carbon coating for bowls

mathias65 · Post by **mathias65** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 12:45 am

i was just wondering .. how do people carbon coat their bowls? is there a particular product for sale somewhere? if so, may i ask where? and how is it used properly.

LexKY_Pipe · Post by **LexKY_Pipe** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 9:16 am

I bought charcoal powder in bulk from an education supply store. I mix 1 tbs of sour cream with 1 tbs of buttermilk and then add the charcoal to thicken the mixture. This is a very common recipe. I usually mix up a batch and coat a bunch of pipes at the same time. It does keep in the fridge.

Some people use finely ground glass beads with the mixture.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 1:58 pm

I just crushed up a briquette and added water.

stummel bum · Post by **stummel bum** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 2:18 pm

LexKY_Pipe wrote:I bought charcoal powder in bulk from an education supply store. I mix 1 tbs of sour cream with 1 tbs of buttermilk and then add the charcoal to thicken the mixture. This is a very common recipe. I usually mix up a batch and coat a bunch of pipes at the same time. It does keep in the fridge.

Some people use finely ground glass beads with the mixture.

Same recipe I use (minus the glass). I just bought a fish tank filter that uses activated charcoal, and ground it up into powder. You want to add enough carbon to the dairy to make it a toothpaste-like consistency. Then just smear it on with your finger. You don't need a very thick coating just enough so the wood doesn't show through. Let dry overnight and light it up. Leaves a nice hard carbon shell.

mathias65 · Post by **mathias65** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 3:07 pm

thanks guys

Leus · Post by **Leus** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 4:27 pm

LexKY_Pipe wrote:Some people use finely ground glass beads with the mixture.

Is this right? I had heard that water glass is used, but never heard of actual glass mixed in.

LexKY_Pipe · Post by **LexKY_Pipe** » Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:50 am

Leus wrote:
LexKY_Pipe wrote:Some people use finely ground glass beads with the mixture.
Is this right? I had heard that water glass is used, but never heard of actual glass mixed in.

I meant "water glass." My bad. Thanks for the correction.

pennsyscot · Post by **pennsyscot** » Thu Apr 29, 2010 2:30 pm

I just crushed up a briquette and added water.

I tried this with disasterous results. The smoke had a very powerful and unpleasant flavor. I had to scrape the coating from the pipe. I then purchased charcoal capsules from a pharmacy and used the buttermilk recipe described above. When I used the purified carbon I found no detectable flavor. Charcoal capsules can be found in any drug store, they are used for the treatment of flatulence.

Leus · Post by **Leus** » Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:01 pm

pennsyscot wrote: Charcoal capsules can be found in any drug store, they are used for the treatment of flatulence.

From what I've read in this forum they should be considered mandatory supplies for pipemaking...

mathias65 · Post by **mathias65** » Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:05 pm

Leus wrote:
pennsyscot wrote: Charcoal capsules can be found in any drug store, they are used for the treatment of flatulence.

From what I've read in this forum they should be considered mandatory supplies for pipemaking...

for the pipemaking? or for the flatulence?

SimeonTurner · Post by **SimeonTurner** » Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:07 pm

Leus wrote:
pennsyscot wrote: Charcoal capsules can be found in any drug store, they are used for the treatment of flatulence.

From what I've read in this forum they should be considered mandatory supplies for pipemaking...

You must be referring to Rad's infamous "brown blast" sandblasting technique. I believe he uses charcoal capsules when he is going for a shallower, less detailed blast.

LexKY_Pipe · Post by **LexKY_Pipe** » Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:32 pm

Google "charcoal powder". You'll find sources where you can buy it in bulk form.

1FatBastard · Post by **1FatBastard** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:19 pm

For a healthier coating, use non-fat buttermilk and sour cream.

d.huber · Post by **d.huber** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:58 pm

Rad had a great quote in the recent P&T magazine about bowl coatings. I'll dig it up and post it here. Unless of course the man himself would do the honors.

ToddJohnson · Post by **ToddJohnson** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 12:53 pm

Most Danish and many American pipe makers, myself included, use a combination of Sodium Silicate (water glass) crushed pumice, and activated charcoal. Oh, and I spit in it.

TJ

P.S. To the fellow crushing up the Kingsford nuggets, you're not supposed to use the ones that have already been soaked in lighter fluid!

baweaverpipes · Post by **baweaverpipes** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 12:57 pm

ToddJohnson wrote:Most Danish and many American pipe makers, myself included, use a combination of Sodium Silicate (water glass) crushed pumice, and activated charcoal. Oh, and I spit in it.

TJ

I've seen him do it!!!
I prefer yak saliva.

OregonCustom · Post by **OregonCustom** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 11:55 pm

Hey, If anyone wants to try a little water glass, I bought a really big jug of high purity lab grade sodium silicate. I'll package it in 25mg bags. PM me for more details.

OregonCustom · Post by **OregonCustom** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 11:53 am

Not 25mg...... Woke up this morning realized I meant 25 gram baggies.........feel like a drug dealer.... "dime bags on the street corner..."

wdteipen · Post by **wdteipen** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 1:16 pm

I've been using a mixture of honey, water, and activated charcoal. I really like it. It's deep black instead of gray, covers with a very thin coat, and best simulates a natural cake. It's also very neutral in flavor.

W.Pastuch · Post by **W.Pastuch** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 2:06 pm

I'm a bit torn here - I'd like to say "uncoated bowls rule!", but then I see carvers like Todd who coat the bowls and I think, hmm...
Anyway for now I keep my bowls clean, cause there's so many smokers out there who are convinced that bowl coatings are evil by definition, so at least I don't need to spend time explaining the matter to them.
And really, I understand all the honey, dairy and carbon based recipes, but water glass? That does seem to seal the bowl and stay there for some time, since it's quite fire resistant, isn't that right? But who am I to know, probably Todd's spit prevents that!

pipemakersforum.com