Pipe making help

[randommj]

this will be my first pipe to make, and, true, it wont be easy, Id like to make a churchwarden pipe, Ive never been one to start anything easy. I have a chunk on briar coming in the mail, but my question is what is the best wood to use as the stem?
to be honest, I am far more interested in the making process than the smoking aspect, actually I classify myself as a non-smoker, mainly because I have yet to take more than one puff of anything, but I am planning on making something with a smaller bowl
any tips would be HUGELY helpful

 

[unclearthur]

The best source I know for information on pipe making is the book offered by PIMO.

http://www.pimopipecraft.com/

I would not use a wooden stem myself but vulcanite as offered by pimo.

 

[frostyforge]

First off, I would suggest holding off on making the stem for a churchwarden, if you want to buy one thats fine. But finding and buying a drill bit that long will be incredibly hard and extremely expensive :P If you are bound and determined to make a churchwarden, then go with clay. Its much easier to make the long stem out of.

Second, I would suggest getting some more briar to make the stem. And if this is your first pipe, find some oak or pine for really cheap and practice on those first. I made an oak pipe not to long ago, and I went through 3 bowls before I was able to get one right, so you don't want to waste your good briar.

Couple quick questions: what style pipes are you planing on making? Also, what tools do you have to make it with?

Hope I didn't scare you away with any of this, to date I've made every single one of my pipes, and plan to continue making pipes as long as I can, there's just something about smoking a good aromatic in a handmade pipe....

Oh, and a word of warning...pipe making is very, very, very addicting

 

[randommj]

you might be right, I think buying the stem might be the way to go. Im pretty confident in my wood working abilities, the only part I think I could really jack up on would be getting the stem hole to meet the bowl (very technical terms here...) as far as tools go, I was thinking on using a wood bit to cut the majority of the bowl then use a metal bit for the very last, seeing as though it has a nice "rounded" bottom, then use a band saw for rough cutting then a knife for the shaping, and obviously a lot of sand paper, and I have a bench grinder that I could put a cloth wheel on for the waxing portion

 

[unclearthur]

If you have a narrow belt sander it will save you hours of whittling time . Briar is very hard and prone to chipping ahead of a knife.

 

[docgarr]

Try Mark Tinsky's website here for supplies and tips on pipe making.

 

[juni]

This is a great site (I go there occasionally to admire the pictures in the gallery part of the forum):
http://www.pipemakersforum.com/