Mad Dog 2: Snub Nosed Dog Fish

[d.huber]

Finished this one up yesterday. Click on the photos to view a larger image.

Video: http://youtu.be/ImZYf75p0AY

[The Smoking Yeti]

I be diggin' the partial plateaux! Interesting shape for sure. How deep is the bowl?

[d.huber]

Thanks!

The chamber is a little under 1.5" deep, 3/4" wide.

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2

[Ocelot55]

David, do you have a designer that motivates your style, or do you just do your own thing?

I must say, your bit work is phenomenal.

[d.huber]

David, do you have a designer that motivates your style, or do you just do your own thing?

I must say, your bit work is phenomenal.

Thanks, Jessie!

To answer your question, I think it's a marriage of both of the things you mentioned. I just do my own thing without intentionally copying, borrowing, or emulating. However, I've been staring at high end pipes for over 6 years now, so I imagine a great deal of that visual information has sunk its way in, been stirred into the pot, and now manifests itself in what I'm making.

I know my bit work is a conglomeration of several ideas I've seen from high end pipe makers, 'cause that's intentional. I'm still working at solidifying what I want my bits to be, but I'm happy with what's been happening during the journey to find bit work that I can own. I'm actually pretty excited about the bit work on the pipe I'll be posting next.

[The Smoking Yeti]

David, do you have a designer that motivates your style, or do you just do your own thing?

I must say, your bit work is phenomenal.

Thanks, Jessie!

To answer your question, I think it's a marriage of both of the things you mentioned. I just do my own thing without intentionally copying, borrowing, or emulating. However, I've been staring at high end pipes for over 6 years now, so I imagine a great deal of that visual information has sunk its way in, been stirred into the pot, and now manifests itself in what I'm making.

I know my bit work is a conglomeration of several ideas I've seen from high end pipe makers, 'cause that's intentional. I'm still working at solidifying what I want my bits to be, but I'm happy with what's been happening during the journey to find bit work that I can own. I'm actually pretty excited about the bit work on the pipe I'll be posting next.

I'm really enjoying exploring bit work as well- it's hilarious if you think about it. Pipemakers obsess over such subtle things. I mean seriously- we put the thing in our mouth, yet the execution is SO important- I know I'm bothered by my pipe if I don't like how the bit went.

[Bryan Johnson]

Beautiful pipe, absolutely original design.

I had a technical question. Since you have a round stem base against a square stummel, the corners of the briar that stick out are finished black. I like the round/square contrast, but how did you finish the wood? Is it a carbon coating? How is it done? Is it like that carbon coating that some pipemakers put on the wall of the chamber to aid in breaking in a new pipe?

[d.huber]

Since you have a round stem base against a square stummel, the corners of the briar that stick out are finished black. I like the round/square contrast, but how did you finish the wood? Is it a carbon coating? How is it done? Is it like that carbon coating that some pipemakers put on the wall of the chamber to aid in breaking in a new pipe?

Lol! It's definitely not carbon coating.

To make sure we're on the same page, if you have another look at the photos of the pipe, you'll notice that the flare of the stem is a rounded diamond to compliment the rounded square-ness of the rest of the pipe. Also, I just noticed that the shank face does look black in one of the photos which I believe to be a result of the shadow cast by the shank flare. The plateau on the shank face is the same dark brown as the plateau on the top of the bowl.

The method: Stain entire pipe with dark understain, sand back to 320 to expose the grain but avoid sanding the plateau, apply lighter overstain to entire pipe, sand to 600 but avoid the plateau, apply a thin layer of shellac to entire pipe, buff the hell out of it.

[Bryan Johnson]

Gotcha! I was looking at the photograph third from the right. The middle photo shows what you describe much better.

But that only brings up another question: To make the shank face-stem base fit so that each of the "corners" is exposed equally, you had to make sure that each of the corners was exactly equa-distant from the hole, but without throwing off the flow of the stem? Then you had to make sure that the base of the stem had the exact diameter of the width of the square/diamond?

I'm never going to get the hang of this.

[d.huber]

Gotcha! I was looking at the photograph third from the right. The middle photo shows what you describe much better.

But that only brings up another question: To make the shank face-stem base fit so that each of the "corners" is exposed equally, you had to make sure that each of the corners was exactly equa-distant from the hole, but without throwing off the flow of the stem? Then you had to make sure that the base of the stem had the exact diameter of the width of the square/diamond?

I'm never going to get the hang of this.

Lol! You're making it harder than it is. I cut the flare in a circle, then used files to flatten and round the edges of the flare to create the rounded diamond flare. This means that where the shank and stem face meet is round, but the flare is square-ish. Pretty simple. I'll take them apart and snap a quick photo when I get home to give you a better idea of what you're seeing.

[d.huber]

Here's a visual explanation for you: