random wrote:[Hmmm. When I go to the bandsaw I take off bulk; I try not to go closer than 1/8" to what I see as the pipe, and try to stay within 1/4" of it. I shape with a Foredom -- using the right handpieces and the right bits makes a big difference there, it usually takes about half an hour plus think-time to get the basic shape. Think time varies with the piece, for some it's negligible and for others there's some pondering going on.
That's one place where I've found that I could save significant time. It usually only taks me about 15-20 minutes to rough in the pipe shape on the belt grinder. I use a 36 or 60 grit wheel for that (though recently I've been using 120-grit), just to facilitate quick material removal. I don't worry in the least about getting the final shape here. All I want is to get it close enough so that the wheel can take over.
Most of my pondering is done before I even drill. I examine the block, draw a shape on it, and let it grow from there. I keep my options open just in case, but the basic shape will always come through.
I think most of my time is spent on fine shaping and finishing. I do a lot of file-work, and all my sanding is done by hand. I'm still the slowest at finishing because that's an area where I'm still developing skills so there is a good bit of think-time about order of operations and so forth.
I can't recall the last time I used a file on briar. For operations like that, I use a flex-shaft tool with a fast cutting woodcarving bit - one of those structured carbide burrs. I'll usually use a fine grit bit, just to be sure I don't need to do too much sanding in there. "There" is usually the bowl/shank junction.
You use a wheel of some kind for finalizing shape. What happens between that and buffing?
Since my wheel is very configurable (soft or hard backing and grits up to 1200) I find that I don't need to do much between the wheel and the buffer. Once in a while I'll use a piece of 600-grit paper on the pipe while it's stuck ona dowel to clean things up, but that's fairly rare, and usually only done when the shape of the pipe makes using the sanding disk difficult.
What about stems, are you hand-cutting yours? When I make the initial cuts for the bit it usually takes 45 minutes to an hour, I do it with a file and have a tolerance of .002" on wall thickness at the bit. I used to use the Foredom for the initial cut, but found that I was losing a lot of rod that way, it's tough to keep two cuts parallel with a rotary grinder and get the wall thickness down while keeping a .002" tolerance.
Yes and no. On my Countryman pipes I use a molded stem. The mid-grade could get either. The high-grade pipes get only hand-cut stems. Even the factory stems are highly modified, so this does take time. However, I don't shape the stem separately from the pipe, I shape it at the same I'm roughing in the stummel - with the belt grinder, and then fine-tuned with the wheel. It takes nearly no time to di it that way. Maybe a couple seconds. If I need to shape a stem on the lathe, it might take 10 minutes, plus a few seconds with the grinder. I usually use a file on stems just to clean it up with, and to get in those areas where the sander can't reach. I'll also use strips of sandpaper on stems, but only in tight places and next to the button.
Since each one of the stems gets modified in some way, that takes some time investment, but the savings are realized later. For instance, these days I only use delrin tenons. That saves me a huge amount of time in fitting stems to stummels. I also open up the airway considerably - I may have detailed that in another post.
Some stems get a trim ring - in fact, it's rare to see me do a pipe without one these days. That might take time, but more than makes up for it in dollars earned.
Retailers. If you have a $200 pipe they want to give you $100 for it. That means after you take out the $50 or so it cost you for materials, you make $50 and they make $100. Personally I don't think what they do is worth twice as much as what I do. But that's just me, and it's leaning OT.
It's a necessary evil, in my opinion. You need to get your pipes out there and get recognized. If that means taking a small hit on time investment, so be it. I view it as an investment. If people see your name a bunch of places, and then see your table at a show, they might be more likely to buy your stuff - or ask for a custom order.
Just from experience, the custom orders are where the real money is at. The folks that ask for custom work typically know their stuff, and they know what they want, and they're willing to pay for it. Those are the best customers to have.
I'm a lot more interested in learning why there is such a big difference in the time it takes us to make a pipe.
My guess is that it has a lot to do with methodology and tools, but that's just a wild guess.
)