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So there you go - that's how I make a pipe. Well, technically, that's how i make two pipes. The whole process to make the two pipes from scratch took me maybe 4 - 5 hours.
Everything needed is in the workspace from the first picture - with the exception of the drill press which is down in my utility/tool room. As some of you may have noticed, I am a cheapskate . The band saw is a pretty cheap one from Sears, and the other tools are really cheap - by a brand called Wen, but which seems a really good value for money. So in terms of cost, this is not a super-expensive hobby. I did spend a bit of money buying the chamber bits and the tenon turning tool from Vermont Freehand, but that's a one-time expense. The wood (briar) can be expensive. As I mentioned, you decide what you want in terms of quality. Lower quality can be pretty cheap, but you run the risk of flaws in the wood. But, high quality briar can be pricey (like $45 for a nice piece). So there's a wide range possible. I do occasionally buy the very expensive stuff, but mostly I get cheaper stuff. After all, I am still learning and figuring stuff out. |
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That level of neatness gives me a nervous twitch.
Can’t dispute the quality of the product, though. |
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Thanks for posting the walkthrough with good pictures. I remember seeing the thread a while back where you were asking for help with your logo, and I see that turned out nicely.
I agree with your assessment on the first pipe, and that second one looks really outstanding in the pictures. I'm impressed by your skill, especially since you say you're fairly new at this. You ought to be proud and I'm going to keep my good eye watching for more pictures of your work. Again, thanks for taking the time to lay this out for us - I've always been curious but never knew how these are done. |
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Thanks, that was interesting. You won't be a master until you figure out how to fix that crooked stem.
If you start using knives and other carving tools, rasps, and files, I bet your work will go quicker and you'll be able to make different and more complicated shapes. More than once I've been tempted to smoke a pipe, and I have wanted to make one since I was a kid, thinking all I needed to do was dig up a blackberry root! |
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Thanks, that was interesting. You won't be a master until you figure out how to fix that crooked stem. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Thanks, that was interesting. You won't be a master until you figure out how to fix that crooked stem. However, I am far, FAR from a master at pipes. But at least I managed to fix that one. If you start using knives and other carving tools, rasps, and files, I bet your work will go quicker and you'll be able to make different and more complicated shapes. |
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Definitely getting a DK pipe and in reading the thread, I had the same criticisms between pipe #1 & #2. From having smoked pipes extensively when I "quit" smoking cigarettes for almost a decade. Straight stem pipes will shortly overheat and send tobacco juice up the stem A curved stem pipe won't as readily, but will gurgle like a bong. This is predicated on a moister type of pipe tobacco or one prone produce more moisture under heat.
Some types of pipe tobacco are less prone. Latakia being one of those types with your cheaper Captain Black's being more prone. A custom pipe would address those issues by either providing a juice collection chamber that would mitigate the issue, or the smoker having 3-5 pipes to rotate throughout the day to allow absorption into the briar. Meershaum pipes excel in addressing this due to their absorptive nature as a mineral. It is like a pipe made from a block of salt. It looks like I need to dig my pipes out of the archives and take some pics and revive the habit vice Camel Studs. |
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Very nice work!
Did you start with some of those predrilled/pre-stemmed (for lack of a better word) pipe blocks? Do you sell your pipes, and where could one purchase them? Lastly, is your logo supposed to be a goose wing flapping? |
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Very nice work! Did you start with some of those predrilled/pre-stemmed (for lack of a better word) pipe blocks? Do you sell your pipes, and where could one purchase them? Lastly, is your logo supposed to be a goose wing flapping? View Quote The first couple of pipes I made, I did start with pre-drilled/stemmed blocks. Drilling takes bit of learning, and ideally a drill press, so starting with a pre-drilled block is very helpful for a beginner. I will eventually sell them (if people are interested), and a fellow arfcommer is currently setting up a website for me. So that will hopefully be up soon. But, i’ve Also promised about eight different people - friends and family - to make them pipes, so it will take a bit of time to work through the backlog. . I would be fun to have a pipe making side business, so I have set up an LLC for it, and registered the trademark. Heck, if nothing else, at least I can tax deduct some of the cost of wood and equipment. The logo was actually made by another arfcommer as well, and is a Viking ship seen from the front. |
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So I didn’t have the choice of perfect stem I wanted, but I think this looks a million times better. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/1576C78E-2AF5-4D98-B15C-67BBC6BE9FD1-327105.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/65D11EFA-E2A2-41D9-BFFC-71ED113037F6-327106.jpg View Quote |
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So I didn’t have the choice of perfect stem I wanted, but I think this looks a million times better. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/1576C78E-2AF5-4D98-B15C-67BBC6BE9FD1-327105.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/65D11EFA-E2A2-41D9-BFFC-71ED113037F6-327106.jpg |
