Pipe Making supplies and sources

[johnlee1933]

When I cut through to the airway it destroys the stem. I have to make another one. Here's what I'm talking about. This is a picture of the stem I almost had finished for the Rhodesian. I had to make another. I did the same thing on John's pipe that's why I doubled his price. LOL 2x0=0

View attachment 3433

Hey Knucks the attachment came up invalid. Would you try again please? I'd like to see what you mean. Thanks. -·-

 

[Knucklehead]

Thanks John. I had to repair the servo motors and the flux capacitor but it's up now.

 

[DonH]

I dont know what you're talking about, but the pipe arrived and i dont see how this isnt perfect?? it is utterly gorgeous and the draw is absolute perfection. that airway issue you are talking about doesnt seem to affect performance in the slightest.

like i said in the PM, once you are ready to go pro i'm buying one for my dad from you. thank you again sir.

I'd be willing to buy one before you go pro. You could sell some to us to defray costs while you practice. Once you go pro you can charge a lot. Handmade pipes by master craftsmen cost quite a bit. You could make a living doing this.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

These things are making the rounds. JBD beat me out of my Dublin.

and I'm waiting with some BSS-Maden in my hand!!!!!!!

 

[johnlee1933]

Thanks John. I had to repair the servo motors and the flux capacitor but it's up now.

OK Now I understand. Thanks.

 

[SmokeStack]

That Poker is absolutely beautiful!

 

[Knucklehead]

Johnlee's liquor in the front and poker in the rear pipe. The Osage came from the BarG ranch, bar and grill.
Thank you Smokestack.

 

[Knucklehead]

Here's the layout of my next project. I won't tell you who gave me the plateau block but his initials are JBD. I wire brushed off the bark and the knotty stuff will form the top of the bowl. Beautiful piece of wood.

 

[Knucklehead]

Posting the contest pipe here to keep them all in one spot. Pipe #6.

 

[Knucklehead]

Here's a method I came up with to get really flat rings from acrylic pen blanks. The block must be perfectly flat and the upper and lower sides perfectly parallel. I flattened one side on the jointer and then ran it through the planer. The drill press table must be level and perpendicular to the drill spindle. Then I drilled holes of different depths with a forstner bit. I put the rings that were cut on a miter saw in the hole and file flush. I've done two. One was perfect by the digital calipers, one was out .001mm in one tiny area. Sanding on sandpaper on a marble tile took that out in a flash.

 

[DGBAMA]

nice idea. what diameter are the holes in your "jig" ?

 

[Knucklehead]

5\8" and a couple of 3/4". The method used on the pipe makers forum is to tilt the crooked ring and sand the high side on sandpaper on a flat piece of glass or granite, check with calipers, sand, check, sand, check. I tried that and it was a major PITA and was extremely time consuming. This takes less than 5 minutes once the piece is cut on the miter saw and the thicknesses are repeatable. I tried an electric miter saw and two different manual miter saws and none of them would cut the acrylic with parallel sides.

 

[DGBAMA]

I definitely understand. Individually sanding high spots would make it almost impossible to get a repeatable desired finished thickness.

 

[Knucklehead]

Not just individual high spots but a taper. The rings would always be wedge shaped if viewed from the side. Taking the wedge out and making an even thickness all the way around was a nightmare for me. I like to go fast.

 

[johnlee1933]

Here's a method I came up with to get really flat rings from acrylic pen blanks. The block must be perfectly flat and the upper and lower sides perfectly parallel. I flattened one side on the jointer and then ran it through the planer. The drill press table must be level and perpendicular to the drill spindle. Then I drilled holes of different depths with a forstner bit. I put the rings that were cut on a miter saw in the hole and file flush. I've done two. One was perfect by the digital calipers, one was out .001mm in one tiny area. Sanding on sandpaper on a marble tile took that out in a flash. ]

Neat trick Knucks. That's my style of problem solving. Thanks -·-

 

[Knucklehead]

Thanks John. The jig got me my first compliment on the pipe makers forum. Without a metal lathe the rings are crazy hard.

 

[johnlee1933]

Thanks John. The jig got me my first compliment on the pipe makers forum. Without a metal lathe the rings are crazy hard.

I've got a metal lathe and even with a sharp cutoff tool they are still a bitch. BTW if you need any small turnings let me know and I'll see if I can do it for you,

 

[leverhead]

Why don't you punch them out of sheet stock?

 

[johnlee1933]

Why don't you punch them out of sheet stock?

The punching operation leaves high edges. You'd have a similar problem.

 

[Knucklehead]

Why don't you punch them out of sheet stock?

I don't have a press and some of them are pretty tall like on the tenon end of this stem:
Also varying thicknesses would require stocks of different thickness sheets.
I can get several rings of different thicknesses out of a 3/4 x 3/4 x 5" pen blank that costs $4.00. The trick has been getting them with parallel sides so there's no gaps when I glue up 4 or 5 pieces.