Got the Carving Chisels Out - My 3rd Pipe

[Crawley1066]

Very impressive, particularly for your third pipe. Keep up the excellent work.

Yes! Very impressive man! Very nice lines! Good stuff!

Thank you both! Really enjoying it.

One more block left for now and just trying to decide on a pattern rather than just going at it this time. Cheers!

 

[ophiuchus]

Nice twist on a familiar shape. Good work!

 

[Crawley1066]

This is really amazing! Are you a woodworker by trade/training? You may have said, I see the woodworker's vice.

Sorry I missed your message, and thanks for the kind words! Really happy with it ?
I’m a hobbyist; I restored old tools for a few years and started using the ones I kept myself around two years ago. Lots of reading and practicing before I actually started any projects - the moxon vice was a deal I couldn’t refuse for my birthday treat last year. Very useful but a very literal pain in the side when you keep walking into it ? Thanks again

 

[Crawley1066]

Nice twist on a familiar shape. Good work!

Thanks! Wasn’t really sure what I was doing at the time but pleased with the result. I’ll start drawing out designs for the future I think.

 

[alexnc]

Beautiful lines, that looks really challenging. I’m a little intimidated to try something with such crisp flowing lines. Love the flow into the stem. Was it difficult to keep it so crisp?

 

[shikano53]

That is a really gorgeous piece of work! And the stain is beautiful.
It has an exotic flare to it. Well done indeed!

 

[mso489]

Yes, not only does the shape flow into the shank, but it takes the dramatic grain with it. Commendable design indeed.

 

[Kozeman]

Very inspiring. Dang,,,, now I need to go find a blank to fiddle with.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Looks great! I’d smoke it! ?

 

[Crawley1066]

Beautiful lines, that looks really challenging. I’m a little intimidated to try something with such crisp flowing lines. Love the flow into the stem. Was it difficult to keep it so crisp?

Thanks! I’d definitely recommend giving it a go. I wasn’t really aiming for symmetry but that’s how it turned out.
Some and some to answer your question though - I found roughing out the shape I didn’t have to worry too much about keeping them overly clean. Once the rough shape was out I took some 320 grit sandpaper and went directly flat onto the curves (shock horror).
Once they’d all been sanded to the same ‘height’ if that’s the right word, I could then go round with the chisel again to bring them all to a point. Having the flat surfaces made it easy to see which lines were protruding too much etc.
Sanding was tricky, but a set of violin scrapers made it possible to then go straight to a higher 800-1000 grit without worrying about a lower grit ruining the curves.
Hope that’s a good explanation anyway

 

[Crawley1066]

That is a really gorgeous piece of work! And the stain is beautiful.
It has an exotic flare to it. Well done indeed!

Thank you! Smokes great too I’m pleased to report... though it’s a slow burner with those thinner walls

 

[Crawley1066]

Very inspiring. Dang,,,, now I need to go find a blank to fiddle with.

Do it!! ?
Thanks for the kind words.

 

[Crawley1066]

Looks great! I’d smoke it! ?

Cheers! It’s a good’un when I’m out walking. Nice and light.

 

[brut666]

Really is a beautiful looking pipe, certainly one I'd add to my collection ??

 

[Brew&Briar]

Nice twist on a familiar shape. Good work!

Nice twist, I see what you did there.

 

[Brew&Briar]

Well, another week, another pipe! At least 3/4 full day’s work in this. I’m quite proud of it!

Started out with a block billiard blank from Balandis pipes on eBay. Sometimes the holes have been a bit off with these blanks, but he’s quick to answer and replace any problems and this one was spot on. Highly recommend if you’re EU based - cant go wrong for the money.

Anyway, I wanted a Zulu shape. Something light and thin walled for when I’m out walking. I’ve got plenty of ‘chunkers’ for the garden.

Roughed out a billiard shape with a coarse rasp (measuring the walls with a compass and leaving a little extra on the sides for the shape I had in mind) and then got the gouges out.

Originally I wanted something like a whirlpool - all asymmetric. That didn’t really happen... I didn’t measure anything and the more I carved the more I thought it would be a fun challenge to go for symmetry.

Once the rough shape was carved, I put a heat gun on the stem and bent it to the ‘Zulu’ shape I wanted before I drew out the stem lines with a medium file. I wanted the stem to reflect the pipe and the lines to follow as smoothly as I could make them from chamber to tip.

Lots of scrapingsanding up to 400grit to refine the shape before black dye, contrast sanding, then all the way up to 2500.

I thinned English Bridle Fiebing’s dye and got that on there to make it pop out.

Polished with carnauba wax and here it is!

This looks really great. I like what you did with the twisted look. Reminds me of some of the old school french paneled pipes.

 

[Peter - CCB]

Really creative! Makes me rethink my next one and get out of the box. Good work!

 

[Lawyer66]

Well, another week, another pipe! At least 3/4 full day’s work in this. I’m quite proud of it!

Started out with a block billiard blank from Balandis pipes on eBay. Sometimes the holes have been a bit off with these blanks, but he’s quick to answer and replace any problems and this one was spot on. Highly recommend if you’re EU based - cant go wrong for the money.

Anyway, I wanted a Zulu shape. Something light and thin walled for when I’m out walking. I’ve got plenty of ‘chunkers’ for the garden.

Roughed out a billiard shape with a coarse rasp (measuring the walls with a compass and leaving a little extra on the sides for the shape I had in mind) and then got the gouges out.

Originally I wanted something like a whirlpool - all asymmetric. That didn’t really happen... I didn’t measure anything and the more I carved the more I thought it would be a fun challenge to go for symmetry.

Once the rough shape was carved, I put a heat gun on the stem and bent it to the ‘Zulu’ shape I wanted before I drew out the stem lines with a medium file. I wanted the stem to reflect the pipe and the lines to follow as smoothly as I could make them from chamber to tip.

Lots of scrapingsanding up to 400grit to refine the shape before black dye, contrast sanding, then all the way up to 2500.

I thinned English Bridle Fiebing’s dye and got that on there to make it pop out.

Polished with carnauba wax and here it is!

This is amazing. Are you planning on selling any?