Here are some pics of the display table I’ll have at the Chicago Pipe Show next weekend. 

Here the ebonite rod is chucked up in the lathe. The smaller rod sticking out of it will be the delrin tenon. I use delrin material because it’s always slippery and won’t stick to the mortise over time.

Here I’ve glued an extension to the shank. I’ve oriented the grain on the extension so that it will run straight down the shank for the best display. Between the two briar pieces is a thin slice of ebonite to give it that black stripe.

This is the part of the process that I sometimes find difficult: Trying to decide which of the many ideas inside my head I want to pursue. Ten minutes into the project, however, I find myself off and running.

My next project is to see if there is a pipe inside this piece of briar and rod of ebonite. Stay tuned, I’ll post pics of the daily progress.

After another evening of work I have the stem roughed in and ready to begin the sanding process. The shape of the bowl looks like a brandy glass so I’ll probably name it something like “Bamboo Brandy” or “Bamboo Snifter”.  I like how there’s a slight curve to the shank.  I’ll continue that shape with a very slight downward bend to the stem once it’s ready to be heated.

I’m also pretty excited about the grain on this block. Stay tuned…

On to my next project. Here you can see the stainless steel tenons I use for extra strength in the bamboo shanks. Soon it will be cut to length. The thick black section resting below is German ebonite and is the future stem.

This is the final pipe that I’ll create for the local Pipe Swap tomorrow. I wish I would have taken more pics during the creation process. I’ve made a mental note to do that from now on.

This is the 2014 Pipe of the Year for the Great Northern Pipe Club. Simple with an elegant rustic flair. Delivery for the total order will be on Sunday.

One more night’s work and it’s coming into shape. The bowl section of the pipe, that is everything to the right of the black line in the shank, is cross-grain. I’ve I positioned the briar to the left of the line to display straight grain. Should be interesting once the stain is applied. You can see how the model pipe, the one on top, has been used as kind of a guide for the shape of the bowl of the newer pipe.

I liked how this top pipe turned out so I’d like to sort of copy it. The bowl will be similar but the shank will have a black ebonite insert (you can see that is already in place). Also, the stem will look different, with a more smooth, flowing look to it. It looks rough now but I think the final product will be rather elegant. Stay tuned…

This is my first forray into working with acrylic. This off-white color is a dead ringer for ivory (without having to go through the trouble of, say, killing elephants). I’m very happy with it. This one is spoken for but if you’re interested I can make a similar one in about two weeks turn around. The acrylic sands well, buffs well, and was pretty easy to work with. Look for more in the future.