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A buddy and I have a little contest to see who can come up with the best looking homemade pipe to be determined on our yearly hunting/camping trip in two weeks. I have a briar pipe he knows I have been working on, but doesn't know about this one nor what the other one looks like either!
I started out by getting a kit from http://aristocob.com/GENERAL-Cobfoolery-Kit-Missouri-Meerschaum-Corn-Cob-Pipe-P3216481.aspxto make one. They are he same price as a built pipe, just no shank hole drilled and everything is in pieces. I didn't get any build pics as I was pretty anxious to be doing this.
I wanted a "plateau" looking cob, so I took the Dremel to the top of the bowl to create and uneven surface. Putting the Dremel in a vice helps out a lot for consistency if you don't have a bench top grinder. The "quicklock" sanders and cutting wheels are the way to go.
Then I wanted the bowl to look even more unique so I sanded off some of the kernel pods off the top third of the bowl. Started with a 60, then 120 and eventually a 240 grit. It turned out pretty smooth for being as rough as it started out.
I am lucky enough to have a bit of bamboo growing on the edge of my property. I took a good sized piece and dried it for about 2 or so months laid it flat in the sun. Then cut it down to a section that would be long enough for a shank(about 6" or so). I sanded one end smooth for the bit and cut a mitre on the other end that went into the pipe. Drilled out the inside wall sections with a small bit, working from both ends, then worked up to a larger 5/16" sized bit. I drilled out the other end for the bit. I didn't use the bit that came in the kit, I didn't like how large it was compared to the long shank of the idea I had in my head. So I bought another one off the same site that I liked more that was smaller for about 50cents. A little sanding was done on the bamboo to make the bamboo to bit transition smoother. Tip when sanding: Wear a dust mask, have a shopvac or fan to get the dust away from you.
I sized up the outside diameter of the bamboo and attempted to drill the cob at an angle with a small bit for a pilot hole then a spade bit. The hole drilled ok, but it was a little uneven. I fixed that solution with a bit of natural wood filler. Set the shank in the pipe how I wanted it and put the wood filler in around the gap. I let that dry a few days, then came back and put more in the gap (a little at a time) then waited for it to dry. I used some Titebond 2 wood glue (food safe & waterproof) to glue the shank into place.
I thought about sanding and sealing the bamboo with a wax or sealant, but thought about that after I had glued it all together. That will be done on my next cob build. Maybe even use some dye/stain on one.
I haven't smoked it yet, I am waiting on the upcoming hunting/camping trip.
If anyone has any helpful hints or tricks of the trade, please let me know. I plan on doing many of these over the next year.
I started out by getting a kit from http://aristocob.com/GENERAL-Cobfoolery-Kit-Missouri-Meerschaum-Corn-Cob-Pipe-P3216481.aspxto make one. They are he same price as a built pipe, just no shank hole drilled and everything is in pieces. I didn't get any build pics as I was pretty anxious to be doing this.
I wanted a "plateau" looking cob, so I took the Dremel to the top of the bowl to create and uneven surface. Putting the Dremel in a vice helps out a lot for consistency if you don't have a bench top grinder. The "quicklock" sanders and cutting wheels are the way to go.
Then I wanted the bowl to look even more unique so I sanded off some of the kernel pods off the top third of the bowl. Started with a 60, then 120 and eventually a 240 grit. It turned out pretty smooth for being as rough as it started out.
I am lucky enough to have a bit of bamboo growing on the edge of my property. I took a good sized piece and dried it for about 2 or so months laid it flat in the sun. Then cut it down to a section that would be long enough for a shank(about 6" or so). I sanded one end smooth for the bit and cut a mitre on the other end that went into the pipe. Drilled out the inside wall sections with a small bit, working from both ends, then worked up to a larger 5/16" sized bit. I drilled out the other end for the bit. I didn't use the bit that came in the kit, I didn't like how large it was compared to the long shank of the idea I had in my head. So I bought another one off the same site that I liked more that was smaller for about 50cents. A little sanding was done on the bamboo to make the bamboo to bit transition smoother. Tip when sanding: Wear a dust mask, have a shopvac or fan to get the dust away from you.
I sized up the outside diameter of the bamboo and attempted to drill the cob at an angle with a small bit for a pilot hole then a spade bit. The hole drilled ok, but it was a little uneven. I fixed that solution with a bit of natural wood filler. Set the shank in the pipe how I wanted it and put the wood filler in around the gap. I let that dry a few days, then came back and put more in the gap (a little at a time) then waited for it to dry. I used some Titebond 2 wood glue (food safe & waterproof) to glue the shank into place.
I thought about sanding and sealing the bamboo with a wax or sealant, but thought about that after I had glued it all together. That will be done on my next cob build. Maybe even use some dye/stain on one.
I haven't smoked it yet, I am waiting on the upcoming hunting/camping trip.
If anyone has any helpful hints or tricks of the trade, please let me know. I plan on doing many of these over the next year.
