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Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 11:04 am
by Ocelot55
About 6 months ago a good friend of mine (in fact the guy that got me started collecting pipes in the fist place, he bought me my first dunhill!!) had a major medical incident. To make a long story short, he pulled through and is doing a miraculous job of recovery, however, somehow he lost a large percentage of mobility in his arms. Now he cant smoke the pipes he loves to collect because he can't light, pack, or tamp them. Whenever I go for a visit, I always load and light a pipe for him. He manages to cradle it lightly, but has dropped it on occasion.
I thought it would be simpler for him to enjoy his pipe tobacco if I got him a table pipe. He can manage to load and tamp with his left hand if he doesn't have to worry about holding it. I found a cheap one on ebay so I went for it.
When it came in the quality was less than stellar. The bowl was decent but I couldn't get a good draw out of the hose. It looked like there was a kink in the end that was restricting air flow near the push/steck attachment. I cut out the kink to see if it would open up the draw. It did not.
What I need is some more material to make a new hose/stem attachment. I have no idea where to start. I know Kurt has made table pipes before, but anyone that has any experience: please help!
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 11:24 am
by Massis
What kind of connection does the bowl have?
I'd suggest looking for a fitting waterpipe/shisha hose...
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 11:28 am
by Ocelot55
A hookah hose is way too big. I'd say that the mortise hole on the bowl is 5/16" or slightly smaller. I have no clue how I would adapt a hookah hose to fit.
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 1:22 pm
by taharris
Can you post a picture?
I, for one, need to see it to understand how to fix it.
Todd
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 1:53 pm
by JonBood
Maybe you could make it into a table top pipe with an extra long churchwarden-stem=)
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:28 pm
by Ocelot55
taharris wrote:Can you post a picture?
I, for one, need to see it to understand how to fix it.
Todd
Ok, I struggled getting a photo with no luck. Let me just try to describe the situation. The bowl is basically a small burl, 360 degree plateau with a flat bottom and the chamber in the center. The mortise hole is slightly less than 5/16". The hose that came with the pipe is 3/8" OD and 12" long. It is made out of rubber and is covered in cloth. On one end is a mouthpiece similar to a lovat stem. It looks like the hose is epoxied into the stem. On the other side there a simple tapered plastic piece with the hose epoxied into it. The hose-stem just pushes into the mortise on the bowl like a military bit. I know the hose is the culprit. I can hardly get any air through it at all when I try to draw.
I'm thinking I can recreate one with some more rubber tubing with a larger inside diameter and epoxy on end into a tapered piece of vulcanite and modified pipe stem on the other.
If anyone has any further suggestions please let me know.
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 4:19 am
by Olav Vittfarne
Hasn't Kurt made something like that? I think he called it Mt Doom.
Olav
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 4:28 am
by Massis
I'm not quite sure of the health-consequences, but I once made a shisha with the outer housing of a UTP cable. Worked fine for months (untill I bought a real shisha).
So I'm quite sure you could replace the current hose with any type of plastic tubing you'd like, the smoke should be cold enough not to melt/damage the plastic hose... (otherwise you'd actually burn your mouth with a nosewarmer.)
So the tubing is no problem (available at any DIY store), you could take one with an inner diameter that equals the tenon on a regular pipe mouthpiece sou you could plug that in on one end, then all you need is a new plastic tapered piece to connect it to the bowl, and for that I think we really need a picture...
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:31 pm
by duckman
Again without pictures all is speculation but if it is a 3/8od hose i would assume the tubing shouldn't be the problem but the fittings would be. have you tried running a drill bit of appropriate size through the tenon and mouthpiece?
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:09 pm
by Ocelot55
I finally got some photos. As you can see in photo 2 I cut the hose at a kink near the push stem. The draw is still really tight. Let me know what you guys think as far as fashioning a replacement.
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:08 am
by Massis
The inner diameter of that hose is just too narrow I think. a 3mm hole works fine for a mouthpiece, but for a tube over a foot long, you need some more space, 5-6mm should do.
I'd say get some acrylic/ebonite rod and make a tenon which is tapered on both sides, so you can slide one part into the mortise and slide a tube over the other.
Use a decent size tube, and insert a mouthpiece at the other end.
If that doesn't work, the problem is in your bowl, not the tube
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:44 am
by Ocelot55
Massis wrote:The inner diameter of that hose is just too narrow I think. a 3mm hole works fine for a mouthpiece, but for a tube over a foot long, you need some more space, 5-6mm should do.
I'd say get some acrylic/ebonite rod and make a tenon which is tapered on both sides, so you can slide one part into the mortise and slide a tube over the other.
Use a decent size tube, and insert a mouthpiece at the other end.
If that doesn't work, the problem is in your bowl, not the tube
That's pretty much what I was thinking. I think the trick is finding the proper hose material. I'll visit the hardware store today and see what I can find. Thanks for all your help guys.
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:48 am
by Growley
You can also find various hoses as Lowes, Pet stores (fish supplies), medical supply stores and even automotive stores.
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:51 am
by Ocelot55
Growley wrote:You can also find various hoses as Lowes, Pet stores (fish supplies), medical supply stores and even automotive stores.
Thanks Growley!
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:54 am
by Massis
I'd go for an aquarium shop or just a regular DIY (in the USA I'm guessing home depot for example?)
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 12:08 pm
by ricebiscuit
Kurt did something very similar to this a while back. This should help a lot. You can search " table top pipe" and get some more info on it.
Trey
KurtHuhn wrote:I had this request from a customer in Germany looking for a stylized, yet realistic and slightly sinister looking, volcano shape designed to be rested on a table and smoked with a hose.
I'll give everyone time to crack the hookah and/or hippie jokes...
...
The hose proved to be the most time consuming. I started off being completely stymied as to how to go about doing it, and ended up going to a head shop to see what they had. Gagging on incense and God only knows what else, I left with a hookah hose to see if I could use some of it in this project. It ended up being a non-starter though. On top of the stink of incense that simply would not leave the hose no matter what, upon disassembling it I found that the hose is nothing more than some spiral wound brass wire with Cling-Wrap on the outside, and a piece of fabric secured by wrapping string along the spiral of the wire. Add some cheap-ass molded plastic thingies for the ends, and there you go. Oh, and the stink. I unleashed an unholy mix of incense and various smells and things when I took it apart. My nostrils have *still* not recovered. I ended up homebrewing the entire thing from start to finish, with a little help from McMaster-Carr and Mr. Metal Lathe.
The idea struck me as being so cool that I've got a second one in the works, and I'm going to try and hang on to it long enough to take it to Richmond to show off.
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 12:49 pm
by Ocelot55
Thanks everyone, those great shots of Kurt's pipe should help me out a lot.
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:20 pm
by KurtHuhn
I'm late to the party - sorry. I'm swamped with Christmas orders and am only now bobbing up for air.
What you want is Tygon tubing. It's clear, food safe, and will not impart odors or flavors to the smoke. It's also very, very flexible. McMaster-Carr has what you need.
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:21 pm
by Ocelot55
KurtHuhn wrote:I'm late to the party - sorry. I'm swamped with Christmas orders and am only now bobbing up for air.
What you want is Tygon tubing. It's clear, food safe, and will not impart odors or flavors to the smoke. It's also very, very flexible. McMaster-Carr has what you need.
That's exactly what I needed, Kurt! Thanks a bundle!
Re: Table Top Pipe Stem
Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 1:19 am
by Ocelot55
Kurt,
Is the black fabric stuff around the hose the braid reinforcement I see on the McCaster Carr site, or is it separate?