pipemakersforum.com

LatakiaLover wrote:Tape idea v2.0: There must be some substance that's between rubber cement and thickened epoxy in blast resistance that can be built up in layers/coats, or even applied in a single layer of user-controlled varying thickness. Preferably soluble with something easy, cheap, and safe.

I have something here in my shop that I use almost everyday for other purposes that might work but would definitely need testing. It is basically liquid latex rubber sold in art supply and hobby stores as frisket material. I use it for paint masking on the control panels I build when there is an odd shape to mask and would be a pain to try to mask with tape. I'm sure it would need multiple coats and even then blasting may take it right off. Like I say, needs testing.
Also there are some pretty creative materials out there being used by shops doing blast etching on glass. I've used monument blasting tape but I would not consider it suitable for any of the work we do on pipes. It is too heavy and really made for flat surfaces. I think the glass blasters have a liquid material of some sort too.
That's my nickels worth.
Chas.

LatakiaLover wrote:
the sort that I was referring to earlier that only a few pipemakers seem to be able to do is where the width of the transition zone (meaning from full depth blast to zero) is only around 1/8" to 5/32". AND it has an almost clearly defined edge when it fades to zero.

Hey George, can you show us a pic?

Rad

RadDavis wrote: Hey George, can you show us a pic?

Unfortunately, no. I haven't had one go through my shop since this subject came up a few months ago. (Most people take good care of their four-figure pipes, apparently, and there aren't that many Danish sandblasts to start with. )

I definitely intend to take a full set of photos the next time one does, though.

I'll have my trusty focuses-to-a-quarter-inch-away Olympus with me at Chicago, too, and be on the lookout there.

It took me a while, but I finally figured out how to do blasting fades without blasting as a repair thing, but have only had to do it 5-6 times. And by definition those all got sent back. That's not what this thread is about, though. You MakerDudes need a production-line-worthy technique/process.

LatakiaLover wrote:Tape idea v2.0: There must be some substance that's between rubber cement and thickened epoxy in blast resistance that can be built up in layers/coats, or even applied in a single layer of user-controlled varying thickness. Preferably soluble with something easy, cheap, and safe.

Sounds like Urushi to me!

LatakiaLover wrote:

RadDavis wrote: Hey George, can you show us a pic?

Unfortunately, no.

Ah well. Fuck you then.

See you at the Big Dance.

Rad

There's dancing in Chicago!?

I've been missing out

andrew

andrew wrote:There's dancing in Chicago!?

I've been missing out

Um, no.

Ever noticed the male-to-female ratio at a pipe show? (And I'm sure Nana Ivarsson and her sister have become quite good at gracefully turning down invitations )

Actually, Saturday night is usually Prom Night for at least one local high school.

Rad

This tip came from my visit with Adam Davidson. It's a temporary cap for the end of shank made from scarp of ebonite and a slice from a synthetic wine cork.

Face the end of the ebonite, then glue on a slightly thicker and oversize slice of the cork then what you want to end up with with something like hot glue, or maybe 5-minute epoxy. Once it's dry, trim it down to match the diameter of the ebonite, and then face it. Then drill a hole that will tightly fit your stainless tenon, which is already glued into the shank.

Put this thing on the end of the shank. The synthetic cork, which is a little fuzzy after it is faced conforms very nicely to the end of the shank and ever so slightly over the edge of it. Then blast the stummel while feathering the blast towards the cap with either lighter pressure, further distance, and/or angle of the blast, or some combination of the these. I've done a few this way and find it works really well once you get the hang of it.

Here is a pic of the cap I made. I've used it a few times.

Well, that's too long of a post to read at once, but that's an ugly stem Scott.

Agreed. I think you need to buff it. Not too much... I'm digging that fuzz.

andrew

I can't see the picture for some reason but from the written description that sounds like just what I was thinking.

The old way of doing it is to rusticate the last bit, I have read that this was the method used by Bo, Jess and others from that era.

Not being a blaster yet I can't offer experienced based suggestions but I would have thought that blasting through a layer of hard wax or similar would have the effect of softening the blast/impact on the briar.

An alternative for a shank to stem join would be to have the end of the shank flared so it is wider than needed and to sand it down after the blast, I do this to produce a feathering effect when I do a coarse rustication.

David.