Poker

[BigCasino]

He all just finished this one up today, havent made a poker in a while!

Thanks for lookin!

 

[Fr_Tom]

To my eye, this may be the best looking pipe you have made so far!

 

[Richard Hester]

That is a fine looking Poker

 

[Hawker]

WOW Big C, Amazing looking Poker. Cumberland Stem work looks exeptional.

 

[sonpuff]

Great looking poker Big Cacino! I like the color and the nice thick walls.
Should make a nice cool smoker.
Sonpuff

 

[Briar Spirit]

That looks superb Harry, how in blazes do you get the chamber so cylindrical, I spend hours upon hours using files and just can't get it quite right, a tiny bit off one spot too far and I have to work down the 'entire' stummel, drives me batty so it does, you have got it down to a T, what's your secret mate. A fine looking pipe mate, by far my favoured pipe shape, your pipes are getting better and better each time, quite breath taking, good show. :cheers: :sunny: :cheers: 

 

[BigCasino]

Thanks guys!

Kirk just careful filing is all, file a little and keep eye balling it , the draft hole is right at the bottom of the chamber but it is a tad bit off center , which bums me out, but other than that I am pleased with it

 

[millerman]

Nice job. I wish I was brave enough to try a rustication like this one.

 

[pepesdad1]

Beautiful poker, Harry.  Your work is improving on greatness...thanks for sharing.

 

[sonpuff]

That looks superb Harry, how in blazes do you get the chamber so cylindrical, I spend hours upon hours using files and just can't get it quite right, a tiny bit off one spot too far and I have to work down the 'entire' stummel, drives me batty so it does,

Briar Spirit,
Regarding your comment about keeping the chamber so cylindrical.....
The only power tools I have in my work shop is a bench-top drill press and an old washing machine motor with a sanding disc on it. Oh...and plus my Dremel tool and an electric hand drill. I have no lathes at all.
When I make pokers I first begin by squaring up my block of briar so that it is at least square on the bottom and one side of the block.
I then clamp the squared side of the block in place against the fence on my drill press table and drill the draft hole. I then...leaving the fence in the same place and simply rotate the block and clamp the block in place so I can drill the tobacco chamber. I then make sure the tobacco chamber hole will intersect where I want it in conjunction with the draft hole that I drilled previously (at the side or bottom center of the chamber). I then carefully drill the tobacco chamber, checking periodically to be sure I stop when the tobacco chamber hole meets exactly at the intersect with the draft hole. By using this method with a squared up block and fence I can get a perfectly centered draft hole every time. I have never had a draft hole that was even slightly off center by using this method.
Then to create a perfectly round cylindrical bowl I then cut a round plug with a center hole in the plug and then wrap electrical tape around the plug so that it fits tight and snug in the tobacco chamber hole using just my thumb pressure. I then remove the fence and simply clamp the block in place by using strips of wood and clamps just to keep the block from spinning when the drill is running. These holding blocks are only tall enough to stay below the height of the shank on the pipe.
I then put a large 2" hole drill in my drill press which has a centering drill bit in it that fits the center hole in the plug that I pressed into the tobacco chamber.
I then insert the drill bit part of the hole saw into the plug insert the hole saw into my drill press, clamp the holding blocks in place so the pipe block will not spin and the turn on the drill press. I then slowly and carefully allow the hole saw to begin to cut a perfectly round bowl that is perfectly centered with the tobacco chamber. I slowly cut and raise the hole saw to allow saw dust to escape and once I have cut down a half inch or so I stop and remove the drill bit from the hole saw so I don't end up drilling a hole through the bottom of the bowl. I then put just the hole saw in the chuck of my drill press and continue to slowly cut further down the bowl with the hole saw and then I stop cutting just as I reach short of the top of the shank area of the pipe.
If your shank is going to fall somewhere on the side of the pipe and not clear to the bottom, you can do the same thing with the bottom of the pipe. The only difference is that you cannot begin your cut with the hole saw with the centering drill bit in place. Instead you have to just use the hole saw cutter itself and line up the bottom of the pipe with the top section by eye and a square. If you very gently and lightly allow the teeth of a good sharp hole saw do their work you can cut a nice clean circle for the bottom part of the bowl without the aid of the centering bit, again making sure you stop short of cutting into the shank area.
Then you simply shape the remaining sides of the pipe bowl with files to match up with the upper and lower cylinders that you cut on the bowl.
And walla!.....You have a perfect cylinder for the bowl.
I know it's a lot more work when a person does not have a lathe, but you can improvise to accomplish the same job. I even turn and cut ebonite and acrylic pipe stems on my bench top drill press by using it as a vertical lathe. It works perfectly.

