Invisible day
Today was a long day, but looking back I'm not sure where it went. Errands and chores ate up a big portion of it.
I found that I only had one stem blank made up and two stummels ready for stem fitting. I had three pieces of pre-drilled rod but couldn't get the heat right on any of them. Polycarbonate is easier to work with than Ultem, but it still has its quirks. Then I realized that I didn't want to make up more stem blanks with my current forming tool and didn't have the materials to make another. Finally I decided just to pick one of the pipes and go forward with the existing stem blank. I chose the hook shaped pipe.
From a stem blank to a fitted stem there are several steps. First the blank has to be cut to length and its end faced off, then it needs drilled to the proper size to accept the tenon, then countersunk. Then the tenon needs to be made, and inserted into the stem with a press. Finally the tenon's length needs to be adjusted and its corners rounded to prevent scarring up the inside of the mortise insert when it's put into the pipe.
What I call a stem blank is a piece of polycarbonate that has had the bit outlet formed and the first half-inch of the mouthpiece partially shaped. Just enough for me to judge its quality. I'm currently using 5/8" diameter stem rod.
So after the tenon is added to the stem and fitted to the stummel, the stem is bent. It's bent at its full 5/8" diameter. Once polycarbonate is raised to the right temperature it becomes flexible like rubber. I use a piece of teflon rod to prevent the airway from squeezing shut when the stem is bent, teflon has a melting point of 500F.
Once the stem is bent, the pipe looks very ugly. The bend is seldom in what appears to be the right place, and it's just a bent piece of 5/8" diameter rod. At that point I begin shaping the stem with a rotary grinder. It's an interesting and enjoyable procedure, though it can be challenging to work the stem from a fat bent rod into something that looks like a stem without shaping through the airway.
That's about all I got accomplished today for some reason. Tomorrow I'll continue on the hook-shaped pipe, things should speed up from here.
I found that I only had one stem blank made up and two stummels ready for stem fitting. I had three pieces of pre-drilled rod but couldn't get the heat right on any of them. Polycarbonate is easier to work with than Ultem, but it still has its quirks. Then I realized that I didn't want to make up more stem blanks with my current forming tool and didn't have the materials to make another. Finally I decided just to pick one of the pipes and go forward with the existing stem blank. I chose the hook shaped pipe.
From a stem blank to a fitted stem there are several steps. First the blank has to be cut to length and its end faced off, then it needs drilled to the proper size to accept the tenon, then countersunk. Then the tenon needs to be made, and inserted into the stem with a press. Finally the tenon's length needs to be adjusted and its corners rounded to prevent scarring up the inside of the mortise insert when it's put into the pipe.
What I call a stem blank is a piece of polycarbonate that has had the bit outlet formed and the first half-inch of the mouthpiece partially shaped. Just enough for me to judge its quality. I'm currently using 5/8" diameter stem rod.
So after the tenon is added to the stem and fitted to the stummel, the stem is bent. It's bent at its full 5/8" diameter. Once polycarbonate is raised to the right temperature it becomes flexible like rubber. I use a piece of teflon rod to prevent the airway from squeezing shut when the stem is bent, teflon has a melting point of 500F.
Once the stem is bent, the pipe looks very ugly. The bend is seldom in what appears to be the right place, and it's just a bent piece of 5/8" diameter rod. At that point I begin shaping the stem with a rotary grinder. It's an interesting and enjoyable procedure, though it can be challenging to work the stem from a fat bent rod into something that looks like a stem without shaping through the airway.
That's about all I got accomplished today for some reason. Tomorrow I'll continue on the hook-shaped pipe, things should speed up from here.
posted by random at 8:44 PM
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