2nd pipe I'll call it an....

[BigCasino]

Egg yeah and egg, this time I concentrated on the finish to try and get a better shine than I had the last time, the last one I used a small 4" wheels on a hand drill, this time I went and purchased some 6" wheels and used them on my drill press.. big difference, Also this time I used a new preformed stem but I had to cut it to length, drill and tap the end to insert a tenon, and I had to cut the slot for the bit and then of course make it shine again after sanding it to fit the stummel, acrylic is no fun to drill seemed ok to buff tho. any ways thought I would share

 

[the rev]

ok, I don't know much but... when bending the stem you heat up the whole stem and make a nice gentle curve rather than a sharp bend.

rev

 

[Greyson]

Sorry, I'm ignorant here, if he's using a preformed stem does that mean a stem blank that he shapes how he wants with heating, or a stem that is already shaped that he fits to the briar he's working? I have seen a few angular bent pipes, I figured it was just a cosmetic personal preference... but it sounds like I might have that wrong.

 

[the rev]

I have never seen a pre bent stem, but I am sure that doesn't mean much. It is generally considered good form to have a gentle bend even with a severely bent pipe

rev

 

[BigCasino]

yeah I wanted a gentle bend but I couldnt seem to get it, I felt lucky I got it bent the way I did, I have a butane bunsen style burner I was using for a heat source , while I was heating I was wishing I had a heat gun, I thought about trying a pot of boiling water, I was thinking about trying it still but was afraid I would end up not being able to get the bend thats in it out and end up with some kind of whacky thing going on

 

[Greyson]

I think I heard scotties say that she used a hair dryer to heat up her stems, so there might be a cheaper alternative or a way around it

 

[the rev]

I have used a candle, you just have to be patient, and creative, that shit gets hot

rev

 

[somedumbjerk]

put a pipe cleaner in it so you don't burn your fingers, and the airway won't collapse, and use a soft flame like Rev said. alcohol lamp or a candle. the butane probably was too harsh a flame. and move it constantly to evenly heat it. you can also make a remold out of a few pieces of cardboard or wood or something to get the bend just right. i just used the heel of my hand. i went slow because i was scared to burn the stem. worked okay for me, but i'm no expert. looks good though! keep 'em coming! oh and you can totally rebend it, just go slow. you'll have to buff it up aagin, and make sure to buff it on the stummel or else you'll round the edges. don't ask me how i know... :x

 

[Georg_Franz]

Nice Work!

 

[Kyle Weiss]

That's a funky pipe. I kinda like it. Elbow-bend and all.

Hairdryer I borrowed from my neighbor helped me bend an acrylic stem. *shrug*

8)

 

[the rev]

That's a funky pipe. I kinda like it. Elbow-bend and all.

Hairdryer I borrowed from my neighbor helped me bend an acrylic stem. *shrug*

8)

he borrowed it from his neighbor, yeah, thats the ticket

his neighbor... Morgan Fairchild, yeah thats it, Morgan Fairchild

rev

 

[scotties22]

I use a candle to bend stems. I've thought about using my hair dryer, but never make it upstairs to get it. A candle works great, just slowly move the stem back and forth over the flame (I hold the stem about an inch over the top of the flame) for a couple of minutes. Don't rush it. When it is soft enough give it the bend you want and then run it under some cold water to set it if you are holding it in your hand. If you have something you are laying it over ( I've used a cold beer out of the fridge) you don't have to worry about it.

Good Luck. Keep at it. With the first few everything seems daunting. Then you find how thing are going to work best for you and it get easier.

 

[Hawker]

Looks good.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

My downstairs neighbor, a gregarious, happy, loud Jewish gal, with hair that grows from hair--too much hair. Knowing she had a hair dryer (what use I have for one shaving my head, anyway) I borrowed it for some wacky trick "fixing" an old PS3 and bending a pipe stem. Fully aware that what I was doing, she still let me borrow it. :lol:

8)

 

[BigCasino]

cool maybe I'll try the hair dryer to reshape it,
thanks for all the tips and encouragement!

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Obviously, start conservatively and work your way up the heating slowly...some hair dryers get pretty derned hot. Burnt rubber is a bad sign. :lol:

8)