 

[BigCasino]

Wow, very creative there Sonpuff, and I am sure it works, I basically keep drawing straight lines down the stummel centered and parallel with the chamber on all four sides, then I just sand it till it looks round, I have a small metal lathe but I can only do stem work on it at the moment until I can get a chuck that will hold Briar

 

[Briar Spirit]

Briar Spirit,
Regarding your comment about keeping the chamber so cylindrical.....
The only power tools I have in my work shop is a bench-top drill press and an old washing machine motor with a sanding disc on it. Oh...and plus my Dremel tool and an electric hand drill. I have no lathes at all.
When I make pokers I first begin by squaring up my block of briar so that it is at least square on the bottom and one side of the block.
I then clamp the squared side of the block in place against the fence on my drill press table and drill the draft hole. I then...leaving the fence in the same place and simply rotate the block and clamp the block in place so I can drill the tobacco chamber. I then make sure the tobacco chamber hole will intersect where I want it in conjunction with the draft hole that I drilled previously (at the side or bottom center of the chamber). I then carefully drill the tobacco chamber, checking periodically to be sure I stop when the tobacco chamber hole meets exactly at the intersect with the draft hole. By using this method with a squared up block and fence I can get a perfectly centered draft hole every time. I have never had a draft hole that was even slightly off center by using this method.
Then to create a perfectly round cylindrical bowl I then cut a round plug with a center hole in the plug and then wrap electrical tape around the plug so that it fits tight and snug in the tobacco chamber hole using just my thumb pressure. I then remove the fence and simply clamp the block in place by using strips of wood and clamps just to keep the block from spinning when the drill is running. These holding blocks are only tall enough to stay below the height of the shank on the pipe.
I then put a large 2" hole drill in my drill press which has a centering drill bit in it that fits the center hole in the plug that I pressed into the tobacco chamber.
I then insert the drill bit part of the hole saw into the plug insert the hole saw into my drill press, clamp the holding blocks in place so the pipe block will not spin and the turn on the drill press. I then slowly and carefully allow the hole saw to begin to cut a perfectly round bowl that is perfectly centered with the tobacco chamber. I slowly cut and raise the hole saw to allow saw dust to escape and once I have cut down a half inch or so I stop and remove the drill bit from the hole saw so I don't end up drilling a hole through the bottom of the bowl. I then put just the hole saw in the chuck of my drill press and continue to slowly cut further down the bowl with the hole saw and then I stop cutting just as I reach short of the top of the shank area of the pipe.
If your shank is going to fall somewhere on the side of the pipe and not clear to the bottom, you can do the same thing with the bottom of the pipe. The only difference is that you cannot begin your cut with the hole saw with the centering drill bit in place. Instead you have to just use the hole saw cutter itself and line up the bottom of the pipe with the top section by eye and a square. If you very gently and lightly allow the teeth of a good sharp hole saw do their work you can cut a nice clean circle for the bottom part of the bowl without the aid of the centering bit, again making sure you stop short of cutting into the shank area.
Then you simply shape the remaining sides of the pipe bowl with files to match up with the upper and lower cylinders that you cut on the bowl.
And walla!.....You have a perfect cylinder for the bowl.
I know it's a lot more work when a person does not have a lathe, but you can improvise to accomplish the same job. I even turn and cut ebonite and acrylic pipe stems on my bench top drill press by using it as a vertical lathe. It works perfectly.

That is awesome, some fantastic tips there sonpuff, many thanks for sharing them. :cheers: 

I've yet to get a sanding disc set-up, right now I don't have a way of squaring blocks which has caused me endless nightmares as you can imagine, I now have a considerable pipe collection of my own pipes all with way off centre draught hole, so annoying and more than a little costly. The drill press fence is a fantastic suggestion, Axminster has one which with some alteration to design flaws looks like it could work well, added to the shopping list. I wondered about the hole saws myself but a chap recommended I not use them, you've obviously had the exact same thought as myself and you've gone ahead and used them with great success, most encouraging, hole saws also added to the list.

