My First Pipe Final Stages With Pics

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jan 8, 2013
7,493
733
Since the pipe is no longer in the beginning stages, but is rather in the final stages, it didn't make much sense to continue showing it in a thread titled, "My First Pipe Beginning Stages." So I started a new thread. If anyone hasn't seen it and is interested, this is the original thread... http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/my-first-pipe-beginning-stages-pics
A quick rundown... The pipe began as this ginormously huge jumbo grade 1 block of plateau briar ordered from Vermont Freehand, predrilled. Lacking any power tools I decided I was going to do this with hand tools. So with a coping saw, a rasp, a few files, an assortment of sandpaper, and a brass wire brush I dove in.
The Tools Of The Trade

CAM01040.jpg
[/url][/img]
Shaping a pipe, I've learned, with hand tools is no easy task. It's tiring, tedious, and sometimes painful. I've also learned that a wood rasp will take the skin off a knuckle a heck of a lot easier than it does wood. But despite that, it's been very rewarding, and quite fun, and almost as therapeutic as smoking a pipe. I've been able to watch the wood transform slowly from a shapeless block into something (in my opinion) quite beautiful. I've learned you don't always control what you want the pipe to become. In fact, I could almost say the briar takes on a life of its own and guides your hand into fulfilling its destiny. I thought the pipe I was creating was going to be a typical freehand style bent dublin... the pipe wanted to be more of a pickaxe. I'm fine with that. It wanted to be something Thorin Oakenshield would be proud to smoke... I'm fine with that too, but Thorin's gonna have a fight if he thinks he's getting the pipe. Not even finished, I'm already in love with it. In fact, the moment the wood rasp met briar I developed a love for this pipe.
Ok, recently I've been working my way up slowly from low grit to high grit. I've begun wearing some cotton gloves to help protect the briar from the oils of my skin while moving toward the finishing process. I've finished the final sanding before staining and buffed with tripoli... I think. My drill (the only thing of power in the making of this pipe)only runs 900 rpms, so I'm not sure how much tripoli actually made it onto the wheel. Even less sure of how much made it onto the pipe. However... this beast is looking fantastic! :)
Weird how it looks so small in this photo. Trust me it's a trick of the eye.


I was thinking of ways I could prevent stain from getting into the bowl, ways I could stain the pipe without touching it, and ways I could hang the pipe while stain dries and came up with this nifty little tool. It's simply a wine cork on a thick bamboo skewer. Fits perfectly into the chamber on this pipe.

CAM01030.jpg
[/url][/img] I stick the skewer down into cup full of change and it's safe and secure.
I heard wiping the pipe down with denatured alcohol opens the grain and helps the stain seep in. I also heard heating the pipe does the same. And I heard lighting the stain on fire helps the stain set in the grain too... For good measure I did all three. Doing a contrast stain, I've applied the black and I'm currently letting it sit. I almost wanted to kick myself for doing this. I think the pipe looks quite nice as it is. However, I'm using the opportunity to learn a few things as well, and so stain it is. Say hello to Black er... Beauty?

CAM01036.jpg
[/url][/img]
And that's the story so far. I'm going to let it sit overnight and most of the day and then I'll sand off the black stain and begin prepping for the light brown.

 
K

klause

Guest
Anthony that is flipping gorgeous!
If I saw that for sale I wouldn't hesitate - it flips all the right switches.
Its been very interesting following your progress, and I'm looking forward to hearing about your first smoke with it - no pressure.
Stunning piece of work - you have some serious talent, more obvious given you only used hand tools. Truly inspirational.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,087
6,394
Florida
Now that's the kind of thing we're all hoping for in this pipe kit thread!

What a beauty!

I dub it the FreeHawk.

I'll bet you'll have some wonderful contrasts once you sand off that first application.

Just a very nice job you're doing, a wonderful looking piece 'o work!

 

bigjoe

Might Stick Around
Aug 14, 2014
55
0
Nice looking pipe! Love the grain, I bet it will really pop in your next pictures.

 

agnosticpipe

Lifer
Nov 3, 2013
3,332
3,412
In the sticks in Mississippi
It's been fun watching your progress on this pipe Anthony. I think you're going to have a real beauty on your hands when done! I also think it's interesting to hear how you feel about the process of making a pipe, saying that it's kind of therapeutic for you. I feel the same way when restoring pipes. Like you said, it almost seems as relaxing as smoking a pipe. :wink:

Looking forward to the finished product!

