Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => HowTo's and Build-a-longs => Topic started by: Josh B on October 01, 2014, 09:35:01 pm
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I had a couple hours this evening so I started yet another project. ::) This is a piece of catlinite that was hand quarried from the pipestone national monument quarry in pipestone MN. Only native Americans can work the quarry there so you must obtain the material from one of them. It is worth the effort to get the real stuff from that quarry as not all catlinite is made equal. This piece also has the uncommon but much desired spots in the stone. I got little more than a start on this pipe in two hours of work using hand tools. If I were to use power tools, I could have gotten this far in about five minutes. However, something about using power tools on a chanupa made from hand quarried stone almost seems sacrilegious. I guess I'm just funny that way. Here's this evenings progress. More to come shortly. Josh
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L shaped and not an inverted T shape??? LOL, let's hope your wife don't find out!!! >:D
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Lol! It's not for me. She wouldn't know the significance of it anyway. Josh
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;)
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Very interesting, cant wait to see the results Josh. Patrick
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Dang! I had started one, and it is up in Montana at the moment. I am carving an Eagle head on it, but the bowl is not on an inverted "T" stem, should I add a little protuberance to the front of the stem, under the bowl? Unfortunately, there isn't much room, as the bowl is already drilled, and pretty much shaped. Didn't know there was a gender matter in these things, just pretty much thought it was strictly a male privilege. Dang, now I have to try to redesign a protuberance on it. Crap! May just have to scrap the whole thing, and just carve the eagle head, by itself. My Girlfriend would be happy with that. I had thought of making the pipe with the eagle head facing the wood stem, and maybe something on the bowl itself, as a gift, and not for my Girlfriend, but now may have to. It would never be used, as neither of us smoke, but I thought I would give it to someone who would use it. I have someone in mind, but now, I don't want to insult them. And now, I may have to forget the whole thing, unless I have enough to protrude a bit to be sufficient. How much does it require to be masculine. Yeah, size does matter, I know, ::) but how much? :( Thanks for any info on the matter. On the Pipe, on the pipe! :P :P
Wayne
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Not an issue of masculine vs feminine, more an issue of married vs single. Kinda like getting caught goin out to play poker and "forgetting" to wear your wedding ring! >:D
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From what little info I've found from reading and other pipe makers, the marital status significance is more of western tribal practice. More specific, from the plains to the great basin. So if you're in Montana it would be a bachelor's pipe. In Florida it's just a really cool pipe, with no suggestion towards marital status what so ever. Josh
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Ah, thanks. Well it will just have to be a bachelors pipe, or with a small protuberance and maybe an engaged pipe. ;) ;D O-tay! Well that is a relief. Oh yeah, at a pow wow here, they were talking of three colored rings, and the significance of them. I think they were red, white, and blue. Do any of you know anything about that? I was thinking of putting that on the pipe stem. Also what was the typical length of the stem? I have one already made, but might like to make another. Thanks for any info.
Wayne
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Wayne, I don't know anything about the rings that you describe. As far as length goes, I just make them to whatever seems right for the pipe. I know, I'm not much help. This was my last piece of the good stuff from the quarry, so I was a little concerned about messing it up. The most challenging part for me is getting the holes right. If you don't get those right you have nothing. As luck would have it, my first load of the week took me by pipestone mn. I went to my friends place to not only get some more stone(which I did) but to pick his mind on how to get your holes drilled properly with the hand drill. I run about 50/50 on making a smoking pipe or a display piece. I showed him my hand drills and he laughed. He then went into his shop and got his hand drill. It was an 18 volt dewalt. >:( When I asked them yrs ago what they used, they said hand drills. I should have asked for clarification. Anyway, after he got done laughing, he showed me some stuff he just quarried this week and a piece of spotted that he had set aside for me. Beautiful stuff! The first pic is my new stone. The rest is the small amount of progress made before it got dark. Pilot holes drilled with the cordless "hand drill" and a start on reducing the blank down to the dimensions. If you'll note, I drilled the pilot holes before much final shape reduction. That is so you have some wiggle room if you don't get everything drilled exactly where you wanted. Not so important with the cordless, but with flint tipped hand drills its a different story. It doesn't seem like much has been done, but believe me getting those pilot holes right is a big obstacle cleared. Thanks for looking! More to come soon! Josh
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I'm gaining slowly but surely on this project. I got the bowl bored out at roughly 3/4" diameter and approximately1 1/4" deep with a 45 degree shoulder at the bottom. The stem hole is just about finished as well. It is about 3/4" deep with a 3/8" to 3/16" taper(approximately). Now it's just a matter of removing any excess material thats not the pipe. More pics later. Josh
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Looking good buddy! Patrick
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Thanks Patrick! Getting a little closer now. Pretty much down to the detail work now. Josh
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She's ready for the beeswax finish unless the guy I'm making this for would like to see some changes made. Josh
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Ok, it has received the stamp of approval! Phewww! That's a relief! So I popped this baby in the nuke for a minute to heat it up and then rubbed beeswax into it. I got a lucky break on the beeswax. I was out of the stuff I usually use, but I remembered that Pearly had given me some at the classic in '13. Got in my string making kit and I still had some of it left! Good deal! Thanks again Pearly! Ok, so here it is with the wax on it. Now I just need to make the stem. Josh
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Josh, loving it. I really like the hand tool approach. It is indeed more work but it adds some appreciation to the final product. You always make such nice stuff.
