Ipe pipe making

[drax024]

Hello all I am rather new to this site but I was looking for guidance on making a pipe out of ipe. Also I was curious if any has made a pipe from this material before. Thanks all -Drax
P.S. I am working with a minimal amount of tools, i.e. a circular saw, a hand saw, a set of wood carving tools, and a knife

 

[jeepnewbie]

Welcome to the site. I've never used Ipe to make a pipe, but have tried Iron Wood (also really hard to work). All you really need for basic making is a knife, couple of drill bits, and some files. There is quite a bit of information out there, just search pipe making on the forum search. Check out Pimo Pipe craft too. Good luck.
As far as Ipe here is this from the wood database: Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Ipe has been reported to cause skin, eye, and respiratory irritation, as well as other effects such as headaches, asthma-like symptoms, and/or disturbance of vision. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

 

[drax024]

Thank you for the quick response Jeepnewbie, your information was very helpful. So far its been a hassle but my pipe is starting to come together.

 

[jeepnewbie]

Post some pics of your work. From there you can ask what would be the best way to tackle different areas of the pipe. If you have a dremel it helps quite a bit.

 

[zack24]

Almost all of the tropical woods have some built in nastiness to keep the bugs from eating them. You are risking your life if you choose to make a pipe from some exotic hardwoods and smoke it. Many of them are also sensitizing agents- you only develop an allergy after repeated exposure. I lost 20% of the pigment on my chest from an allergy to rosewood dust many years ago...Stay with woods that people have used successfully and avoid the rest....

 

[drax024]

I dont know how to post pictures yet so if you could help me out there. Really? 8O @Zach24 I was really excited to use this wood to, I love the weight of it and the color. Also I bought a $50 4x4 of the ipe it was 4 feet long and I was hoping I could make a lot of pipes with that piece.

 

[skraps]

I would agree with Zack on this. Exotics are good for shank extensions and adornments, but I would avoid smoking anything out of them.

 

[drax024]

<p>Aw well that's upsetting, probably won't be making a pipe for awhile because I don't have any money

 

[tobyducote]

Have you ever made a pipe before? If you want info on making pipes...check out The Pipe Makers Forum...if you don't have experience making a pipe, don't experiment with exotic materials...your best bet is to buy a pre-drilled briar block for $12-15 and experiment with shaping with files,rasps, dremel..etc..

 

[zack24]

Ipe makes a great deck, but you should Sell the $50 of wood you bought and buy 4 pre drilled blocks of briar. They may be ugly, but you won't die...

 

[mso489]

Avoid chemical sensitivities at all costs. Since the medical people aren't good at diagnosing and treating many of these maladies, they assume you have a psychiatric problem. I haven't had this experience, but talked to many people who had in a job I had. A seasoned scientist I worked with said wryly that doctors took an illness seriously just as soon as it was established how they might treat it. Before that, a patient was probably a head case. There are lots of compassionate physicians, but there is that pressure and that cop out that does emerge.

 

[mso489]

One problem with any kind of chemical sensitivity is that medical people can't diagnose it or treat it with all that much specificity, so often resort to blaming it on a psychological problem. I haven't had this experience, but in a job I had, I ran into people who had this problem for many years. Over time, I could see that the pattern of exposure and sensitization was actually standard, not the product of imaginations. One incisive old scientist I worked with, a guy with a lot of power, said dryly that doctors gave credibility to these problems only when it has been established scientifically what the biological mechanisms were and what the treatment was. It's a bad spot for a patient to be in.

 

[drax024]

Thank you all for your sage like input, I decided to take all of your advice and refrain from using ipe. Although I did decide to make a novelty pipe, and fo the most part I'm proud of how it came out.

 

[drax024]

<p>Don't want to risk my health over a couple of bucks