is a homemade wood bowl safe

Discussion in 'DIY and Homemade' started by Shaggy36, Oct 11, 2010.

  1. Hey guys newbie :wave:here just had a question.. Is there any woods that i shouldn't smoke out of? I have a 2-3 achier backyard with a ton of trees, i was thinking about going and finding a decent sized stick and carving it with a pocket knife or something into a bowl for a bong. Thanks.
     
  2. Better than aluminum I spose.
     
  3. I've done that
     
  4. Anything I'm gonna want to do before i smoke it? there is no coating process or what ever right?
     
  5. before you start blazing turn the pipe upside down and stick your lighter in the bowl for a few times with breaks in between. Keep that until the bowl is black and shiny.
     
  6. As long as its not treated I think you will be fine. Don't quote me on that though, because I am no fully certain.
     
  7. Okay, thanks man.
     
  8. Ya man, totally safe. Better than smoking from plastic bottles or aluminum foil.

    Smoking is not healthy for you, did you know that? Lol. So why ask if its safe?

    Umm one more thing,

    You might enjoy smoking out of a "harder" type of wood, like Cherry or Hickory. Rather than a soft wood.

    edit: might not make sense, after a bong toke.


    Reason being, is that the harder woods burn slower, and at a higher temperature - which means you won't be smoking the wood.... u feel me?
     
  9. I made a bamboo one before. it was niceee:cool:
     
  10. this how my first bowl was made, it's safe as long as it's clean
     
  11. I wanna do this.
     
  12. ya man my buddy is from Colombia, south america, he brought some bamboo shit with him that grew where he lived - he hollowed it out, cut it to the right length - made me a nice little pipe :)
     
  13. #13 MisterNatural, Oct 12, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 12, 2010
    Don't use pine, cedar, cypress, or hemlock. Most fruit or nut trees are ok as are hardwoods. Maple, oak, or hickory are best. If you post your general location, I'll help you zero in on specific types.

    EDIT - You don't need to do anything to the wood. After the first few bowls are burned and the inside is charred, it will be fine. Wood bowls are not for huge smoking sessions. If you smoke too much at one time, you'll be inhaling a lot of wood smoke and your pipe will deteriorate quickly. One small bowl at a time, then take a break. I used to make pipes out of apple and pear tree branches from our orchard all the time when I was a kid.
     
  14. Exactly what this guy said.

    Don't use softwoods, or conifers (lots of sap that you don't want to be inhaling).


    The best kind of wood to use for a pipe is that from a Cherry tree, but hardwoods like oak and maple will work just as well. Make sure that whatever wood you're using is untreated, and is seasoned (dried) for 2 or 3 months. By seasoning it, you remove all of the excess moisture and sap from the wood.

    Once that's done, you can carve it and shape it to whatever your preference is.
     
  15. You can actually make a good pipe out of green wood and season, or age it before you smoke. I think this is the best way but if you do it , make two pipes. There's always a chance the wood will split along the grain somewhere as it dries. You can fill the crack of a wood pipe with woodworker's cyanoacrylite glue (basically the same as super glue) but if it cracks where you hold the lighter, pitch it and start over or use the spare. Creating a well made and useable wood pipe is an art, just like stone or glass.
     
  16. I live in north Georgia, some of the trees are maple and pine and others I'm really not sure maybe oak or something. But the piece of wood that I found is pretty hard i don't think its any of the ones you said not to use. Thanks everyone for your great responses, I've already made the general shape of the pipe just need to drill the hole for the smoke to travel through it looks pretty good so far, maybe I'll post pictures of it when it's done
     
  17. just use an apple dude, extremely easy to make and its safe, and if ur smoking it and about to get caught by a mom or cops, then just eat it, perfect for someone who doesnt have a real bowl
     
  18. Follow the instructions from above posters and you'll be fine. Just know that wood bowls wear out after a while unless they are of very high quality, such as specialty tobacco pipes.

    If you're just looking for a piece to smoke out of, it might be easier for you to just buy one, but if this is for the intrinsic art value of making a piece yourself, then I say go for it!

    :D
     
  19. Yeah, but he wants something that he can pocket or take with him...

    I dunno, I think it's easier to have a small piece than having to make one every time you smoke. If the OP is pretty low-key and unassuming, he shouldn't have to worry about getting busted.
     
  20. So many wood experts on gc. :laughing: :D
     

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