Aj
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Now that's a beautiful piece! That beeswax really makes it pop! Patrick
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Very nicely done. A long time ago I bought a piece of catlinite from a man at the Friendship shoot and he explained the origin the same as you. His was made small so he could wear it around his neck and had the stem in his pocket. Mine is like a small church warden pipe also worn around the neck. Quit smoking years ago but I still love old neat looking pipes. You brought back some cool memories.
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Thanks fellas! I really appreciate it! I thought that I was going to have to wait another week to finish this project since the only piece of ERC I had wasn't big enough. Then I remembered another project using ERC had some scraps leftover. I dug around and sure enough I had a piece! Sometimes I amaze myself with all the stuff I have squirrelled away in my truck. So here we go! There isn't much heartwood to this piece, so the stem will inevitably have some sapwood in it. That's ok though. A little contrast makes it pop anyway. So we will proceed as if the sapwood inclusion was intentional. Shhhhhh! Our little secret. With a little luck, I should be able to finish this up today. Here's what I'm starting with. Josh
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Yep, it has some sapwood in it. I think it'll look nice with the finish on it. All I have left is to carve some lines to match the bowl and put some finish on it. The shop lights bleached out all the color, but here is the stem so far. The finish will bring out the colors nicely. Josh
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Well....she's same as done! A couple more coats of finish and some time to cure and she'll be ready to ship out. Thanks for following along! Josh
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Brother that is nice!.... Brian
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Wow, wow, wow! Josh that is sweet! Wish I had me something like that! You have an amazing talent bud. I'm sure the fella getting it will be proud to own it! Patrick
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Fantastic work Josh!
DBar
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gun doc
bow doc
atlatl doc
and now you are the pipe doc.
hat off to ya sir.
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gun doc
bow doc
atlatl doc
and now you are the pipe doc.
hat off to ya sir.
Lol! Don't forget I'm occasionally the doc doc after the far to frequent whoopses I have! Here's my skull after a flying chunk of stainless steel whacked me. The next pic is my fancy needle work that was required because the blood kept running into my eyes so I couldn't see to drive to the hospital. Once I sewed it up, I decided I didn't need to go to the hospital! Lol!
Thanks for the kind words fellas! Josh
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I can't wait to comment anymore! :) The pipe is absolutely perfect!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!! And I can't wait to smoke it!!! The bowl is gorgeous, the stem came out just as brilliant!! Outstanding work!! You, sir, are a true and excellent craftsman!!
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Very nice Josh :) you do great stuff !!!
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Thanks Mitch!
I'm glad you like it Kevan! The pics really don't do it justice. Especially the coloring in the stem. Josh
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Really nice work Josh! That's something I've wanted to take on for some time. Very inspiring, Bro.
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Let's see a photo of the hand drill you used! Did you use the same thing for the cedar stem?
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Fine craftsmanship! That's an heirloom.
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The pipe looks great, the forehead looks painful. Nicely done on both accounts. ;)
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Great job! Turned out very nice. Now for that head injury, you need to season that pipe with some uh..... herbs, yeah, herbs, Mexican parsley, etc. ;) Then you can know for sure how it smokes..... and the head injury will stop hurting, and you can get something to eat, like thirty five whoppers..... ::) :P
Wayne
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Thanks fellas! The head injury was from a few years back. I just through that on there to go with the doc theme AJ had going. ::) It's all healed up now with only a small scar and no permanent damage....well....unless you consider everytime I hit a big pothole in the road I crap my pants, forget my name for a day and think I'm driving Santa's sleigh, as permanent damage. Other than that...I'm perfect! :o :P
Steve no hand drill on this one. All cordless with modern bits. The next one won't be so hurried so I'll do it the right way and take plenty of pics.
Wayne...considering the cavernous size bowl on this one, I don't believe it would be ideal for Mexican parsley even if I were so inclined! Lol!
Thanks again fellas! Josh
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Love it trucker. I think of a few uses for that bugger!
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Lol! Thanks Pearly! Josh
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I made a carrying case for this one. You'll have to excuse my poor leather working skills that can best be described as crude but functional. I had a scrap of oil tanned bull hide in the truck, so that's what I used. The case holds the stem and bowl in loops that i sewed into the inside. There is also a small area below the bowl loop that would accommodate a small tobacco pouch. I had intended to make the pouch as well, but I didn't have any suitable leather in the truck with me. Dharma should get this today. I hope he enjoys it for many years to come. Thanks for following along. Josh
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Nice Josh! I think you're leather work is just fine. If it does the job then that's what counts. Patrick
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Thanks Patrick! Hopefully it arrived in one piece and Dharma has already had a chance to fire it up. Josh
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Just saw this, Josh. That's a fine piece of work, my friend. Oh, and about that knock on the noggin, maybe you shoulda been a people doc!! ::)
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Lol! Thanks Ken! Josh
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Great work!
I love the simple elbow style personal pipes.
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Gun Doc kinda sold himself short talking about "poor leatherworking skills" on the pouch. In fact, the pouch is excellent and of very fine leather craftsmanship. The pipe is beyond belief. Excellent and very beautiful.