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Thanks. The first couple of pipes I made, I did start with pre-drilled/stemmed blocks. Drilling takes bit of learning, and ideally a drill press, so starting with a pre-drilled block is very helpful for a beginner. I will eventually sell them (if people are interested), and a fellow arfcommer is currently setting up a website for me. So that will hopefully be up soon. But, i’ve Also promised about eight different people - friends and family - to make them pipes, so it will take a bit of time to work through the backlog. . I would be fun to have a pipe making side business, so I have set up an LLC for it, and registered the trademark. Heck, if nothing else, at least I can tax deduct some of the cost of wood and equipment. The logo was actually made by another arfcommer as well, and is a Viking ship seen from the front. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
Very nice work! Did you start with some of those predrilled/pre-stemmed (for lack of a better word) pipe blocks? Do you sell your pipes, and where could one purchase them? Lastly, is your logo supposed to be a goose wing flapping? The first couple of pipes I made, I did start with pre-drilled/stemmed blocks. Drilling takes bit of learning, and ideally a drill press, so starting with a pre-drilled block is very helpful for a beginner. I will eventually sell them (if people are interested), and a fellow arfcommer is currently setting up a website for me. So that will hopefully be up soon. But, i’ve Also promised about eight different people - friends and family - to make them pipes, so it will take a bit of time to work through the backlog. . I would be fun to have a pipe making side business, so I have set up an LLC for it, and registered the trademark. Heck, if nothing else, at least I can tax deduct some of the cost of wood and equipment. The logo was actually made by another arfcommer as well, and is a Viking ship seen from the front. |
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Some nice work there! I carve fishing lures, not the same by any means but it still takes a level of skill in woodworking. I thought I'd share a small tip on drilling your holes. It's a lot easier (for me) to drill the holes needed while the stock is still square, vs shaping first then drilling. Never smoked a pipe but I love the way they smell. Again I'd like to say nice work, and good luck to you in your hobby!
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I'm very impressed by your efforts!
Looking forward to seeing more. |
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Looking good DK!
Many pipe makers have said that a straight billiard can be the most difficult to get right. |
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Cant say I need a pipe for anything but I still enjoyed your thread. Keep up the awesome work.
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I don't actually have ANY fancy wood-carving abilities. Something like that Meerschaum would be beyond me, even if I spent 100 years practicing. There's something incredibly cool about old pipes that you've had forever, and has personal memories attached to them. I have a porcelain pipe that my dad gave to me. I do like smooth curves, and almost organic-looking designs - like the Gotoh-inspired examples I posted above. As another example, I just made this recently as well (just before the billiards, in fact): https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/042Small2_JPG-340644.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/042Small4_JPG-340646.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/042Small3_JPG-340645.jpg View Quote |
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I don't actually have ANY fancy wood-carving abilities. Something like that Meerschaum would be beyond me, even if I spent 100 years practicing. There's something incredibly cool about old pipes that you've had forever, and has personal memories attached to them. I have a porcelain pipe that my dad gave to me. I do like smooth curves, and almost organic-looking designs - like the Gotoh-inspired examples I posted above. As another example, I just made this recently as well (just before the billiards, in fact): https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/042Small2_JPG-340644.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/042Small4_JPG-340646.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/042Small3_JPG-340645.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/042Small1_JPG-343063.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/042Small5_JPG-343064.jpg View Quote |
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I finally made a pipe that is what the first pipe in this thread SHOULD have been. The pictures are not great, but you get the idea. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/P1013281_-_Copy_JPG-361663.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/P1013282_-_Copy_JPG-361664.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/P1013284_-_Copy_JPG-361665.jpg View Quote |
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I finally made a pipe that is what the first pipe in this thread SHOULD have been. The pictures are not great, but you get the idea. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/P1013281_-_Copy_JPG-361663.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/P1013282_-_Copy_JPG-361664.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/P1013284_-_Copy_JPG-361665.jpg View Quote |
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How about a poker style?
I wasn't sure if I'd like them, so I picked up a Dagner cob and like it, so maybe a clean, no frills briar poker would be neat...... |
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You do damn fine work.
That's heading in the direction of what I'm thinking of, |
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When is your website going to be back up? View Quote Another arfcommer was developing it for me, and we agreed to a number of improvements - but then he ended up switching jobs and got really busy. So I am also impatient ... but I don’t want to be too much of a jerk towards him. Hopefully SOON! |
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That pipe is crap. I made better from an apple and a piece of bamboo.
Just kidding. Is that a Wen drill press? if so, how do you like it? |
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Website is still not up ... but I did just finish another pipe. I like this on a LOT ... but I am also a little disappointed in the fit between stem and shank. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/P1013350_JPG-407360.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/P1013356_JPG-407361.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/P1013357_JPG-407362.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/P1013358_JPG-407363.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/1715/P1013360_JPG-407364.jpg View Quote |
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