Here’s another inspiration for wanting to learn how to cut stems. It was made by a guy named Andrew Staples who used to make pipes. The bit seems to be almost impossibly thin right before the button. These are the best pics I could get:
I Want to Be a Master Stem-Cutter. Where Do I Start?
- Thread starter AroEnglish
- Start date
Check out J Alan videos on the topic of stems.
It's an art, and can make or break a pipe in my opinion. I avoid some carvers/brands simply because I hate their stems. I've made a handful of them and never could execute the perfect stem for me, so I found carvers that will instead.
If you can master it, I think it's one of the most useful tools you could have in this hobby.
It's also a dedication. You won't make good stems early on. It'll take alot of practice (time and materials). But for your sake, I'll hope you succeed. Best of luck
It's an art, and can make or break a pipe in my opinion. I avoid some carvers/brands simply because I hate their stems. I've made a handful of them and never could execute the perfect stem for me, so I found carvers that will instead.
If you can master it, I think it's one of the most useful tools you could have in this hobby.
It's also a dedication. You won't make good stems early on. It'll take alot of practice (time and materials). But for your sake, I'll hope you succeed. Best of luck
Thanks for the info and well wishes, AP! I’ll check out his videos.
You have on your side the fact that your ambition is currently only to make pipes for yourself -one day-. Between the open ended time line and having only one model set of teeth that need to be accounted for, tooling and perseverance are really your only hurdles to success.
You have a clear aspiration and a plan, and good perspective on your current life situation. I'd say watch those online videos, go to the appropriate site, and find your place to start.
If you want to show Forums something you've done, that would be interesting.
If you want to show Forums something you've done, that would be interesting.
Thanks, CL! Looks like you’ve got a number of tool judging by your profile picture. Do you have any recommendations that I should start with?
Maybe find someone where you can do a sort of apprentice program?
Personally it's really nasty-stinky and not real healthy, nor is turning briar.
Personally it's really nasty-stinky and not real healthy, nor is turning briar.
Yeah, I’d love something like that! I don't know of any pipe carvers in my area and I think any online sessions would cost money since I wouldn't be putting hours into shop to offset the cost of teaching me. Honestly I wish I had looked into this 10 years ago when I was in college and had summers off.
I consider a small machine lathe to be the most important tool in making high quality stems due to the ability of precision and concentricity. I like integrated tenons so I consider it essential.
I thought I’d post my last stem inspiration, a @sasquatch pipe from the old PSF. I was less than a year into pipe smoking and was lusting after all the pipes and tobaccos. I think I had about 6 or 7 pipes at the time but thought I needed to try an artisan pipe but didn't have the artisan cash. I reached out to Sas and asked if he could do a basic rusticated poker for $100. I'm not sure what he was thinking (maybe our mutual love for la terre de nos aïeux?) but he said sure and knocked out this pipe for me. It wasn't until this past year getting back into smoking that I realized what a treat this pipe is, especially regarding the stem. I’m sure he didn't agonize over making this but it impressed in me how well (and presumably quickly) something can be made once you know your craft.
I do own a lot of dang tools, but that's all for solid wood furniture work. The pipe maker's forum has pages and pages of discussion about dream shops and make-do shops and everything in between that would be more helpful.
I can confidently say that good files are more expensive than you would think, but very worthwhile. Used ones of good manufacture are often available at garage sales and flea markets and can be "sharpened" once or twice in an electrified solution.
You can absolutely make stems, top quality hand cut stems, without a lathe, using delrin inserts for tenons. The only issue with it is that you'll be forced to fit them to standard sizes of delrin (1/4", 5/16", 3/8" etc are real common) and not custom-cut a tenon to size for any particular pipe like you could on a lathe.
But tons of high grade pipe makers use delrin preferentially, it's not a "cheat". I use it especially on thinner pipes where I want a 1/4" tenon and still a 5/32" airway. Pipe makers forum has oodles of info about process in the stickies in the stem making section.
You can make pipes with a drill press and some files and sandpaper, pretty much. But it's extraordinarily taxing to do so. A bandsaw is nice, some kind of power sanding setup (belt or disc) with dust collection is nice. Buncha different files and rasps. But the basic problem to solve in making pipes is "how can I get the stem to shank junction to work?" Once you solve how to keep the pieces of the pipe together, everything else is refinement.
First I’d buy some stem blanks and work with those. While your saving for your lathe. 