Tray and Tamper Thing

[Blackhorse]

I've made plenty of tampers before, but never as a set with an ashtray, etc. The tray is solid brass and sits in an Oak base. The tamper is from Blacktail antler, black paper micarta, nickle silver sheet and rod stock. The actual tamp on the end of the nickle silver rod is solid sterling silver. The tamper has a very heavy feel in the hand. When not in use it sits within a 'cup' - made from a solid brass end cap made for plumbing applications. I love copper and brass plumbing fittings...heavy and cheap. Adaptable to all kinds of pipe projects.

What IS rather unique is that I got to thinking (no not that part) about the commercial cork knocker I bought sitting in the brass ashtray...and how dirty the whole thing would get. So instead of sticking it in there, as one would usually do...I cut and epoxied a heavy steel disc from 440C on the bottom of the tray. Then I drilled into the bottom of the knocker and inserted one of my handy dandy super neodymium magnets into it...and used polyethelyne glue to seat it in place. You can see that I covered that with a disc cut from a piece of brass shim stock I had...just so it looks finished...and so the magnet won't fall out.

Anyway, being held in place magnetically the knocker can be taken out and the tray cleaned easily...but boy it whacks down on the bottom center soundly with that super magnet in place - and can't be knocked about by being hit with the rim of one's pipe. I like that. Nice innovation I think. Pat. Pending. Well, not really.


Pics below.

 

[George Kaplan]

Very nice! The tamper and its cup suggest a quill and ink pot to me.

 

[MisterE]

Very cool. It looks a little like a Native American ceremonial mortar and pestle!

That magnet is a nifty idea, and the tamper holder looks handy, too. Ashes tend to stick to tampers and get all over the place when you set them down. This way they go into the little recepticle.

With all your metal work recently, maybe the next step is to try making a spigot pipe?

 

[mark]

Good stuff for sure,,,thinking all the time

 

[CygnusXII]

Very Nice work. That is a fine looking piece. I must say!

 

[Dutch]

Very cool and innovative project Blackhorse! 8)

 

[Blackhorse]

Dutch...


“It would be a terrific innovation if I could get my mind to stretch a little further than the next wisecrack.” - Katherine Helburn.

 

[Dutch]

Dutch...


“It would be a terrific innovation if I could get my mind to stretch a little further than the next wisecrack.” - Katherine Helburn.

:lol: :lol:

 

[PipeLeisure]

Its a beautiful set, that tamper is just gorgeous...great work Blackhorse.

 

[Mozjo33]

That is absolutely gorgeous BH. Very nice work.

 

[Blackhorse]

Thanks one and all. I appreciate your kind remarkd very much.

I don't know if anyone else here has found antlers after being shed. We usually find them in the Fall during a hunt...it being the right country for that sort of thing (or else we're huntin' in the wrong places!)...and unlike some folks we don't go out and look for antlers per se...though we should. That means that they've been on the ground from the prior, let's say January, and as they are a prime source of nutrition (calcium) for 'critters'...the tips esp. get gnawed. Such was the case with the tine used for the tamper. I had to use a nice Iwasaki carving file to 'sculpt' the tine and get it to look right. Then sanding, sanding, sanding through different grits...down to 0000 steel wool and then...Super Glue. 3 coats of Super Glue coats and seals the antler...with sanding in between coats, and then buffing well with a white or pink compound and a clean muslin buffing wheel. Whew! The micarta and nickle silver is very easy to work with...compared to the antler!

This little tine is kind of flat on one side and that makes the flat side an ideal place for one's thumb when tamping. I feels 'right' and as I might have mentioned the tamper is really heavy...well, not pounds of course...but for it's size it has significant heft. That makes it even nicer when held.

From the rack I used for this tine I still have three nice points and a large crown that will be used for a BIG knife. Nice.


Anyway...just a few tidbits. It's always nice to get positive comments that took about 3-4 days of full time hand work to complete.




OH! And mozjo...if those two little beauties are your's (and they really are adorable) evolution must work pretty darn fast in your neck of the woods! lol

 

[Mozjo33]

Thanks one and all. I appreciate your kind remarkd very much.

OH! And mozjo...if those two little beauties are your's (and they really are adorable) evolution must work pretty darn fast in your neck of the woods! lol

Thank you for the kind words BH. They get all their looks from their mom - Im the ugly monkey of the house . That is my favorite picture of them. Alas - they are 19 and 17 (very soon that is) and driving me crazy like they're supposed to.
In any case, I look forward to seeing some more of your creations.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

BH does it again. 8) Beautiful.

 

[Blackhorse]

Ha ha ha! I love it. If only we could keep them that age. Mine is now 18, going off to college in the Fall (New York fer Pete's sake) and while we were hiking and bike buddies for years...she now hardly deems me worthy of a fond hello, let along those hugs and kisses I used to enjoy. But like you say...that's sort of the way things go. If they didn't want to get away so badly, they never would...and being socialized into the 'escape mode' is healthy in our culture...I guess.


What it used to be like:

What it seems like now:

 

[riff raff]

A neat, useful set. I'm constantly feeling beside my ashtray, lap, floor for my tamper, like right now... That one will come right to hand!

 

[Mozjo33]

Ha ha ha! I love it. If only we could keep them that age. Mine is now 18, going off to college in the Fall (New York fer Pete's sake) and while we were hiking and bike buddies for years...she now hardly deems me worthy of a fond hello, let along those hugs and kisses I used to enjoy. But like you say...that's sort of the way things go. If they didn't want to get away so badly, they never would...and being socialized into the 'escape mode' is healthy in our culture...I guess.


What it used to be like:

What it seems like now:

That second picture is more my youngest - she is my future heart attack!! :affraid:

My oldest is home from her first year of college. The first year was a success and we are happy to have her home. BUT...after living the life of freedom for nine months, trying to reel her in back to world of rules and limits has been the most challenging part. It's all good fun!! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

 

[Hater]

BH,

I don't think that that tamper/ashtray will work as well as youo think. Please package it up and send it to me post haste for proper testing.

 

[Cuervo25_1]

I don't know if anyone else here has found antlers after being shed. We usually find them in the Fall during a hunt...it being the right country for that sort of thing (or else we're huntin' in the wrong places!)...and unlike some folks we don't go out and look for antlers per se...though we should. That means that they've been on the ground from the prior, let's say January, and as they are a prime source of nutrition (calcium) for 'critters'...the tips esp. get gnawed.

There is a particular smell a antler puts out that dogs adore, many people here in NJ have trained their dogs to "fetch" shed antlers. It is like a yearly sporting event that takes place between deer season and spring turkey and trout season. Some go as far as making antler traps from rebar and dumping corn in the center so when a buck eats it it will be likely to knock the loose anler off into the trap.

 

[Blackhorse]

Hater -

Gee...normally I'd comply with your request...but that setup has already gone out.

Maybe next time.





And for big money. 8)