@KA9FFJ I was going to ask how you kept from marking up the bowl with chuck marks…..I see in one of the pictures that you didn’t. That was my conundrum with chucking a finished bowl. If it’s going through rustication….it does not matter. I have only worked with smooth pipes, and don’t plan to rusticate any I make. I might sandblast someday, but chuck jaw marks would “hose” that process too.
@RockyMountainBriar I used a thin rubber pad used for opening jars. Simply placed it between the jaws and it cut down almost all teeth marks on the bowl, yet still allowed enough gripping power to keep the bowl stable during drilling. It still left a couple of very fine teeth marks on each side of the bowl, but none that could have easily been sanded out. My little pea brain is still trying to think of a better solution. In the mean time, all I can say is it still beats the first attempt using my drill press...😬
@Balisong Yes, the jaws did allow me to center the mortise, but I'm still trying to figure out a better way to use them with a total elimination of teeth marks on the bowl...🤔🤞🏻
@opipeman Indeed, I have a couple on the back of my head from falling out of a little red wagon when I was little🤫. A few more bumps and scrapes from three street-bike accidents, and six automobile accidents (maybe more, I forget, and I’m old…and have bumped my head a few times). No, I was not always the driver, and a big double no, I was never under the influence of any kind. Out of all of them, only one street-bike accident was my fault (I swung wide on a curve and hit gravel on the edge…bye bye Johnny). I’ve taken a few spills with off-road motorcycles and ATV’s as well. How am I still alive and have never broken any bones (knock on wood). 🤔 Hard Head and Short Neck, and I apparently bounce pretty good, at least up to this point.
OK, so I decided to take advantage of this extreme heat and work on a third unfinished stummel out of 10 I acquired from a good friend here at TPL. Here is the one I chose to work on...
Long story short: Continued to sand stem with 1000, 1200, and micropads until stem was in good shape. The stummel has it's share of pits and flaws, but I didn't feel like rusticating so I decided to go darker the hopefully make them less noticeable. 2-tone staining was the answer, so I stained the entire stummel black:
After the stain set, I gave the stummel a thorough alcohol wipe to remove excess stain. This is a must step if you don't want a lot of stain residue left on your waxing/buffing wheels...
Resanded with 500 and 600 until I had the look I wanted. Mixed saddle tan with 2 drops of oxblood and applied over the sanded black. After another alcohol wipe, waxed, buffed, etc. Here's the final:
@KA9FFJ Yet another fantastic job! I thought for sure that there would be at least partial sandblasting but you did a great job removing/hiding all the unattractive spots.
After drilling the mortise, a good tight fit on both the mount and stem. Next the fun part: Sanding, reshaping the rim, POSSIBLE rustication (partial or total), not sure yet, staining (leaning toward a black pipe) We'll see as the days go by...
Well, I did all the above plus another 20 steps. Reshaped bowl into an apple. I thought it would go better with the stem. Also shortened the bowl about 1/4 inch. Anyway, after all said and done, here's the final:
Well, the more I looked at it, the less I liked the stem/stummel combination. My first hunch was right. That black swirl stem needs a black rusticated pipe. In the mean time, I had two other stems that met the criteria I needed for this pipe. Initially.they both looked like this:
I turned the tenon to fit and gave the stem a new shape to better compliment the stummel (IMHO). Here's the final. I think it's a better looking combination...
I didn't bother posting a blow by blow description of all the phases I went through to refinish this pipe into a black rusticated pipe. Most all these steps can be viewed in previous projects. The only thing worth mentioning is the break between the shank and the stem. I decided to give it a shank extension look, but without actually making and mounting one. So I simply used the shank itself by turning a small area after drilling the mortise. Then it was just a matter of not staining it black like the rest of the pipe. Anyway, here's the final:
Comments
I was going to ask how you kept from marking up the bowl with chuck marks…..I see in one of the pictures that you didn’t. That was my conundrum with chucking a finished bowl. If it’s going through rustication….it does not matter. I have only worked with smooth pipes, and don’t plan to rusticate any I make. I might sandblast someday, but chuck jaw marks would “hose” that process too.
If I thought I could look that good Waxed and Buffed, I'd sure do it. Another great looking pipe, Brother.
I used a thin rubber pad used for opening jars. Simply placed it between the jaws and it cut down almost all teeth marks on the bowl, yet still allowed enough gripping power to keep the bowl stable during drilling.
It still left a couple of very fine teeth marks on each side of the bowl, but none that could have easily been sanded out.
My little pea brain is still trying to think of a better solution.
In the mean time, all I can say is it still beats the first attempt using my drill press...😬
Yes, the jaws did allow me to center the mortise, but I'm still trying to figure out a better way to use them with a total elimination of teeth marks on the bowl...🤔🤞🏻
At our age, I'm sure a good waxing and buffing would be just what the doctor ordered...😏
You may be correct, but some dents and scratches probably won't buff out.
Indeed, I have a couple on the back of my head from falling out of a little red wagon when I was little🤫. A few more bumps and scrapes from three street-bike accidents, and six automobile accidents (maybe more, I forget, and I’m old…and have bumped my head a few times). No, I was not always the driver, and a big double no, I was never under the influence of any kind. Out of all of them, only one street-bike accident was my fault (I swung wide on a curve and hit gravel on the edge…bye bye Johnny). I’ve taken a few spills with off-road motorcycles and ATV’s as well. How am I still alive and have never broken any bones (knock on wood). 🤔
Hard Head and Short Neck, and I apparently bounce pretty good, at least up to this point.
Here is the one I chose to work on...
Continued to sand stem with 1000, 1200, and micropads until stem was in good shape.
The stummel has it's share of pits and flaws, but I didn't feel like rusticating so I decided to go darker the hopefully make them less noticeable.
2-tone staining was the answer, so I stained the entire stummel black:
This is a must step if you don't want a lot of stain residue left on your waxing/buffing wheels...
Mixed saddle tan with 2 drops of oxblood and applied over the sanded black. After another alcohol wipe, waxed, buffed, etc.
Here's the final:
Yet another fantastic job! I thought for sure that there would be at least partial sandblasting but you did a great job removing/hiding all the unattractive spots.
Next the fun part:
Sanding, reshaping the rim, POSSIBLE rustication (partial or total), not sure yet, staining (leaning toward a black pipe)
We'll see as the days go by...
I just ain't got no more words to praise your work. Your work is magic and perfection all in the same trip.
Reshaped bowl into an apple. I thought it would go better with the stem. Also shortened the bowl about 1/4 inch.
Anyway, after all said and done, here's the final:
My first hunch was right. That black swirl stem needs a black rusticated pipe.
In the mean time, I had two other stems that met the criteria I needed for this pipe.
Initially.they both looked like this:
Here's the final.
I think it's a better looking combination...
The stem swap was a great idea!
The only thing worth mentioning is the break between the shank and the stem.
I decided to give it a shank extension look, but without actually making and mounting one. So I simply used the shank itself by turning a small area after drilling the mortise. Then it was just a matter of not staining it black like the rest of the pipe.
Anyway, here's the final:
I really like that, Brother. You realize that if you keep up this pace, you'll need to rent another table at the next St. Louis Pipe Show.
Those are really, really nice. Looking forward to seeing the next five.