Well, after a long day at work I found solace in the shop. Here you can see the five stems I started yesterday lined up like little soldiers. They’ve had a turn in the lathe, got drilled, the hole on the tenon side has been counter-sunk for a better draw (a trick I learned from the great pipe maker Tyler Beard), and the tenons have been sanded to fit the mortise perfectly. Tomorrow they’ll hit the belt sanders to shape the button side of the stems. You can see a couple bowls hanging on the rack in the background. And way in the background you can see an assortment of pill bottles. No, they’re not for self-medication; they’re actually perfect for storing small drill bits and dremmel tools.