I'm thinking about giving pipe making a try

[guitarguy86]

I know there is information all over the place, but how much of it is the same thing, explained in a different way? I mainly want to know if I could get started for under $500, because if I decide later that I don't want to invest further time, I won't be set into financial ruin. I'm thinking of starting just as a hobby, something to take up time. I'm assuming I'll need a lathe, and drill press, as well as some briar blocks and pipe stems. How much would all of this cost, and what else would I need?

 

[ejames]

Buy a pre-drilled kit,a Dremel and attachments,sandpaper,maybe a rasp or file. Make that one,if you like doing it make another from a kit. Then if you REALLY like it buy the lathe,drill press,sanders, buffers,wax, buffing compounds,tons of sandpaper,more files,drill bits,other assorted bits and ........

It'll all run ya a bit more than $500.00

 

[briarbird]

+1 for what EJames said!

 

[mrgunnar177]

Iv been considering trying to make a pipe as well, which kit would you consider " the best"

 

[tjameson]

I also have been wondering what kit would be the best to start with.

 

[guitarguy86]

Thank you ejames. I'll look into it right now.

 

[ejames]

Several of the pro pipe makers sell kits. Tim West,Mark Tinsky just off the top of my head. You can also find them on Ebay,and it seems to me a couple of the tobacco e-tailers sell kits.Pimo and Pipe Makers Emporium have them I believe.
To do it on a hobby basis you can do it without spending a ton of money but it is still not cheap( at least to me).
In the pic you can see far left a Craftsman 12" drill press,I bought it used for a $100 bucks,The lathe is a small 7X12 Grizzly-$525.00 new,they have since went up. The band saw was used-$40.00. The two motors I used for buffing were free but I spent over a $100.00 for mandrels,buffing wheels and compounds. I reworked a cheap ($50.00 new) Chinese drill press to use as a sander. And I have spent somewhere around $3-400.00 for other tooling and supplies and need to spend another $3-400.00 for more lathe tooling etc.

The lathe I bought is fine for doing stem work or making tampers but is really to small for drilling pipes.

The pros will tell to buy the biggest lathe you can afford.

 

[bigmike]

ejames, Nice Setup !!!!

 

[fshu2]

i love your set up.

 

[smokindawg]

I'll give the same type advice. Start with a couple per drilled kits first.

Getting set up to make pipes can be very costly. Especially if you do as many new carvers do and get the wrong tooling, such as too small a lathe. If you decide after the kits that you want to keep at it, do lots of research, ask lots of questions and save for tooling till you get what you really need/want rather than making due. Otherwise you'll be buying again soon. Even following this advice you can expect to always be upgrading something to make the job easier/faster.

 

[bigvan]

I'm not sure you'd NEED a lathe. If you have a drill press for the tobacco chamber and draft hole, shaping could be done with a belt and/or a disc sander.
But I've made all of TWO pipes, so be careful following my advice.

 

[eaglerico]

Not much of a pipe maker myself, but to confirm what bigvan said.
I have seen several videos of pipe makers shape a pipe with a belt sander or sanding disc. There was even a video of an up and coming pipe carver at a convention a while back using just a motor with a disc mounted to it, just to make a point of being able to make a pipe without the shop full of equipment.
However, I am sure, to be able to turn out a consistent product in this manner would require a greater investment in briar. As I would guess it would take much more practice to perfect.

 

[ghost]

To the OP, I'm at the same point as you. I have some other hobbies that the tools could be used for pipemaking as well, but I'm going to try a kit first. I also hit up flea markets and antique shops for estate pipes to practice repairs. You really learn how to do a lot of different things quickly, and I'm beginning to get a handle of what my own preferences are in a pipe that will help out greatly when I start to make my own.

 

[ejames]

Not much of a pipe maker myself, but to confirm what bigvan said.
I have seen several videos of pipe makers shape a pipe with a belt sander or sanding disc. There was even a video of an up and coming pipe carver at a convention a while back using just a motor with a disc mounted to it, just to make a point of being able to make a pipe without the shop full of equipment.

A lot of the pro use a sanding wheel/disk for shaping. Very little shaping can be done in the lathe,but as I understand it drilling can be done much more accurately in the lathe and is the best way to turn tenons and face a stem,even if you're using molded stems.

Since my lathe is so small( plus I don't have the right chuck) I use my drill press for drilling. I seen some of those videos.( Tyler Lane has some great videos) Even when they shape first and then drill they most often do it in the lathe,sometimes holding the stummel with their hands !!

 

[guitarguy86]

Well I think I'm spending my TAD money on some pre drilled kits.
I drilled my Savinelli today to open up the draw, and it really got me wanting to give some kits a try.
I'll be honest, I was nervous about messing up the Sav today, but it was gooping like crazy, and taking too many relights. I just smoked a bowl after drilling it, and it smokes WONDERFUL now.

 

[foggymountain]

Any health hazards related to breathing a lot of wood dust? Maybe not until you do a lot of it.

 

[phred]

It occurs to me that I have a ShopSmith that will do lathe work, drill press, horizontal boring - and I got the bandsaw attachment during the particular sale I took advantage of. This has possibilities... ::

 

[oldpops41]

If any of yall need someone to try out your new pipes ill sign up. What are friends for