New Pipe Hobby (Pic Heavy)

[Sr Mike]

Hey folks, I have been a bit busy and not too active, but I wanted to show what I have been up too and I am looking for some thoughts on these. I started making pipes here at home with some basic tools I own.

This first pipes is from a starter kit, I went with the tear drop design on a honey pot as an ode to the classic era when cars were customized with tear drops. I also made this a large bowl:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC01644.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03558.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03554.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03552.jpg

[Sr Mike]

After the tear drop I had a fire burning to make more, so I purchased some briar and a buddy gave me a drill press to use, so with the tools needed to drill out holes I made this churchwarden and rusticated where there was some large sand pits. This pipes smokes sweeter and sweeter every week:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03660.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03652.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03654.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03665.jpg

[Sr Mike]

From there I had a friend ask me to make a straight pipe, so I drilled out this one and it has great grain:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03668.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03669.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03676.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03678.jpg

[Sr Mike]

The briar used for a background in the straight pipe and churchwarden was used to make this beauty. The holes drill out perfect and I picked up a buffing wheel, so I am now able to apply a better wax coating. So far this one was the most intensive to carve, I was unsure of how this one would turn out. Yet in the end, I like it and probably going to sell it:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03680.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03681.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03682.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03683.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03686.jpg

[King James]

awesome job! the first one is really interesting, never saw a pipe like that.

[DrDubzz]

those are some really cool pipes!

thanks for sharing

[Sr Mike]

Thank you. The tear drop was a big block of wood and I wanted to utilize as much of it as I could.

[BigFrank]

Looking good there! Any ones up for sale now? :pi

[white_s2k]

Wow, awesome job! Those look great.

[Sr Mike]

Looking good there! Any ones up for sale now? :pi

The fan like pipe I am selling, I am thinking $175 is reasonable. Took some real work to carve that one out.

I am going to be making about one a week right now. Something cool to share, Liberty Tobacco in San Diego is willing to put my pipes in their glass shelves to sell!! That B&M is great, I like those guys!!

I am thinking of doing a small contest here for the straight pipe, it did not turn out to well. Would anyone be interested if I did that?

[DrDubzz]

I would be, I like the straight quite a bit

[uncballzer]

Absolutely!

I think I like the churchwarden and straight grain the best thus far. Truly amazing work! A contest would be wonderful (if you're wanting to do that!).

[BigFrank]

Good luck with selling em! About how many hours did it take to carve one up.

[Sr Mike]

It takes me at least 12 hours to make one. I have a schedule set up right now so I can get one pipe made a week between work and home life. I am not all that sophisticated and own a lathe like many pipe makers, that would sure make it a whole lot easier to carve one out.

Here is a shot of my bad drilling work on the straight pipe, there is a whole lot of briar on each side and would smoke fine. I am just not pleased with it, I really did not finish the pipe because of it. The shank is not square with the stem either:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn258/SR_Mike/PIpe/DSC03688.jpg

I am thinking of a contest now, I will post a link to the contest in this thread.

[Sr Mike]

Here is a link to my contest for the straight pipe:

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?p=223798#post223798

[Mugen910]

Looking good there! Any ones up for sale now? :pi

:tpd: I love the 2nd set of pics!

[Skywalker]

Beautiful job Sir!!!:tu

[Hot Stuff x]

Are you able to buy the stems separately? How does that work?

[Mugen910]

Are you able to buy the stems separately? How does that work?

I agree with Les....would you be able to give us some insight into how we can pick up this hobby of wood work?

[morefifemusic]

Great looking pipes mate!

I recently started getting in to pipe making myself. I scored a great deal on a variable speed grinder for sanding and buffing and my parents are giving me a wood lathe that belonged to my departed grandpa. WTB drill press! :)

I have a small poker to be buffed right now and I am working on a volcano that is going along nicely. Of yours, I think I like the Churchwarden and the fan the best. The chruchwarden looks like a heavy SOB though. :D

For those who were asking, here is some great info to get you started.

PIMO (http://www.pimopipecraft.com/) - Good resource for briar as well as pipe making supplies and a pipe crafting book.

