>>2115022I assume you're talking completely diy. I've done this four times or so, got a nice scar on my hand from a belt sander while trying to shape an oak pipe. I posted it here years ago, actually. The images are lost to time though.
I used a hand saw, a drill with various bit sizes, a belt sander, some wood chisels, sandpaper, and some cotton rags for oiling.
You'll want to consider your wood. Hardwoods are generally fine and longer-lasting, but much more difficult to shape. softwoods are easier to shape but their char doesn't hold as well. Get it seasoned, but chemically untreated. I got my pine from the hardware store, my oak from my backyard. Research your choices, as some woods are toxic. Briar is often chosen for its heat resistance, but you'll have to order it online.
Similarly, consider the oil you'll be finishing it with. The wood will need to be protected from rot if you ever want to actually use it.
The stem and mouthpiece are going to be your biggest issue. They're usually machined on lathes, so making one without one is difficult, and you need to be crafty. All my pipes except one I just reused a mouthpiece from my Missouri Meerschaum -- after I did it once, I found it wasn't worth the effort. On the DIY mouthpiece glued two pieces of wood together after carving a channel between them. It worked alright. I imagine bamboo hollowed out by a burning wire might work too, not sure how easy it'd be though.
It's difficult to get the friction to hold the mouthpiece/stem to the bowl. I used hand drills and sandpaper, and I never quite got it to be airtight, but if it drew enough for me to smoke a bowl it was fine.
Be aware of how you position the interior bottom of the bowl in relationship to the hole for the mouthpiece. Positioning it badly can have you clogging your stem or, alternatively, leaving some herb unsmokable. There are guides to doing this online. Picrel is a small blurb on it.
Good luck anon, post results.
