoking. Did you use 3/4" or 7/8" (or metric equivalent)? In almost ALL of my early pipes, I was using 7/8" because I thought "Well, MORE tobacco is MORE delicious...so I want the biggest chamber commonly in use." I now use 3/4" almost exclusively. Less tobacco, but also more pleasurable to smoke.

[scotties22]

It was a rather large, medium, block of wood. I used a 7/8 bit for the chamber. I made it for my mom and she holds her pipes by the shank, so we might be okay. I did realize, much too late that I had taken the walls down a bit too much....damn that symmetry. I thought about making the chamber shorter, but I really like the skin on the plateaux so I left it as is.

Making more isn't a problem, I am hooked. It's sooooo bad that while I was cooking dinner last night my husband was out rooting through my wood stash looking for a piece to carve. I'll let you know how his turns out. He doesn't want any help, but has cruised my Pimo book quite a few times and does have a good head for things of this nature. Don't worry, I'll post pics.

Scottie

[andrew]

For a third pipe this is good.

Just to stick in your mind for future reference, the slight bulge at the stem/shank junction should be filed down. You want clean smooth lines, especially on a long stem like that. It's just something that sticks out since there is so much stem.

[The Smoking Yeti]

Your mom smokes a pipe?! That is sweet! Does your whole family?

[scotties22]

They will, just as soon as I finish making one for all of them

[Tommi]

Hello,

Pipemaking takes lots of patience and practice, and you already have a great start. Please keep making more!

I think so too. make more and more and more .
Best wishes
Tommi