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What are the various ways folks go about shaping the bend in the shank of something like a 6" quarter bent tomato? Using a lathe to turn down the diameter from a block tends to create a cylinder that's straight along the axis of the shank mortise; so even though it's "bent" in relation to the bowl, it's not curved. For a triangular or oval shaped shank, I can see that careful use of a disk sander and files would be the way to go. But what if you want a more circular shank? The lathe seems tempting, but I don't want a long straight circle for a shank. Is it simply a matter of turning it down to the widest point in the diameter and sanding/filing from there?

maddis wrote:What are the various ways folks go about shaping the bend in the shank of something like a 6" quarter bent tomato? Using a lathe to turn down the diameter from a block tends to create a cylinder that's straight along the axis of the shank mortise; so even though it's "bent" in relation to the bowl, it's not curved. For a triangular or oval shaped shank, I can see that careful use of a disk sander and files would be the way to go. But what if you want a more circular shank? The lathe seems tempting, but I don't want a long straight circle for a shank. Is it simply a matter of turning it down to the widest point in the diameter and sanding/filing from there?

You've got to do it freehanded with files, or at least that's my experience. I might turn down a 1/4 to 1/2" down on the end of the shank just so I have a perfectly round guide.

I do that sorta stuff freehand with shaping discs and sandpaper, using a compass to give yourself a reference on the shank end can be very useful. However, what'll help most is practice, practice, and you guessed it, lucky charms.

The Smoking Yeti wrote:...using a compass to give yourself a reference on the shank end can be very useful.

Can you elaborate?

You have to do it mostly freehand.

Rad

Ocelot, I mean drawing a circle on the end of the shank(think cap) can give you a great frame of reference- especially if your shape-then drilling, but really I dunno how else to explain.

Most helpful. Thanks.

1. Freehand

2. Draw a circle on the faced end of the shank, and stare down it as shaping

3. I added the second part

It's a real pain in the arse but you have to freehand it. There's really no other way. I start with shaping on a sanding disc then refine the curve with a Dremel, round files, and sandpaper.

I wonder about sanding the profile of the bottom from shank to heel as close as possible, and then treating that line as an absolute no-fly-zone vis a vis more wood removal.

Strategy, strategy...

doing it freehand is one of the great joys of the art.

bregolad wrote:doing it freehand is one of the great joys of the art.

I agree. Half-round rasp, round rasp, and a glass of beer will see it through nicely.

Sasquatch wrote:

bregolad wrote:doing it freehand is one of the great joys of the art.

I agree. Half-round rasp, round rasp, and a glass of beer will see it through nicely.

After shaping while drinking beer, which of course is the best way to do it, I however find it useful to check the shape the day after

I'll take a beer.

bregolad wrote:I'll take a beer.

+1 except for coors light...blasphemy

the more beer I drink... the better my pipes are

the problem is staying sufficiently beered until after sending them on their way



rev

ps, if anyone gets one of my pipes I suggest getting beered up before looking at, or smoking them

Turn a small portion round as a reference, I also try and turn away as much excess material as I can as then i know I have an even amount of material on each side. After that it is freehand at the sanding disc.

I'm new to pipe making, but I've done a lot of wood shaping in other contexts, so let me give you some suggestions.

I think a rasp and file are absolutely the way to go here. But you need a GOOD rasp. The ones sold at the big box stores are garbage. They don't cut worth a darn, and they'll just frustrate you. The Nicholson 49 and 50 rasps are better quality, but they used to be a lot better. I think they're currently overpriced.

You have a few good options that are, in my opinion, a better value for money.

I have the 10" half-round rasp here: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.a ... at=1,42524 . I've used it on briar and it works really well.

If you want to drop some serious coin on a top-notch tool, take a look at this French-made stuff: http://www.hand-stitched-rasp-riffler.c ... teuil.html . I got to test-drive their 9-grain half-round rasp, and it cut like a dream. I didn't want to put it down.

The difference between the ones I've linked to above and a lot of the box-store crap is that the good ones are hand-stitched. That is, each rasp tooth is punched by hand by an expert tool maker. That introduces little variations into the pattern of cutting edges, and the result is that the tool leaves a much smoother surface on the wood than a machine-made rasp could. The perfect regularity of the tooth pattern on machine-stitched rasps leaves a very rough surface to clean up afterward.

Let me say one thing about pairing rasps and files. Ideally, you should have a rasp and a file with the same profiles. Especially with half-round rasps and files, it's important that the curved profiles of each tool match each other. It makes using the tools in sequence very easy. Typically, for example, if you have a 10-inch half-round rasp, you'll also want a 10-inch half-round file to go with it.

As to files, I think that when it comes to shaping wood, the coarser the better. Get a bastard cut if you can find it. (That's a technical term, not a slur, okay?) Follow up with a smooth cut file (a finer tooth pattern) if you like, and that will reduce the amount of sanding you have to do. I don't like sanding, so I do as much shaping work as I can with cutting and abrading tools, which are usually more efficient than sandpaper anyway.

Sorry this is long. I'm kind of a hand-tool nut.

I start by cutting the upper and lower lines of the shank on the bandsaw, a little oversize. If these lines curve, I cut following the curves, but oversize. Then I do all my drilling and turn as much of the bowl as possible. Then I cut the sides of the shank on the bandsaw, oversize. If the shank tapers on the sides, I taper the cut, oversize. This leaves the shank with the correct shape, but square and oversize. Then I do as much rough shaping of the bowl as possible on the belt sander. After that it's rasps, files and sandpaper.
wallace

Just do it on the sanding disk. Most of the rest of the pipe is curvy, the shank isn't really any harder.