I've really said all I can say, but I guess I'll say more... I'm not going to give up, I'm just going to back down the ladder a little. :lol: Pandora's box is up there, apparently, and I needn't worry myself with it. :lol:
I have no less than thirty pages of advice given by carvers and makers, and I've tried to assemble it in some form. There's literally TOO MUCH information out there. My point is, if Peter Heeschen suddenly came out and said, "...guys, sorry to mislead you, but I make all of my pipes with a broken hunting arrow and a merry go round," there'd be thunderous applause and cheers to his innovation. A start-up guy needs to work with what he has, and he's met with challenges, tones of "who do you think you are, do you know who WE are?" and at the very innocent, "Here's how to REALLY carve a pipe (followed by 9,000 bits of tips, tools, gadgets, ideas, etc).
If this were electrical engineering, there'd be a specific way to say, "Oh well, this doesn't work because you used this capacitor over here when you should have used another over here..." and all would be well. There's absolute design involved. Pipecarving is also an
artform. There's, of course, methods, tools and approach that all can coincide to get the rough idea. It isn't the end of the story, if you ask me. You can get away with much more flexible methods to reach the end result in comparison, and I was hoping to adapt a few of those.
I realize there's just as many egotistical turds that think if they can pick up a box cutter and a block of wood and match Alfred Dunhill products, and argue to that effect. That clashes with guys with
earned ego, who has proof-positive skills because the checks with the cash paid on them are right in front of him. Suddenly, there may be a difference of opinion, mixed with earned experience and whatever social inadequacies we
all have. (Mine is self-indulgent typing, as you may have noticed) :lol: Perhaps I just managed, in my search for simple information, to find some of the less-than-politely-stellar posts on pipemakersforum that caused me to get a bad taste. Who knows. In any case, information is abundant there, clarity is buried, I have nothing to contribute. It's useless for me to go doing what I'm doing now, over there, I'll just look like an ass. I've already embarrassed myself here, so it's okay.
I'm not in any of those categories. I have a $30 Wal-Mart drill, some clamps, a guitar case on a keyboard stand, a coping saw, some files, some random gouging tools, some sandpaper, and some stain I got from my luthier father in law. The hand drill is something in my crap in storage, buried someplace. That's it--all of which is "wrong". It's set up adjacent to my synthesizers, in front of a closet in a spare bedroom in an apartment. No lathe, no room for one, can't use one if I wanted to, and that goes for being able to buy it (or any other powered tool) to begin with. I can't even use the sanding disc attachment for the drill to help smooth the pipes, because I get red dust all over my electronics--not a good match. :lol:
I just wanted to carve a few pipes, not make a career, not fill up space I don't have with things I can't afford. Not show everyone what an instant "artiste" I am. Not get in pointless debates about who is right and wrong with tools and method. I'm just trying to make do.
Hopefully this makes sense. This thread isn't even about me, and that makes me feel like an ass...I kind of have to state my case, like me, it is unique. :lol: I'd much rather return it to Uber's project. Carry on.