Steve2md
Well-Known Member
sweet! Some pipe stones can be soaked in water and carved with a picket knife or clay tools....
Pipe progress
- Thread starter Aaron
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Aaron
Well-Known Member
The epoxy I use is called Clear Weld Epoxy. It is the only one I've been able to find that states in the MSDS that it is non-hazardous when cured. If it really is or isn't toxic I'm not sure but I've never notice any taste of fumes from using it. I've also not used it any closer than a couple inches away from the tobacco chamber so far.
http://www.itwconsumer.com/versachem-products/product.cfm?id=Clear%20Weld%20Epoxy-124
http://www.itwconsumer.com/userfiles/files/msds/VC-MSDS/47609 MSDS.pdf
I've had pretty good luck with it so far but it does take a long time to set compared to other epoxies. I was thinking that I will probably reattach the shank with a short piece of 1/4"
stainless steel tubing for a tenon to add strength and use the epoxy to hold it together. I'm sure the line where it snapped will always be visible but it may eventually make it into a decent shop pipe. It will probably also be used as a test for a new finish.
http://www.itwconsumer.com/versachem-products/product.cfm?id=Clear%20Weld%20Epoxy-124
http://www.itwconsumer.com/userfiles/files/msds/VC-MSDS/47609 MSDS.pdf
I've had pretty good luck with it so far but it does take a long time to set compared to other epoxies. I was thinking that I will probably reattach the shank with a short piece of 1/4"
stainless steel tubing for a tenon to add strength and use the epoxy to hold it together. I'm sure the line where it snapped will always be visible but it may eventually make it into a decent shop pipe. It will probably also be used as a test for a new finish.
I had no idea! I'll give that a try; at the very least it would cut down on the dust.
Steve2md
Well-Known Member
Steve2md
Well-Known Member
No problem, glad I could help. As for the service, it was the most fun and bad assed job I've ever had, right up to when I got blown up. I should be thanking the American people for letting me do all those cool things!
I'll echo the words of Washington, GA's Robert Toombs (Senator, and Confederate Secretary of State) when asked why there was no hotel in Washington. "Any gentleman who should visit Washington is a welcome guest in my home. Should he not be a gentleman, he would not be welcome anywhere in Washington." It is said that dinner was never served at his home when a guest was not present. Should we ever cross paths, you will be a welcome guest and I hope you will accept my humble gratitude.
Aaron
Well-Known Member
It's time for an update on this project. 
After breaking my first attempt I got started with another one and tried to get it caught up to about where I was at with the first. The second attempt was not a complete failure and will end up in my collection eventually. I had a heck of a time getting a good fit on the tenon, and after modifying it several times I ended up with a loose fit on a ridiculously long Delrin tenon.
That just wasn't good enough for me so I decided it was time to move on to attempt #3
The third attempt has been more cooperative with me and I've managed to get it a bit further along in the process. I got this one up to about the point where I was at when I broke the first. I managed to get a good fitting integral tenon on the stem this time. I even ended up with an almost perfect alignment of the chamber and the airway.
So now I'm finally able to work on some rough shaping of the bottom of the bowl and the transition to the shank. Before I do that I like to use some masking tape to protect my smooth surfaces and to give me a guide to keep me from taking too much wood off.
I used a 6" disc sander to knock off all the corners and give some shape to the lower half of the bowl.
And this is where I'm at now. I've got the tape off and the stem attached. Now I can get a better idea of what the shape of the stem needs to be. From here there will be a lot of filing and sanding to refine the shape and prepare it for finishing.
Thanks for looking!
Aaron
After breaking my first attempt I got started with another one and tried to get it caught up to about where I was at with the first. The second attempt was not a complete failure and will end up in my collection eventually. I had a heck of a time getting a good fit on the tenon, and after modifying it several times I ended up with a loose fit on a ridiculously long Delrin tenon.
That just wasn't good enough for me so I decided it was time to move on to attempt #3
The third attempt has been more cooperative with me and I've managed to get it a bit further along in the process. I got this one up to about the point where I was at when I broke the first. I managed to get a good fitting integral tenon on the stem this time. I even ended up with an almost perfect alignment of the chamber and the airway.
