at0m Posted June 14, 2012 *Note: Any pipe or concept of a pipe referenced within is intended for use only with tobacco & legal smoking herbs. Have any of you made your own (preferably wooden) pipes? Any advice? I'm after something far more personal than the mass produced pipes found in online/offline stores. I'm feeling a bit inspired and have a few ideas flowing. I'm thinking something along the lines of a Native American wooden Calumet. Detachable bowl (allowing for multiple sizes and styles to be swapped at will), wound and bound in leather, etc. The issue is... I have no idea where to start. What wood should be used (toxicity, taste, flammability)? Import laws & fees on small bits of timber? What tools will be required beyond the obvious (sand paper, whittling knife)? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted June 14, 2012 (edited) I may be able to find a few suitable rocks (softer) in my travels at0m if you are looking at a traditionally styled calumet. I will keep my eyes open when out in the field if you like. I am a "rockhound"...lol Could make a few bowl types to attach to the pipestem, will also allow a larger range of timbers to be used. Can't beat bamboo though...Have made a few with stone bowls for mates as gifts using blue-lace agates,petrified manfern and one from a large piece of darwin glass (http://en.wikipedia....ki/Darwin_glass ) for some stunning tobacco pipes with great aesthetic appeal. If you were to look at this avenue, a Dremel rotary would be the shit (http://www.dremel.co...es/default.aspx) - also good for woodwork due to a range of mini tools that can be used. (I love my Dremel). If you are a good lad at0m I might make you a special one for xmas Edited June 14, 2012 by waterboy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted June 15, 2012 Havent really started on anything myself bt my partner is making me a nice wee one tear drop shaped pipe out of an old bowling ball with some agate set into it. Will take a pic in the weekend. A mate of mine who is a professional carver makes some phenomenal pipes. I can post a couple pictures if u wud like? Very inspiring work. I'd go for hardwood and something native to your country wud be nice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
at0m Posted June 15, 2012 I may be able to find a few suitable rocks (softer) in my travels at0m if you are looking at a traditionally styled calumet. I will keep my eyes open when out in the field if you like. I am a "rockhound"...lol Could make a few bowl types to attach to the pipestem, will also allow a larger range of timbers to be used. If you could find some awesome little rocks to make a bowl or two that'd be awesome. Happy to pay for them + postage. Just bare in mind, I'm pretty new to this so nothing super valuable, rare or easily fuckup-able I'm thinking down the lines of a wooden stem and interchangeable bowls which could be made from anything from rock to antler to metal. Super simple example of what I'm thinking stem-wise. If you were to look at this avenue, a Dremel rotary would be the shit (http://www.dremel.co...es/default.aspx) - also good for woodwork due to a range of mini tools that can be used. (I love my Dremel). A dremel has been on my "would be awesome to have" list for quite awhile If you are a good lad at0m I might make you a special one for xmas I'm always good Havent really started on anything myself bt my partner is making me a nice wee one tear drop shaped pipe out of an old bowling ball with some agate set into it. Will take a pic in the weekend. That sounds awesome. I'd love to see how it looks . A mate of mine who is a professional carver makes some phenomenal pipes. I can post a couple pictures if u wud like? Very inspiring work. Definitely down for some extra inspiration/things to ogle I'd go for hardwood and something native to your country wud be nice. I'd love native hardwoods but I honestly don't know much about woodcraft. Taste alterations, health issues, etc Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zen Peddler Posted June 15, 2012 I make a killer Billy with a coke bottle, hose and foil cone 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted June 15, 2012 Happy to squirrel away some rock as I find it at0m - rocks should be for free mate - but may hit you up for a bit of postage when I acquire a few you may be interested in . Will also look over some siltsone samples I have kicking about from old rock cores we discard after a while - they may be a bit fractured for finer carving though. Some others we have are just too hard to work (other than making unique drink coasters). I am sure you are always good I have a very small antler from a fallow deer in my shed, not meaty enough for a knife handle - but if you want to play with it at0m its yours (can send ya a pic). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted June 15, 2012 (edited) As an aside and since I had camera out at0m this may interest you, been a fairly ongoing project : the stone is serpentinite and the timber in huon pine. I usually work on it when I am feeling a bit down, it is good therapy. Edited June 15, 2012 by waterboy 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sallubrious Posted June 15, 2012 The old boilermakers chalk cone is legendary. I had one that I made out a piece of it that was too small to seal properly in a garden hose, so I used to wrap it in tally ho papers to fill the gap and seal it up. I did it one night at a party and no-one saw me with the actual chalk cone so they all assumed that I'd fashioned a cone out of tally ho's. I couldn't understand all the contemptuous looks I was getting as I finished it off and we started smoking out of it. The looks all turned to amazement after a few cones had gone through it. I had people coming up to me asking me why a cone made out of paper didn't burn for over a year. I told them it wasn't paper but some people insisted that it was and they saw me do it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted June 17, 2012 (edited) Here is the wee one my partner is making for me, not very pipe like yet, but its pretty. Edited June 17, 2012 by bogfrog 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted July 3, 2012 sorry it took so long but here is a picture of my partner's tobacco pipe, made by dunedin carver, Dave Mann 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
