How to Make a Tobacco Pipe out of Cherrywood

With a little practice, you can make a pipe just like this.

Carving a pipe from cherry wood may not be as difficult as you may think. Cherry often is used in pipe making because it is relatively easy to carve, takes decoration nicely and does not negatively affect the taste of tobacco smoke. With a little practice, you can start producing beautiful pipes adorned with any type of design you choose. There are an almost infinite number of pipe designs out there, so start practicing to find the one you lite best.

Things You'll Need

• Block of cherry wood
• Pencil
• Band saw
• Belt sander
• File
• Drill
• 1/16 inch drill bit (long)
• 1/4 inch drill bit
• 1 inch brad point drill bit
• Sandpaper

Instructions

1. Sketch the outline for your pipe onto the side of a piece of cherry wood. The block of wood should be milled to a thickness that corresponds to the width of the pipe bowl. Separate the pipe into bowl and stem, as they will be made separately to allow for cleaning.

2. Cut out the bowl and stem from the block of wood along the line you drew in Step 1.

3. Mark and drill out the bowl using a 1 inch brad point drill bit. Cut down about 3/4 inch into the block to form a suitable bowl. Drill through the stem using a long 1/16 inch drill bit and set the stem aside.

4. Shape the bowl using a belt sander clamped to a table. Be careful not to shape the bowl too closely to the hole you drilled into it in Step 3. You should leave about 1/2 inch of wood around the bowl itself to keep the heat from damaging the wood.

5. Shape the stem using a belt sander. Keep the drill bit inside the hole you drilled out, extended slightly to give you a good idea of where the stem tube is located. Carving too deeply into the stem may breech the tube, requiring a rebuild.

6. Shape one tip of the stem into a mount piece, and the other to a 1/4 inch diameter tube. Drill a 1/4 inch diameter hole into the bowl piece, right at the bottom of the drilled out bowl so that the carved stem can be inserted into the bowl tightly.

7. Sand all surfaces of the pipe smooth, including the inside of the bowl, then add any decorative carvings, coatings or sealants to the outside surfaces of the pipe. Do not apply any coating or sealant inside the bowl itself. Place a little of your favorite tobacco into the bowl, light and enjoy.

Tips & Warnings

• Remove the stem from the bowl when cleaning is required.

• Smoking tobacco is known to cause lung cancer and other diseases.

References

• The Art of Fire: Pipemaking
• I Knew It: How to Carve a Wooden Pipe
• Jim's Cigar and Pipe Page: Pipe Carving Information