Prodo Shaping Question

[AWhiskeyDrunk]

So I've been getting pretty good with my prodo I/O spoons. Since I've been back from my trip (where I learned a ton about prodo...) I've gotten much faster and much more consistent. Heck I've even been able to sell a bunch at a store. Now I'd like to start experimenting with different shapes. Here's an example from that Alibaba site I just happened to come across http://img.alibaba.com/photo/201855078/tobacco_pipe.jpg

I guess my question is more about the order u do things in. right now. I draw I/O lines. Close. Gather the lines in. I get like a generic football shape. I work the middle and form the stem. Work the mouth piece. Make the head. Push bowl, carb, flatten bottom...then I grab it with claws, tare off point, and tare open mouth piece.

To start making different shapes, like sherlock style spoons and what not, when do I do the shaping, in the end? Do I go back after I already made the stem and re-shape it? Should I leave the stem a mostly finished then work it last? Any suggestions would be much appreciated. I just would like to learn some basic shaping techniques so I can get the gist of it and experiment for myself.

As always..sorry this is a bit long and rambling..it's just my nature...

[Slow]

If you want to get all bendy with your prodo, it's a good idea to gather the bowl end on a straight pull. This helps keep everything even. I like to pop the hole and push after bending the stem to the desired angle, though. Good luck!

[lucidvisions]

Matt, for sherlock styles, I as lowly worm push the bowl after the stem bend. For the stem bend I like to have a bit more thickness than the bowl end. Get the stem section nice and soupy. Pull it out while bending an S type shape until you get the shape you want and give a little puff to even out the wall thickness within the bend. Make sure the mouth piece is in the right position. I like to have a pretty wide (12mm) blowpipe for this since after the bend is finished it seems to be akward to turn the piece so I like a bit more grip. Make sure your bend doesn't make the sherlock a nose burner and make sure the mouth piece is parallel to the bowl. Now do your bowl as usual even though the akward angle can give you issues with a nice even bowl. Haven't made any in awhile so I hope this helps, it's always a bit difficult to write instructional directions.

Josh

[Frankie Hess]

I/O Sherlock: I like to pull down the shaft nice and long and even, condense and shape a mouthpiece, blow up the head like a long spoon, once that cools enough I do my bending, (2 seperate bends, one at bowl end nice and even u shape and then I heat the entire shaft up to the base of the mouthpiece then I pull straight up parrallel to the bowl then back and down a little for my desired shape) when I do any bends I heat the glass very even nice and hot, bend it slow and lightly blow or hold pressure into the point during or imediatly after the bending, then once it is cooling I apply more pressure into the point.Holding the pressure keeps it from collapsing and adding pressure helps cool it faster and opens it up a little so your bends are not real small.Then I put my feet on so I can blow them out a little and keep them nice and even, another benefit to this is that when you push your bowl the feet hold the piece in place.You got the rest from there! Sounds like a lot but once you get it down it's not that bad.I make these as one of my production lines out of 38mm 4.0 3.25" points and they average less than 15 min.