Still waiting on a shipment of various colored backed felt for inserts. So in the mean time, I started another rack. Preliminary cutting, drilling, shaping and sanding are finished. Still need to cut the dowel and drill the mounting holes...
I don't own a lathe, so I used my little 1 inch belt sander and shaped a tamper out of the scrap. Nowhere close to being perfect, but I figured better than throwing it away. After I sand it and stain it, it might look better. We'll see...
@KA9FFJ That tamper looks good. They make a device that attaches to a drill press that makes a “vertical lathe”. It would work for things like that tamper, and if you wanted, you could make your pipe stand supports fancy spindles too. I have not used one, but they look functional. I have turned steel axels and “dog bones” for RC cars with a hand drill clamped in a vise with a steel bar as a tool rest. I sharpened the tang of a hand file to work as a cutting tool. I used it more like a wood lathe, it did not need to be super precise. You could probably find a live center that would fit in the drill press table center hole, then clamp a steel bar to the table/drill as a vertical tool rest. Get a small set of wood turning chisels or do as I did and use a file tang. It should work for wood if you can run your drill on the upper speeds as required for the diameter.
Piddling here and there I finally finished all preliminary cutting, drilling and sanding on these 3 racks. Who knows how long it will take before final sanding, staining and the felt inserts come to fruition. But hey, it's not as if I don't have time on my hands to get them finished... eventually...
Finally got around to staining these 3 racks. I decided to go with a very light stain on 2, while going the opposite end of the spectrum (ebony) on the 3rd. Now I need to lightly sand, and give them 2 coats of poly before the felt inserts...
Finally received my felt sheets I ordered a while back. Just finished cutting and placing the inserts, and cutting and placing the bottom felt on all the racks. Here's a couple of pics...
Trying my luck with a little different pipe rack design. I had a small piece of 1/4" × 1" and decided I should be able to use it rather than throw it away. Here's the preliminary cutting and gluing... Still kind of making it up as I go along... 🤞
Well I was able to advance the design a little today. I did some shaping and sanding, then drilled the holes for the dowel rods. I cut the dowel rods, then temporarily put the pieces in place to get a better idea of what the final will look like... Here it is so far...
Suggestion (if you haven’t already though about it) maybe a little open top triangular “box” with rounded corners or a cylinder section of bamboo attached to the base at the point for pipe cleaners?
@RockyMountainBriar As a matter of fact, I have been tossing around different ideas as far as utilizing that space. I may peruse Goodwill and see if I can find something that I can use that I can give it a "built-in" look... 🤔
Lately, in my sketch-ups of possible pipe-rack designs, many of them seem to find themselves including one hole (or something which can contain a hole) for about half-a-bundle of pipe cleaners as well as another, shallower hole for a tamper/pipe tool.
I took @RockyMountainBriar advice. The pipe cleaner holder was one of my choices, and since he suggested it, I went with it. As most of you know, I don't have a lathe, so I wound up making 4 rings, gluing them together, then sanding them down. It's not perfect, but it will get the job done. I used a forstner bit to make a vary tight fit for the holder, and now I' m getting ready for a final sanding and staining...
Well I now have it all stained. All that's left is a 1000 grit sand down, a wipe down, gluing then poly. Once dry, I'll cut the felt inserts (including the bottom of the center hole). I'll give you some update pics then...
Had a little time after some SWMBO morning assignments, so I finished this little project. If you don't like the pipe cleaner holder idea, blame @RockyMountainBriar 😏 Think I'll relax with a pipe break. My only problem now is trying to decide which pipe and what blend... It's a great problem to have, isn't it? 🤔
@KA9FFJ, I enjoy following your projects! Have you ever made a rack to hold pipes stem down. I'm thinking about making a stand for the top of a 4 foot bookcase and sizing it to wrap around square mason jars on three sides with maybe 6 pipes dedicated to the jarred blend. Any ideas or comments would be appreciated!
Stem up or down? I prefer stem up because moisture will go down into the bowl where it’ll dry after a while. Stem down has moisture draining into the stem which is less open than the bowl.
Of course, judicious use of pipe cleaners renders the question almost moot.
