Mini Lather - Will This Work For Pipe Making

Someone please enlighten me. I'm curious about making a couple pipes, but can't figure this out. I used to do some machine work, but can't for the life of me make sense why you would use a lathe on a pipe. What am I missing?

B

I don't have a lot of experience with lathes and turning. I always told my boys if "buy a cheap tool you'll buy twice." In the end it will cost you more when you buy the good tool, and are stuck with the junk tool. So buy the best you can afford, and if you have to save a little longer you won't regret it.

Woodworking lathes are often used to turn small objects, such as pens. I've seen folks recommend pen blanks as raw material for stem construction, even, so my (admittedly uninformed) guess would be that the lathe would give some measure of precision in turning shanks at the very least, and doing the exterior of the bowl on some of the classic shapes (billiards, eggs, apples, etc.).

...why you would use a lathe on a pipe...

Click to expand...

Round shank, round bowl...lathe does it best from what I can work out.

Maybe it's because I did metal work. I guess I can see a point on stems, but still don't see any functionality with briar.

B

@eaglerico: I have a Turncrafter Midi lathe with an extension bed. I don't think the extension bed is necessary for pipe making, but it is for chair spindals. I do some small to mid sized turnings with it. Very well made and not too expensive, ~ $450 or so. I haven't turned a pipe yet, but I may try my hand at it one day. The Jet is also a very nice tool. Enjoy!

8X12 is pretty small, especially the 12" bed. After the chuck takes up 3-4", the drill bit takes up another 3-4" and the Jacobs chuck takes up another 3-4", you're just not left with room to work.

The other thing to consider is that the lathe IS the cheapest part of the tool. By the time you buy a proper chuck for the headstock and a few Jacobs chucks for the tailstock and make a few tweaks to get it running the way you'd like, I think you will be disappointed that you put all that effort and money into a less than ideal machine.

I don't know a lot about wood lathes, but the best bet for your money is probably a used Jet or Delta midi lathe, especially if you find one with some decent tools and an extra chuck or two. Check Craigslist daily, you should be able to find a deal like that for less than $500 but you will be miles ahead in usefulness.

The ideal midi/mini lathe would be a 12x22" variable speed.

I use a small lathe I bought at Harbor freight, was only like $200 or so. Lathes are really handy for pipe making. I use mine to drill the holes, bowl chamber and draft hole. Also if you want a semetrical shape you need a lathe to turn the bowl and shank. I also use mine for cutting the tenon on my pipe stems. You can drill pipes with a drill press, but it is way easier on a lathe.

I would go with the Jet, and the custom chuck (insane it is almost as much as the damn lathe) but if your are serious...go for it!

I think that you have to consider what is most important in a lathe. Solid, stable, precise, ...

The first two are a result of weight, and the last is associated with it.
My small lathe has a sixteen inch swing and weighs about 500 pounds. Big and heavy is good.
As to whether a wood lathe is useful in pipe making, it is my primary tool. If you plan your operations correctly, you can do most of the work on it. I turn the tobacco chamber rather than drill - that permits me to size and shape it how I wish. You can also drill, turn, and attach the stem to the shank while the stummel is still on the lathe and turn the shank and stem as a single unit.
anthony