Dimensions on the new pipe are 7.25 w/ a 1.75 bowl depth. I'm still waiting on a shipment of Cumberland and Ebonite to come in from Germany so I can cut a stem that actually works with the pipe. I'm guessing with that stem, it will be around 6.5"
At this point, I'm using the lathe for all the drilling- loving the precision. I'll be using it more heavily when I start using bamboo and ivory in the pipes. Plays a big role in the stem shaping as well...
I'm working on some drawings for some of the more classic shapes that should start showing up in the next few weeks- even with a lot of years on a wood lathe, it takes time to get used to the whole idea of using the compound slide on a metal lathe. I've already figured out that the next purchase is a big hunk of old American iron. The little handwheels on the Chinese lathes are lousy for cutting smooth arcs on stummels....
Still having fun- even if I did destroy a beautiful piece of old briar this week after about 6 hours of working on it...
Zack