 
Jan 8, 2013
7,493
733
Thanks for all the kind words everyone :) It's truly been a labor of love with this pipe.
I dub it the FreeHawk
Newbroom, I think it's more of a pickaxe shape than a hawk bill, myself, but if you don't mind I may actually call it that. FreeHawk does kind of fit. Here in North Texas I can see myself smoking contentedly in a field somewhere watching red tail hawks soar overhead. I've been planning on giving it some sort of name, and perhaps it really won't come to mind until the pipe is finished, but so far FreeHawk is contender number 1. :D
As far as first smokes... well, that's a given! Whether it smokes like a champ or smokes terribly (hoping for smokes like a champ of course) I'll definitely be letting you all know.
Back to the task at hand. I'm planning on letting it sit for about 24 hours before sanding off the black, so right now I'm just staring at it watching the time go by. I only have a few short hours left though. So hopefully I'll be able to get all the black off and start staining with light brown today.

 
Jan 8, 2013
7,493
733
Update... Ran into a problem I hadn't really thought about but I learned from it and I'm fixing the problem. When I carved the fluting I brought them to a point... BIG issue when trying to sand out the black dye for the contrast stain. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get the black out of the narrow pointed fluting. Understanding this would probably be quite obvious if I went ahead and added the brown (although I was somewhat tempted to leave it)I decided to break out the heavier grit sandpaper and fix the problem. That stuff wasn't coming out easy so I've opted to just resand the whole pipe. So... now I'm in the process of starting over from the sanding process. Not a big deal, really. It just means the pipe won't be finished in another day or so like I hoped. And I've learned how I can prevent this from happening on future pipes. You'd think I'd be a bit disappointed, but I'm actually ok with it. It also gives me an opportunity to try something I read about earlier. Staining between grits.

 

mojoe

Might Stick Around
Jan 6, 2015
89
1
Kansas City
I'm sure you've already started sanding back, but while reading this morning and looking at the photos above, I thought it might be cool to leave the bottom of the bowl and the very tips of the grooves dark, and sand progressively more aggressive as you go towards the top.....basically allowing the color to fade as you get closer to the top of the bowl. But, maybe that's a finishing idea for your next project (or two or three down the road).....I see more threads like this in your future :)

 
Jan 8, 2013
7,493
733
I thought it might be cool to leave the bottom of the bowl and the very tips of the grooves dark, and sand progressively more aggressive as you go towards the top.....basically allowing the color to fade as you get closer to the top of the bowl.
Mojoe, it's funny you said that because I was thinking I may be doing just that, but the opposite, darker towards the top of the bowl. I saw, I think, some Ben Wades (I think they were Ben Wades) that were done like that and it looked pretty cool. While sanding down, toward the top of the bowl I ended up getting some ugly spots where the wood looks kind of dirty for lack of a better word. It's not terrible, but it's noticeable to me and I can't see myself working it all out without taking down quite a bit of the fluting. Hopefully I can work it out if I work on it just a bit more, but if not that's my plan.
But, maybe that's a finishing idea for your next project (or two or three down the road).....I see more threads like this in your future
Probably... I'm off work today and I've been drawing pipes this morning with my coffee. :D

 
Jan 8, 2013
7,493
733
Thanks for asking, Klause :) Actually yes. I haven't had much time the last few days to work on it, but I have managed to get in a little. There wasn't much to do anyway. I of course dropped back down to some lower grit sandpaper to get rid of those pesky sharp points in the fluting that were holding the black stain, and the dirty-ish look I had gotten near the top of the bowl. Not 100% perfect, but satisfactory I think. Sanding it down again revealed a couple tiny flaws or pits that I'm really not concerned much about... one, they're tiny... two, it's going to be my pipe and I still think it looks great. I chalk it up to an effect of my mistake on the fluting that I had to sand the points out of. Where the wood was previously flawless, it will now be a gentle reminder to me, not to make that mistake again.
After sanding out the ugly spots and mistakes, I worked my way back up through the grits again, reapplying the black stain, sanding higher, applying light brown, sanding higher, applying light brown, and then sanding and applying light brown again. I've been letting the stain sit about a day between sanding and I'll give it a very light sanding again today.
If I'm happy with the color I'll be hopefully buffing with brown tripoli and carnauba wax today. I'll be using a hand drill with buffing wheels. My drill was only pushing 900 rpms and was not taking tripoli or wax onto the wheels and I was not able to practice on some of the scrap I had left over. But a coworker lent me his, which should do the trick. If everything goes well, the pipe will be finished today if not tomorrow or the next day. I'm looking forward to it's maiden smoke :)

 
K

klause

Guest
Wow! Man, you've been busy.
Anthony, I'm really looking forward to seeing this pipe - it's one of the most gorgeous shapes I've seen in a very long time - a spectacular take on the pick-ax (my favourite shape). You've done an outstanding job do far, and, I must confess, I'm in complete awe of your attention to detail and patience in this process.

 

phil67

Lifer
Dec 14, 2013
2,052
7
Great job! (took a look at the pictures on the link provided).
Due to some family matters I've been a tad stalled on my motor setup and finishing the pipe I started on, but hopefully within the next few weeks I'll get back at it again.

 
Status
Not open for further replies.