So good of you to go to such lengths in posting that superb reply and sharing your knowledge and experience, thank you very much. :sunny: 

 

[sonpuff]

Briar Spirit,
Regarding your comment about keeping the chamber so cylindrical.....
The only power tools I have in my work shop is a bench-top drill press and an old washing machine motor with a sanding disc on it. Oh...and plus my Dremel tool and an electric hand drill. I have no lathes at all.
When I make pokers I first begin by squaring up my block of briar so that it is at least square on the bottom and one side of the block.
I then clamp the squared side of the block in place against the fence on my drill press table and drill the draft hole. I then...leaving the fence in the same place and simply rotate the block and clamp the block in place so I can drill the tobacco chamber. I then make sure the tobacco chamber hole will intersect where I want it in conjunction with the draft hole that I drilled previously (at the side or bottom center of the chamber). I then carefully drill the tobacco chamber, checking periodically to be sure I stop when the tobacco chamber hole meets exactly at the intersect with the draft hole. By using this method with a squared up block and fence I can get a perfectly centered draft hole every time. I have never had a draft hole that was even slightly off center by using this method.
Then to create a perfectly round cylindrical bowl I then cut a round plug with a center hole in the plug and then wrap electrical tape around the plug so that it fits tight and snug in the tobacco chamber hole using just my thumb pressure. I then remove the fence and simply clamp the block in place by using strips of wood and clamps just to keep the block from spinning when the drill is running. These holding blocks are only tall enough to stay below the height of the shank on the pipe.
I then put a large 2" hole drill in my drill press which has a centering drill bit in it that fits the center hole in the plug that I pressed into the tobacco chamber.
I then insert the drill bit part of the hole saw into the plug insert the hole saw into my drill press, clamp the holding blocks in place so the pipe block will not spin and the turn on the drill press. I then slowly and carefully allow the hole saw to begin to cut a perfectly round bowl that is perfectly centered with the tobacco chamber. I slowly cut and raise the hole saw to allow saw dust to escape and once I have cut down a half inch or so I stop and remove the drill bit from the hole saw so I don't end up drilling a hole through the bottom of the bowl. I then put just the hole saw in the chuck of my drill press and continue to slowly cut further down the bowl with the hole saw and then I stop cutting just as I reach short of the top of the shank area of the pipe.
If your shank is going to fall somewhere on the side of the pipe and not clear to the bottom, you can do the same thing with the bottom of the pipe. The only difference is that you cannot begin your cut with the hole saw with the centering drill bit in place. Instead you have to just use the hole saw cutter itself and line up the bottom of the pipe with the top section by eye and a square. If you very gently and lightly allow the teeth of a good sharp hole saw do their work you can cut a nice clean circle for the bottom part of the bowl without the aid of the centering bit, again making sure you stop short of cutting into the shank area.
Then you simply shape the remaining sides of the pipe bowl with files to match up with the upper and lower cylinders that you cut on the bowl.
And walla!.....You have a perfect cylinder for the bowl.
I know it's a lot more work when a person does not have a lathe, but you can improvise to accomplish the same job. I even turn and cut ebonite and acrylic pipe stems on my bench top drill press by using it as a vertical lathe. It works perfectly.

That is awesome, some fantastic tips there sonpuff, many thanks for sharing them. :cheers: 

I've yet to get a sanding disc set-up, right now I don't have a way of squaring blocks which has caused me endless nightmares as you can imagine, I now have a considerable pipe collection of my own pipes all with way off centre draught hole, so annoying and more than a little costly. The drill press fence is a fantastic suggestion, Axminster has one which with some alteration to design flaws looks like it could work well, added to the shopping list. I wondered about the hole saws myself but a chap recommended I not use them, you've obviously had the exact same thought as myself and you've gone ahead and used them with great success, most encouraging, hole saws also added to the list.

So good of you to go to such lengths in posting that superb reply and sharing your knowledge and experience, thank you very much. :sunny: 

Glad to be of help Briar Spirit.
With some patience and a lot of thought a person can come up with alternative ways to accomplish nearly anything. Sometimes some of the Jerry-rigged contraptions that I have connected and clamped to my drill press for various steps of pipe making look similar to Frankenstein's laboratory.

 

[Brewdude]

Harry, I think that's about the finest pipe I've seen from you yet. There again I do love Pokers!

:cyclops: 



Cheers,

RR

 

[huffelpuff]

That's one stunning poker there Harry!

Jim

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Great looking pipe Harry. I like it!

 

[BigCasino]

Thanks for the kind words Guys!

 

[Bobostro61]

Gorgeous pipe there.

 

[i.keenum]

Great looking poker, love the stem work.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

Love the rustication!