I agree with @motie2 however you do see from time to time pipes stored with the stem down. Especially some of the very old racks. Not sure, but if one does a thorough cleaning and finishes swabbing the bowl with a paper towel, then doubling up a pipe cleaner, pinching the bend very tight and drying the shank as much as possible, it may be ok to store pipes that way. The process shouldn't be that difficult. Making a ring with the inside diameter fitting snugly over the neck of the jar, while drilling adequately spaced holes to hold (I'm quessing) 5 to 6 pipes. I might give it a try... 🤔
@KA9FFJ Blame Me? Looks like it works well. I'm picky though, in my opinion, the wrapper should be in the circular file, it detracts from the aesthetics (you know me, opinions-I got-em)
@motie2, I read an article a few years ago and it made your point. It also referenced Europe as the heavy user of stem down storage. I pipe clean when I have 5 or 6 that I've smoked, never more than once, and are in a stem up holding rack. My cleaning procedure is pretty much as outlined by @KA9FFJ and I ream the chambers, cobs don't need cake.
@KA9FFJ, I was thinking U-shaped areas for the jars since I use both 4 and 8 ounce sizes, your recent project put the bug in my head! I thought a long piece of wood for the back and "arms" protruding out the width of the jars. I'm not sure if I need to router a channel to keep the pipes from spinning. It will be a winter project!
Comments
Preliminary cutting, drilling, shaping and sanding are finished. Still need to cut the dowel and drill the mounting holes...
Next finish sanding and stain, etc.
After I sand it and stain it, it might look better. We'll see...
That tamper looks good.
They make a device that attaches to a drill press that makes a “vertical lathe”. It would work for things like that tamper, and if you wanted, you could make your pipe stand supports fancy spindles too. I have not used one, but they look functional.
I have turned steel axels and “dog bones” for RC cars with a hand drill clamped in a vise with a steel bar as a tool rest. I sharpened the tang of a hand file to work as a cutting tool. I used it more like a wood lathe, it did not need to be super precise. You could probably find a live center that would fit in the drill press table center hole, then clamp a steel bar to the table/drill as a vertical tool rest. Get a small set of wood turning chisels or do as I did and use a file tang. It should work for wood if you can run your drill on the upper speeds as required for the diameter.
Who knows how long it will take before final sanding, staining and the felt inserts come to fruition.
But hey, it's not as if I don't have time on my hands to get them finished... eventually...
Now I need to lightly sand, and give them 2 coats of poly before the felt inserts...
Missed ya last night......
Here's a couple of pics...
Here's the preliminary cutting and gluing... Still kind of making it up as I go along...
🤞
I cut the dowel rods, then temporarily put the pieces in place to get a better idea of what the final will look like...
Here it is so far...
Nice.
Suggestion (if you haven’t already though about it) maybe a little open top triangular “box” with rounded corners or a cylinder section of bamboo attached to the base at the point for pipe cleaners?
I may peruse Goodwill and see if I can find something that I can use that I can give it a "built-in" look... 🤔
As most of you know, I don't have a lathe, so I wound up making 4 rings, gluing them together, then sanding them down. It's not perfect, but it will get the job done.
I used a forstner bit to make a vary tight fit for the holder, and now I' m getting ready for a final sanding and staining...
All that's left is a 1000 grit sand down, a wipe
Once dry, I'll cut the felt inserts (including the bottom of the center hole).
I'll give you some update pics then...
If you don't like the pipe cleaner holder idea, blame @RockyMountainBriar 😏
Think I'll relax with a pipe break. My only problem now is trying to decide which pipe and what blend...
It's a great problem to have, isn't it? 🤔
Of course, judicious use of pipe cleaners renders the question almost moot.
Not sure, but if one does a thorough cleaning and finishes swabbing the bowl with a paper towel, then doubling up a pipe cleaner, pinching the bend very tight and drying the shank as much as possible, it may be ok to store pipes that way.
The process shouldn't be that difficult. Making a ring with the inside diameter fitting snugly over the neck of the jar, while drilling adequately spaced holes to hold (I'm quessing) 5 to 6 pipes.
I might give it a try... 🤔
Blame Me?
Looks like it works well. I'm picky though, in my opinion, the wrapper should be in the circular file, it detracts from the aesthetics (you know me, opinions-I got-em)
@KA9FFJ, I was thinking U-shaped areas for the jars since I use both 4 and 8 ounce sizes, your recent project put the bug in my head! I thought a long piece of wood for the back and "arms" protruding out the width of the jars. I'm not sure if I need to router a channel to keep the pipes from spinning. It will be a winter project!
Great idea!