Rick Newcombe's Drilling Specs

[alfredo_buscatti]

In his book "In Search of Pipe Dream's" he advocates particularly large drilling. Can anyone tell me what it was?

 

[frankluke]

i'm pretty sure it's 4.7mm airway.

 

[Sasquatch]

That's basically 3/16", which is really the top end of the spectrum. It's arguable what effect that has, given you cannot continue at 3/16" into the stem for any appreciable time.

I drill my own pipes at 11/64 and that is considered large by most pipe makers.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

Sas, do you still drill at 11/64? Do you know of a thread/article that talks about most of the issues regarding engineering?

 

[Sasquatch]

Specific articles on that.... nothing comes to mind but I'll think about it. Lots of guys just do what other guys do because it works, and I think the general idea is that we are trying to build a smooth pathway for the smoke to travel, such that it is not encouraged to condense via turbulence or pressure change.

Most of the North American Carvers seem to use 5/32 as a standard sort of starting point. There's a few who drill larger or smaller, but not vastly so in either direction, that I know of. I think Wiley is smaller all the way through, for example (my example was).

The "control" factor in the Newcombe specs is that the airway tapers down to a fairly fine smallest spot before opening out completely in the slot at the button. So even though I have a pretty wide airway, it's not constant-volume all the way out the end of the pipe, there's a restriction in the stem. Some of the 5/32 crowd work for constant volume, ie a consistent cross-sectional area of the airway, which would render the pipe a more "open" smoker than a Newcombian pipe.

Speaking from the point of view of fluid dynamics, as the smoke moves faster in the stem, it exerts less pressure on the walls of the airway, and therefore would be less likely to condense than slower moving smoke. Maybe. :tongue:

At any rate, I cut most of my pipes at 11/64" and taper that severely in the stem. People seem to like it. But it's hardly the only way to cut a pipe.

 

[Anonymous]

If you don't mind the question, what is the length of the constricted section at the bit ?

Thank You

:face:

 

[Sasquatch]

I stop drilling with the tapered bit (from the tenon-side) about an inch from the button end, then drill a 1/16" hole through to the end. This hole is widened to become the slot, and the slot ends up being about the first inch and a half of the stem - worked right back into and through the taper. Again, this is not revolutionary or I think especially unusual in a good hand cut stem. There's a bit more of a differential in the area if you are moving from a 3/16 airway to a 1/16 slot, but most guys are going to open the slot up well into the tapered zone, some doing it so much so as to have a constant-volume shape inside the stem. I don't - I cut it intentionally restricted. I work the slot with files and funny little tools until.. well, until it's big enough to take a cleaner (a 1/16" round hole isn't!) but not much bigger than that.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank You !

:face:

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

Reading and thinking about Sasquatch's contribution to this thread, it would seem to me that the internals matter most in three areas: diameter of drilling, the mortise/tenon junction and the stem; or the widest practical drilling, smoothest mortise/tenon juncture (chamfering) and the focus and taper out the bit. Smooth, unobstructed transitions.

 

[riff raff]

I dislike a pipe with a "wide open" draw. I find they are too fussy in packing. My Castellos are both very open (never measured them) and take a tight pack. When packed properly, they smoke well. But, I prefer my the way my Upshalls are drilled, just under 5/32"

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

I just read one of the Neill Archer Roan's blog entries on the relationship between chamber geometry and taste; then I searched for similar entries. The results are at:

http://www.apassionforpipes.com/display/Search?searchQuery=chamber+geometry&moduleId=6503547&moduleFilter=&categoryFilter=&startAt=0

I am struck by how many times I've read this blog and found information and thought that vigorously open my pipe world.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

bump

 

[Sasquatch]

As I said before, the actual diameter of drilling is probably less important than the other construction details of any particular pipe. And as noted by riff, a pipe that someone might love for being wide open, another guy might find difficult to maximize his pleasure with. C'est la vie.

There's not one single right way to build a pipe, and probably not even one right over-riding idea (these "reverse calabash" pipes come to mind).

 

[Anonymous]

I dislike a pipe with a "wide open" draw. I find they are too fussy in packing. My Castellos are both very open (never measured them) and take a tight pack. When packed properly, they smoke well. But, I prefer my the way my Upshalls are drilled, just under 5/32"

Not everybody would probably enjoy driving a sports car that slammed their heads back against the head cushion if they punched the gas pedal, or put them through the windshield if they hit the brakes too hard, either.

De gustibus non disputandem.

FWIW, the six that George Dibos has re-stemmed/airway adjusted have left a permanent impression on the concept of "a good-smoking pipe" on this end. Not that the others are bad. Just that great ones are great.

:face:

 

[riff raff]

FWIW, the six that George Dibos has re-stemmed/airway adjusted have left a permanent impression on the concept of "a good-smoking pipe" on this end. Not that the others are bad. Just that great ones are great.

:face:

George just made some modifications to an Ashton of mine, he turned into a champ from an average pipe.

 

[Sasquatch]

It's almost like the stem has something to do with how a pipe smokes.

Keep at this boys.

We'll crack it yet.