I have to order my wood in and let cure it for years before It can be made into one of my pipes and pool cues. Wood shrinks about 17% from the time the tree is cut down to being cured and ready to turn. I just pulled the trigger on some of the most expensive wood I have bought. I have always wanted to make matching pool cue and peace pipe made out Koa wood. I have no idea what other wood i will put with the Koa wood or style of inlays. I have a slab of red wood burl might look killer I know weird to get excited over a piece of wood . I have a Black and white ebony cue and some of the same wood to make a matching black and white ebony peace pipe. This is the wood I ordered in from Hawaii today. 275.00 Black and white ebony cue i will make matching pipe burl big leaf maple I have about 3 or 4 pipes in the works right now.
Thanks for the kind words brother Stoned and rambling on , I broke two of my cue lathes and just got the parts in, Also ordered in a new metal lathe 26 inches between centers a Grizzly. with a indexer and taper bar. just to makes pipes. I am pretty much done making pool cues,, , The Koa cue will be my last. I plan taking my pool cue inlay designs and incorporate those inlays into my pipes. Ran into a giant issue with the company who use to cut my veneers for my inlays,, To do a regroup and buy a 7k 75 w Laser engraver, I am tooling up to make all my wooden pipes glass lined from one end to the other. Also The glass tube can be replace if broken inside the pipe. The glass tubing will be either 10mm id or 11mm ID , so it will breath .
That's some nice looking wood you got there. The burls are especially nice to look at. Some of the best art nature produces imo. Great looking pieces you've made. Give us an update when you finish your pool cue.
I wouldn't smoke out of cocobolo. It's a beautiful wood for pool cues,pepper mills or pens. California Myrtle wood may look good with the Koa too. I've worked with redwood burl. It's a soft wood. Pomelle sapele is another wood that might contrast nicely with Koa.
Nice pipes. You could always make some money on making wood stems for various vaporizers or even wooden vaporizers.
Your right, almost all woods know to man are unhealthy to smoke out of especially Cocobolo wood. One reason all the pipes I have ever made had/have some kind of one peace long tubing inside The tubing is also the backbone of a peace pipe style that is segmented. My pipes wood is sealed on the inside with what was brass tubing, now glass tubing and on outside with a glass like extremely durable UV finish. The wood is not exposed anywhere. internally or externally. By doing this I break the rules, I can make a wooden pipe out of any kind of wood I want and make it strong. Always wanting the stuff i make to be different I am putting a replicable/cleanable glass tubes in the center of my of my latest peace pipe design.
Thank you I have been trying to design a dry herb vaporizer wooden peace pipe for a while, I think its a great idea. I am more busy then I want to be, plus fishing is more importener curly koa wood at DuckDuckGo
I like using woods that are not commercially available too. I use a chainsaw mill to harvest fallen or problem trees that need to be removed. I built a solar drying kiln on my last property. The latest odd wood I harvested and used in several projects was Weeping willow burl. I also harvested several large slabs from the tree. It's a soft wood that works similar to Poplar. But, it's pink in color. Poison sumac is another interesting wood for its green color. It's an easy wood to work,similar to soft maple. Here's a Poison sumac pencil cup. The wooden pen inside is Mulberry, another interesting golden colored wood.
For a smoking pipe, hardwoods? teak? Fruitwoods for flavor? I guess HHP would be the man to ask, what say you?
Fruitwoods and nut woods are generally used in pipe making as are burls of those woods. Woods high in tannins are generally avoided as are woods like teak that are high in oils.
Yes glass tubing is fragile, But glass is the health standard for smoking weed out of a pipe. Either I have switch to glass Or listen to everyone chime in telling me how toxic aluminum,, brass or SS tubing is t to smoke out of. Personally I don't want make a pipe that is in any way health hazard to anyone.
7 metal lathes, and cue lathes everything is cut using a live tool post. from 7x14 to 25x80 gap bed metal lathe. If you ever want some trim rings I would make you some
You do some beautiful work @Headhunterpipes. I have made some interesting segmented bowls when I had my cabinet shop and my larger wood lathe. Now, it's just a hobby. I haven't even turned my lathe on in two years. I've been using the space for growing.