Pipedia (http://pipedia.org/index.php?title=Pipe_Making) - The pages on pipe making have all kinds of great info.

Penguin Briar (http://www.penguinbriar.com/kits/) - My preferred briar supplier for kits. Great communication and you can order the kit drilled based on what pipe you want to make. Best price/quality ratio I could find.

Pipe Makers' Forum (http://www.pipemakersforum.com/) - Lots of good information and a great place to post your pipes for critique. Be forewarned, they are honest but VERY picky. A good deal of very reputable pipe crafters frequent the board (such as Rad Davis).

Pipe Shape Chart (http://www.aspipes.org/shapes/shapes.html) - Good reference for getting an idea of what kind of pipe you want to make.

Hope that info helps point in the right direction.

-Tyler

[Sr Mike]

The links Tyler posted are a good start, but you are missing pics of your pipes dude. All the supplies can be purchased from several places. Stems can be bought pre-made or as rods so one could shape them.

A lathe is used by many makers, it would cut down the time it takes to make a pipe by several hours. Being a hands on kind of person, I do not think there is much to be said about a lathe shaped pipe, I could probably pump out 4-5 pipes a week with my full time job if I had a lathe.

I would rather know that the maker puts as much sweat and blood, into the pipe I purchase from them, as I put into each pipe I make. I have no desire to purchase a pipe that is made on a lathe.

The churchwarden is actually rather lightweight, nothing like the straight pipe I am offering up in the contest, that one is really nice. I am thinking of making a churchwarden to sell next week. I am even willing to make a pipe custom for someone, as long as they are not too picky.

[morefifemusic]

The links Tyler posted are a good start, but you are missing pics of your pipes dude.

A lathe is used by many makers, it would cut down the time it takes to make a pipe by several hours. Being a hands on kind of person, I do not think there is much to be said about a lathe shaped pipe, I could probably pump out 4-5 pipes a week with my full time job if I had a lathe.

I would rather know that the maker puts as much sweat and blood, into the pipe I purchase from them, as I put into each pipe I make. I have no desire to purchase a pipe that is made on a lathe.


I have not yet made any I am willing to post pictures of. ;)

As far as a lathe goes, the part it is really handy for is shaping the tenons. It can also substitute for a drill press in drilling the tobac chamber. I prefer a disk sander for shaping the stummel.

[morefifemusic]

A lathe is used by many makers, it would cut down the time it takes to make a pipe by several hours. Being a hands on kind of person, I do not think there is much to be said about a lathe shaped pipe, I could probably pump out 4-5 pipes a week with my full time job if I had a lathe.

I would rather know that the maker puts as much sweat and blood, into the pipe I purchase from them, as I put into each pipe I make. I have no desire to purchase a pipe that is made on a lathe.

The other thought that crosses my mind is in regards to making pipes as a business.

If a pipe maker takes on average of 12 hours to make a pipe and sells for example a pipe like your plateau fan pipe for $175, he/she would make 14.50/hr. This does not include costs for materials, electricity, tool maintenance, etc. Take into account the economy tanking and things look even bleaker (think 9 to 10 bucks an hour). While these things may not matter to a hobbyist, they do matter to a professional pipe maker.

Not saying I am an aspiring one or trying to belittle your thoughts. I like your ideas philosophically; I am just trying to point out what I think to be a valid point.

:pi

-Tyler

[Sr Mike]

I agree that the economy is going to hurt the pipe maker who does it full time. Of course for them it may only take half the time to carve one out because of experience and repetition. When all is said and done, the inventory they have built up, and the tools are already in place. They are going to come out on top with the pipe costing extremely little. Then again, it all depends on how well they took care of themselves financially.

As for the hobbiest, 12 hours over 7 days, that is only $0.96 an hour, or $175 a week, if it sells within a week. Say that fan of mine does not sell for three months then that is only $0.08 an hour.

Just a thought. Either way, my goal is to make pipes that people will enjoy. I am also going to sell them less than that fan, that one was a specific labor of love to carve.