Yo bro, you should totally post pics of those on my thread : http://forum.grasscity.com/toking-tools/838150-homemade-pipes-thread.html
hey man, sweet lookin' pipes! The elephant is my favourite i would say... I bet your girl was pumped! I pretty much started with the same tools you've got on that bench there, power drill with shitty drill bits, crappy saw that was designed for thin plywood, and various dull files and Chinese made dremel bits. These tools are fine, just fine, and you can do some great work with them. The problem, is that it will take you a looonngg ass time! And it's super fucking frustrating sometimes... If you're serious about getting into pipemaking, as a hobby, or w/e. Then there are some steps that you may find useful. I had to figure out these steps on my own, so it's only fair that i pass my experience onto you, fast track if you will, haha. Learn about wood - The tobacco industry favours the use of one particular kind of wood for their pipes. This isn't just coincidence. Learn what qualities of wood are suitable for a smoking pipe, you would be surprised how big of a difference it makes, not only on the first smoke, but after years of use. It's akin to drinking a wine made from finely grown grapes, versus a wine made from grape juice concentrate. A good start would be to google a list of woods that have traditionally been used for tobacco pipe making. Personally, I prefer African Blackwood. Also, once you know the intimate details that make up certain species of wood, you can use that knowledge to your advantage. You'll find that you will make stronger pipes, and work the wood more easily... Buy some good tools - You would be surprised how far a good set of tools can take you. Not only in pipe making, but for life in general. And, it doesn't require as large of an investment as you may think. I acquired my tools over many years... and most of them i couldn't see myself living without... With all tools, it may seem like a good idea to go to your local bigbox store, and pickup a huge set on the cheap. This, i have learned, is the WORST idea. Absolutely everything i have bought from HomeDepot is complete shit. Brands like, black and decker, ryobi, etc. etc. ALL SHIT. Cheap, yes! but Worth it, no... In Canada, we have LeeValley Tools, who cater to fine woodworkers, they carry all the best woodworking tools. So, find a similar place in your area. Here is a list of tools I use, love, and wouldn't want to do without.... Metal Lathe, this is my most recent and most useful tool. Not needed, but, damn will it ever save you time, and add a new level of quality to your work... I use a Taig Lathe.. Drill press, complete with a fine quality drill set (makes a huge difference), and vice.. Japanese style hand saw, the tooth style on these saws make for fast and clean cuts, no need for any other saw unless you're cutting realy large blocks of wood into smaller pieces... Finest quality sandpaper you can find, in a wide range of grits Belt sander, buy or make a belt sander that will fit a fine quality belt, it's more about the belt than what drives it. The best belt sander on the market, paired with a belt from Lowes, is going to instantly turn it into the worst belt sander, I learned this the hard way. I bought a Ryobi belt sander from HomeDepot (nice n' cheap, very attractive to a broke ass student), and then later found out that it will only fit belts made by Ryobi (bastards!), they are SHIT, but i get by with em okaayyy, haha. Okay, and now.. building materials.. I've tried all sorts of glues/epoxies, but Cyanoacrylate glue (liquid form) is my glue of choice at the moment. A formula designed to resist high temperatures is preferred, but I've never bothered... As far as finishes go, Its a matter of taste. Linseed oil is nice to start with, easy to apply, always looks nice, though, it's a bit dark for me... Waxes are okay, they preserve colours well. Carnuaba wax is best, but you need to apply it with a special high speed polishing wheel, I have used this, it's a big glossy for me, makes wood look like plastic imo, but this is what mostly all tobacco pipes are finished with. Right now, I'm on sort of an all natural kick, no finish other than a fine grit polishing wheel... In general, you want to avoid polyurethane, or any other thick waterproof coating... The whole idea of using wood for a pipe is that it's porous, best to keep the natural qualities of the wood intact. But, this isn't a law or anything, go ahead and use whatever finish you like! Just, obviously, never finish the inside of the bowl, unless it's with something designed to coat the inside of tobacco pipe bowls, complicated, i know i know... Okay, that's all i can think of for now... hope i wasn't too long winded and boring, or..out of place... Good luck man!!
yeah man, you should definitely put those on etsy. even if they only cost under 10 bucks of materials, i would dish out 30 bucks for one.
these are tight as fuck! I bet you could sell the first two for $20-30 easy. that wood looks real classy
[quote name='"BudNdBitches420"']I like the first to but instead of metal you should do glass that would be fuckin sick[/quote] Right. I agree
Those are some very nicely done pieces my friend. Good job. Kinda motivated me to make some more pipes.
Thanks for the appreciation guys, and im digging the homemade section finally... still got a big chunk of wood, maybe ill bust one out while im on spring break...
been using red oak i believe only the dust is an irritant i read... search safe wood list and you can check all the properties of different woods because some produce harmful smoke
