@RockyMountainBriar Yea, I can agree with that. To tell you the truth, I have another stummel down the road with a shorter and fatter shank that I have in mind for that red one. We'll see if it works out...
I have 3 bent stummels that were roughed out and the tobacco chamber drilled, but that was it. Forgot to take a before pic but realized I had them partially pictured in an earlier nonrelated pic (right side)...
So I cut the shanks, drilled the draft holes and the mortises. I then fit some old stems I've had for years. The pipe on the left had some decent grain so I reshaped and finished the bowl...
@RockyMountainBriar Used a technique from an Italian pipemaker. I put a hand drill in a vise and did it by hand. As long as you stay in alignment with your drawn lines while drilling, it works like a champ...
@RockyMountainBriar To add to the above, you need to rotate 1/4 turn back and forth as you slowly progress your drilling depth, to constantly check your drilling alignment. Oh, I know you already know this, but for those that might not: On a bent pipe, your airway drill line will be different than your mortise drill line. The mortise drill line is always squared with the end of the shank, whereas the airway drill line will take a route from the end of the shank to the near bottom of the bowl.
Have you watched the J.Alan videos about freehand drilling? There is another by a Danish master, maybe Eltang? I do not recall. Anyway, they use the lathe and use little blocks of wood as stops/centers superglued onto the stummel, and use the lathe tailstock center as a guide.
I have 3 matching bent stummels from @mapletop that I have started to work with. The first one is finished and posted, after much sanding and shaping, etc., didn't turn out too badly. The other 2 looked exactly the same. Like the 1st one, I first fitted stems and, as you can see, they too were unfinished:
I decided to "go with the flow" and rusticate the unfinished portion of the second stummel using the nail grinding method I posted in another thread. Here was the result:
After sanding down most of the black, I used 600 grit and did a little smoothing of the rusticated area. Then I applied tan stain to the entire stummel:
Last bent pipe completed. Decided to give it a semi-natural look (no waxing, buffing or polishing except for the rim, and ro take the rustication all the way to the rim. Oh, that spot on the 2nd pic between the bowl and the shank is actually a piece of sandpaper grit.Came right off. Didn't notice it at the time I took the pic. Here's the final:
I wish my shop/garage was heated, with some “unwanted” time off, I would fire up the lathe and work on a few stummels myself. It’s just too chilly, my hand/fingers don’t move like they used to.
@RockyMountainBriar I have noticed that after 20 plus years working with millimeter sized gemstones, and measuring things by the thousands of an inch, my eyes absolutely don't see things like they used to. Sucks getting old.
I just received this EBay find today, a Peterson’s “Kildare” 53 Lovat. I went right to work, I forgot to take before pictures, I was excited. After all, it is a Pete in my favorite shape. The screenshots of the EBay auction photos will have to do.
I performed a ream and clean, and cleared the airway with a drill, it was completely blocked for about an inch. I also opened the airway to 4mm in the shank. This particular pipe has an aluminum innertube like a Dunhill, so the shank was mostly clean. I still used some Everclear to clean the guts of the pipe. I used some NAPA Professional detailed glass cleaner on the exterior of stummel and stem. Interestingly, after a bit of Everclear, there was more stain that came out of the shank than tobacco/tars/residue. Then I took it to the buffer, it lightened the finish slightly, but I prefer to see the wood grain anyway. It spiffed up nicely. Now, what to smoke🤔. Oh, I know, C&D “Espresso”! Surprised?😬 After pics…..
Continued in: “What are you guys smoking right now?”🙂
P.S. I bid and won the Pete “Kildare” 53 BEFORE I found out about being laid off. I can’t say I regret buying it, it’s a nice pipe, but I would have had a few extra bucks in the “kitty” had I not. Oh well, I have plenty of other pipes I can sell if need be.
@RockyMountainBriar Selling some of your pipes! No, no... it won't come to that! There are plenty other ways to cut corners... like food😏 Seriously though, with a job or two options, you should be fine...
Comments
Yea, I can agree with that.
To tell you the truth, I have another stummel down the road with a shorter and fatter shank that I have in mind for that red one.
We'll see if it works out...
Had some bad spots and fills...
Yep, you already see lines being drawn...
For all I know, it's the correct term to use. If not, it should be...😏
Forgot to take a before pic but realized I had them partially pictured in an earlier nonrelated pic (right side)...
Did you freehand the airway/mortise, or chuck the exterior of the bowl in the lathe?
Used a technique from an Italian pipemaker.
I put a hand drill in a vise and did it by hand.
As long as you stay in alignment with your drawn lines while drilling, it works like a champ...
To add to the above, you need to rotate 1/4 turn back and forth as you slowly progress your drilling depth, to constantly check your drilling alignment.
Oh, I know you already know this, but for those that might not:
On a bent pipe, your airway drill line will be different than your mortise drill line.
The mortise drill line is always squared with the end of the shank, whereas the airway drill line will take a route from the end of the shank to the near bottom of the bowl.
Freehand it is/was 👍🏻🙂
Have you watched the J.Alan videos about freehand drilling? There is another by a Danish master, maybe Eltang? I do not recall. Anyway, they use the lathe and use little blocks of wood as stops/centers superglued onto the stummel, and use the lathe tailstock center as a guide.
Haven't seen those yet. Looks as if a couple of searches are now in my lineup...
Tnx🙂
The first one is finished and posted, after much sanding and shaping, etc., didn't turn out too badly.
The other 2 looked exactly the same. Like the 1st one, I first fitted stems and, as you can see, they too were unfinished:
Then I applied tan stain to the entire stummel:
Oh, that spot on the 2nd pic between the bowl and the shank is actually a piece of sandpaper grit.Came right off. Didn't notice it at the time I took the pic.
Here's the final:
Another beauty, Brother.
I’ve been reworking surface mount electronic circuits with similar tolerances….with similar maladies.
After pics…..
Beautiful brother...
Selling some of your pipes!
No, no... it won't come to that!
There are plenty other ways to cut corners... like food😏
Seriously though, with a job or two options, you should be fine...
Where I live, not many options in my line of work.