Homemade CornCobs

[frostyforge]

Here's where the annoying questions start....
Since I got into smoking pipes a couple months ago, I've been making my own Corncob pipes. I just went to walmart and bought a 5 lb bag of "squirrel cob" for about $6. Then I would cut and drill 'em to the right size pipe.
Here's my question, on my first few, I just used a bamboo stem, with about a 1/4" hole, and it seemed to smoke fine, but I was relighting like crazy, every 2-3 puffs :P so on the next stem that I made (yesterday) I used a dowel and put an 1/8" hole in it. I smoked the first bowl this morning, and only had to relight a couple times. I packed it lighter than I did the others because of the smaller hole (I had problems with the flakes coming up the larger dia. hole). So...my question is, does the size of the hole matter more than how I pack it? Even after smoking the the one bowl for about 3 weeks, I was still having problems with it constantly going out. But this new one did amazing, or do I just have to high of expectations?
Thanks ya'll,
Frosty

 

[python]

Like Phil said, the size of the hole does matter. You need it large enough to allow a good amount of oxygen into the chamber so the tobacco stays lit.

 

[bytor]

Beyond the problem of having tobacco easily pass through the draft hole, I suspect that an overly large draft hole (1/4" say) would also cause problems with keeping the tobacco lit.
Bear with me here as I approach this like an engineer
Think of it like this: If you were try to raise the temperature of a fire by blowing through a straw.

A straw that was overly large wouldn't work very well as the air coming out the end would not have enough velocity to raise the temperature. It would be like simply breathing on the fire rather than blowing on it.

 

[jonesing]

Hey I think the squirrel corn thing is pretty cool idea.
Frosty, did you just drill a hole and stick the bamboo or dowel in the side of the bowl or did you shave of the end inside the bowl to make the airway like a MM cob?
Your 1/8 inch hole should be right in there with the size of the draft on most pipes give or take a 32nd.
So if you got a good smoke you know your pack was about right. I still fight the temptation to overstuff the bowl so it will last longer. Recipe for a bummer smoke.
Once you get it fairly well zeroed in you'll still have relights but not every 2-3 puffs. Christ, you'll wear your lighter thumb out just trying to make it through a bowl.
Hang in there and keep at it. It comes quick. And you're not messing around with some kind of sissy premade pipe. You're makin your own AND learning to smoke them at the same time. Good on ya.
Another thought, if you move up to a bigger dowel you could then cut a mortise at the end to fit a pipe stem.
You might just be on to something.
I can see it now "Frosty's Squirrely Cobs".
"Hand made cobs like they used to was."
Keep us posted.

 

[frostyforge]

dang, I didn't expect that many responses that quickly, you guys rock!
@ Bytor: That was my thinking too, which is why I shrunk my size down (I guess thats where being an engineer can be helpful, makes up for all those years of school :P)
@ Jonesing: I drilled a 1/2" hole for the main bowl, and then an approx. 1/4" hole in the side. And yeah, I did have to mortise it :P Thank God for dremels. Hmm...Squirrly Cobs, I think its got possiblities. I'll post some pics of my current pipe once my camera starts workin again and school slows down a little bit :P
@ Phil: Thanks for the offer of the pipe, I think I'll stick with the pipes I've got right now (I'm a very DYI kinda guy, probably why I'm getting an Engineering degree)I like being able to figure out whats wrong with something I build and then fix it. And no offense taken, I appreciate the help.

 

[frostyforge]

yessir, your work beats mine hands down, cherry wood is MUCH harder to work with than corn :P And I don't think it could do any worse than my first couple, but thats part of the fun, learning what not to do. Plus, I don't consider any time spent working with my hands to be wasted, no matter how badly it turned out, cause it always beats working at a "regular" job.

 

[pstlpkr]

I hope it doesn't split Phil.

That's the only problem with fresh wood.

 

[frostyforge]

I don't know how Apple wood is, but from my experience, the best thing to do is to seal the ends with paint, or wax, and let it dry, that always reduces the splits on my handles and whatnot. just my 2 cents...