Anyone here turn smoker's pipes?

I have heard very small mention of it. But it may have been in the carving group now that I think of it. If anybody actually does, I hope the speak up.

John

Bill Otten wrote:

As separate pieces, or in one chunk?

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September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

Bill,

I am a pipe smoker myself. By coincidence I was going to pose the same question as you ! I'll just sit back and wait to see the responses you get.

I have a 4 jaw chuck for my lathe although I have never used it. It was meant for metal turning. How do you avoid marking the wood when you re-mount it for the second phase of tuning?

Mick Perry

I do also. I drill the tobacco chamber and air way. turn the shank and the bowl. Complete the preliminary on a disk sander and lots of hand sanding to finish.

So where are your pictures? I want to visualize this marvel!

there is a professional pipe maker in Texas that has a special jig setup for drilling both holes on the lathe, but i'm not sure if he also turns the bowl on it. he only uses briar...that's the best wood for pipes. i hand carved 3 pipes and have another in the works. it's a lot of fun and you can turn out some intricate carvings on them. good luck with your turning. rich

In one chunk.....I usually turn the bowl first, then the stem. Yes, it requires rotating the piece and getting it chucked up correctly in line, but it's not that tough to do.

bill otten

Mick, when I do turn the stummel in the jaw chuck, I make a circular mark with a bright ink at the point where the bowl and stem should meet. That way I can see the mark in rotation and avoid getting too close. That's not to say I haven't whacked a few catches a time or three. I started out with cherry wood (which smokes nice) because then if I screwed a stummel (that's the unfinished bowl and stem combination) up, I wasn't out for briar costs.

bill otten

Smoker's pipes making always fascinated me. When walking to school as a kid I would stop and look at the store window displaying raw material and the pipes when finished. Today, after all these years I am looking for information on how to make smoker's pipes. I would appreciate to be pointed in the right direction to find enough information to begin making pipes for personnel satisfaction.

Hi,

Tyler has some good info at

and Tarek has someslide shows of some big name European pipemakers at work at o in knoxville

There are several spots to get some starting information: Try Pimo Pipecraft at

. They have a fairly goodbook on making pipes at home. Then try for a good article on how to drill the briar blocks so the holes intersect perfectly ( not as easy as it might seem to make a good smoker ). You might try this site for supplies too: . Several of the pipe makers have photo essays on how they make their pipes....very interesting to see their woodshops. Try: and for some American pipe makers. Then Google a search on European pipe makers for more. bill otten

Thanks to everyone that provided me with address of websites. I visited them and gathered information. At this time, I am learning the ropes. I had the opportunities to bring back from central Africa pipes made with ivory and meerschaum. They were made by local craftsmen using rudimentary tool and pole lathe. They are in my living room on a display shelve, I have never use them. I often wander if ivory was a good material for a smoker's pipe?