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Hi, everyone. Absolute beginner with a question about my first pipe. This is shaped with file and sandpaper from a Vermont Freehand kit and I think I may have chosen a poor shape for the briar. I want to finish sanding the angle at the front to make it a sitter but I'm worried that if I take any more off the bottom that it'll be too thin and risk a burn out. My first attempt at sanding the angle wasn't enough to support the weight of the pipe. The pencil dot marks the bottom of the bowl. Should I just leave it as is, call it a design element, and chalk it up to a learning experience?

I've really enjoyed making this first pipe, thank you all for the great information on this site.

31 views and no response?

Well, coming from a chap who is a pipe smoker and is yet to actually complete his first pipe - take my R0.02 for whatever it's worth!




I reckon you have an extra couple of mm to play with there. As long as you leave 3 or 4mm between the base and the chamber the worst that can happen is the pipe doesn't last as many years as it otherwise would have. As long as you're not selling it I say keep filing until it sits and call it an experiment.

Of course I'd defer to more experienced advice if it follows.

Its your first pipe. Shape it until it satisfies you, if you file or sand too much take it as a learning curb an move onto next one.

Lance

My unprofessional opinion: it will never sit unaided. The shank and stem are too long and heavy. You can trim that angle and it may sit when filled with tobacco, or , shape the angle on the chin into a flat base and have a flat bottom sitter.

Agree w/ Solomon.

You need about 1/4" for safety, 1/8" probably as an absolute minimum at the bottom. You aren't anywhere near that yet. But the secret to a sitting poker is to take a lot of material off the stem - really make it thin and small out there on that lever arm!

Or there is always filling it with marbles


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Thanks guys. I'll probably just leave it go. If I can even smoke out of it I'll consider it a success. The marbles thing might work, if I can find mine I'll give it a try.

Good effort! It looks better than my first kit. Enjoy!


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Ccoolee wrote:Good effort! It looks better than my first kit. Enjoy!

Thanks man, I have to try my best so my wife lets me buy more tools. She's just about had it with all of my expensive hobbies.

If it fits, it sits. I took a chance and it actually worked and doesn't look completely horrible. I had to take the shank and stem way down to lighten it up but it's pretty stable.

Have you gone back and compared both pics? It looks so much better now and sits, nice job. It beats the heck out of marbles. A kindred spirit in having too many hobbies.


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Much better pipe. You've fixed another problem too.
You want the shank to be larger where it meets the bowl and just slightly smaller where it meets the stem. There should be a very gentle taper.
It still looks a bit thicker at the stem than the bowl, but the proportions are much better.
The original was very chubby in the middle and smaller at both ends.
Pretty decent work.

Alden wrote:The original was very chubby in the middle and smaller at both ends.

That was on purpose and misguided. I wanted a "cigar-like" taper on it for some reason. Looking at my pipes and the way they're shaped I'm not sure what I was thinking.

Nice job on your first pipe. Just work on getting those scratches out of the stem or they will really show up later when you polish.

Thanks to you all for the kind words and advice!

Nice first pipe! I too, am a beginner, with the same thoughts and question. The Pimo book states the bottom of the bowl should have 1/4" to 3/8" preferably.