So now I'm finally able to work on some rough shaping of the bottom of the bowl and the transition to the shank. Before I do that I like to use some masking tape to protect my smooth surfaces and to give me a guide to keep me from taking too much wood off.
I used a 6" disc sander to knock off all the corners and give some shape to the lower half of the bowl.
And this is where I'm at now. I've got the tape off and the stem attached. Now I can get a better idea of what the shape of the stem needs to be. From here there will be a lot of filing and sanding to refine the shape and prepare it for finishing.
Thanks for looking!
Aaron
Seanz
Well-Known Member
Starting to take shape there man!
Looks good Aaron. Tempts me go give it a go.
J
J
That is very nice Aaron!
I'm still filing away on my pipestone. I tried soaking the bowl for several days, but it didn't soften any. That kind of worries me. Does anyone know if there is another reddish, but harder, stone that I could have mistaken for pipestone? And if so, could it have any heavy metals, petroleum compounds or other toxins in it that I need to worry about?
I'm still filing away on my pipestone. I tried soaking the bowl for several days, but it didn't soften any. That kind of worries me. Does anyone know if there is another reddish, but harder, stone that I could have mistaken for pipestone? And if so, could it have any heavy metals, petroleum compounds or other toxins in it that I need to worry about?
Nice pipes guys. A good source for wood such as osage is www.woodcraft.com.
BarG
Founding Member
Do you have a certain preference for the grain orientation when laying out you pipes Aaron.
Steve2md
Well-Known Member
Your stone is not likely to have anything bad in it. you may have just found a particularly hard piece. The red color comes from iron oxide in the soil when the stone was formed. Iron oxide is rust, and won't hurt you at all as far as a pipe is concerned. Keep on filing away!
Aaron
Well-Known Member
Not really. I try to look at a block and see a pipe inside. If I can make the shape somewhat follow the grain lines I try to. This pipe I knew what shape I was shooting for so I tried to find a piece of wood to fit the shape. If I don't have a specific shape in mind then I try to plan a shape that works with the block in hand. Of course, I still feel like I'm winging it on all my pipes, so when I begin to get more comfortable with my shaping I think grain orientation will become much more important to me.
BarG
Founding Member
I have never tried it before but I would also look to orient the grain for the transition to stem to be the strongest . Each blank would be a challenge it seems. The pipe in the pic looks like the grain is oriented realy well.
Ebauchons of briar tend to have an indeterminate, somewhat swirly grain, making it a challenge to select the best orientation. Plateau briar, by contrast, always includes at least one margin of the spherical briar root burl, and tend to have radial grain. Unfortunately, the plateau blocks are one-and-a-half to two times the cost of similar sized ebauchons. The really lovely plateau blanks sometimes sell for $100 or more.
pre-bored blanks: http://www.pimopipecraft.com/prebored.html
a nice discussion (including videos) of briar blocks, and a briar store for pipe makers: http://www.romeobriar.com/main.html
Pipe Makers Emporium: http://www.pipemakers.org/
a detailed discussion of pipe making: http://pipedia.org/index.php?title=Pipe_Making
Bob
pre-bored blanks: http://www.pimopipecraft.com/prebored.html
a nice discussion (including videos) of briar blocks, and a briar store for pipe makers: http://www.romeobriar.com/main.html
Pipe Makers Emporium: http://www.pipemakers.org/
a detailed discussion of pipe making: http://pipedia.org/index.php?title=Pipe_Making
Bob
Aaron
Well-Known Member
I managed to get most of my shaping done with the files. Now for sandpaper to smooth everything out and prepare for staining. I'm hoping to get it finished this coming weekend, but it should be finished by the weekend after next at the latest. I'll post a couple more pictures before I start staining.
Bob- How do you stay out of class long enough to post anything? My wife has a PhD and doesn't know anything useful like this. You should hear her though, she's from Tennessee and has that hillbilly twang. Even after nearly 30 years of marriage one of my great forms of entertainment is to hear her sling around those $50.00 words with that Ellie Mae Clampett accent. Tickles the hell out of me.
Aaron- what do you use for stain? Do pipes require some kind of food grade finish? What can burn and still be safe?
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