Freehand Pipe Build #1

ThatPipeGuy said:

It looks great! Good effort brings about good rewards I'd love to have a crack.. but the only power tool I own is a hand held drill!

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The only power tools I used were a band saw and a Dremel.

The band saw work could have been done with a coping saw, and of course, the Dremel work could have been done with a piece of 60grit wrapped around a finger.

Pipes have been crafted out of briar since long before power tools were invented

Are those freehand pipes traditionally carved by hand? Or does freehand just refer to not using a lathe?

Kentos said:

Are those freehand pipes traditionally carved by hand? Or does freehand just refer to not using a lathe?

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I have no clue.

I don't see how anything other than a straight or maybe a quarter-bend can be turned on a lathe.
CNC? Maybe.

Freehand means sculpted without a set pattern. Power tool are typically used now, but some do the finishing touches with hand tools, the home carver can make use of hand tools for the entire project easily.

jwhite said:

Freehand means sculpted without a set pattern. Power tool are typically used now, but some do the finishing touches with hand tools, the home carver can make use of hand tools for the entire project easily.

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Take this word, from James, with a grain of salt.

jmallen5 said:

Take this word, from James, with a grain of salt.

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LOL!

Second block arrived today.

This one is from Pimo. Not quite as happy with the block... there's a "groove" in the bark next to the bowl that looks like a stick was laying against it. The supplied (military) stem is a pretty free fit... compared to the Lucite stem in the Tinskey block where I didn't feel good about twisting that stem in without a little beeswax on it.

The stem is semi-finished. It's better than the one Blade Boy posted a picture of, but not much. Some casting flash remains, main difference is the tenon is finished.

But Pimo is the only source of Churchwarden stems I could find that I trusted (there's a few on the bay).. depending on how this one turns out, I may go back to Mark for kits unless I'm making a Churchwarden.