Pimpin the Clay

[Bruck]

I picked up some clays from ebay a little while ago. Clays are a bit different to smoke, but I'm always up for a novelty. Here's the "before" picture:

http://i.imgur.com/Rb227aL.jpg

I picked up some aniline dye earlier this year with the intention of colorizing some briars, which I haven't done yet, but I thought, why not add some color to a clay?
[
http://i.imgur.com/4q0DVCE.jpg

This one's yellow - the color in the pic is a little distorted. I shined it up just a bit with carnuba as well, not sure if you can see that in the pics.

I did an earlier one in yellow, and it worked, but the yellow bled off a little onto my lips (the absorbing properties of clay work both ways). A couple other things I find a little off-putting about clays is that they're kind of gritty on the teeth and the clay pulls moisture out of your lips, causing them to adhere slightly until you get the end sufficiently saturated with spit. There's got to be a better way, I thought.

http://i.imgur.com/UWaiYMT.jpg

So I coated the mouth end with paraffin - about 2". That solved the first and third problems, but not the second - still feels a little gritty.

http://i.imgur.com/hAIXtuy.jpg

Anyway, fun little project. I've got some other colors and plenty of clay pipes to work with. I'll post pics as I proceed.

[Lostmason]

You could try a small piece of clear rubber tubing.

[Lynn]

the things a BUM will do, to pass the time....why the yellow????....

[BryGuySC]

I can't see the pics. :apologetic:

- edit - Now I can.

Nice job.

[Tobias Lutz]

Very nice, Bruce!

[Desertlifter]

Very nice! I have a clay tavern pipe that I am fond of. As to the mouth piece (so to speak), I've seen clays coated/painted with something or other on the tip of the stem - that would seem to do nicely.

[Chad Vegas]

You could try a small piece of clear rubber tubing.

I think this should solve your problems. Let us know!

[Bruck]

You could try a small piece of clear rubber tubing.

That's not a bad idea. I'll have to give that a try. My thinking on the subject was more along the lines of, how to mount a conventional stem.

I do like smoking a clay, but the grittiness on the teeth and the fact that it's rather difficult to hold in your mouth detract from the experience.

I've got it - heat shrink tubing. I hope it's non-toxic :)

- - - Updated - - -


the things a BUM will do, to pass the time....why the yellow????....

Bcs I'm a Michigan grad/fan. Blue is next :)

[Lostmason]

I was thinking along the lines of the tubing for aquariums, it would be non-toxic.But heat-shrink should do nicely.

[Bruck]

BTW, a public service announcement, when smoking a clay, don't touch the bowl!

[GWBowman]

BTW, a public service announcement, when smoking a clay, don't touch the bowl!

Because of heat?

[Aguineapig]

I actually found that I can comfortably hold the bowl most of the time, but I am a notoriously slow smoker/frequent relighter.

[Bruck]

Because of heat?

yes, the bowl gets quite hot. sort of like grabbing the hot end of the soldering iron - you only do it once!

[Bruck]

I actually found that I can comfortably hold the bowl most of the time, but I am a notoriously slow smoker/frequent relighter.

That's pretty good fire control!

[Bruck]

OK, here's the latest installment of the pimped out clays:

http://i.imgur.com/MuccF23.jpg

It took several coats of blue dye, as the clay just soaks it up like a sponge. It's a little uneven as the clay didn't absorb it uniformly, but that adds character :) Then I buffed it with carnuba to seal it and give it a little sheen.

And the white tip is heat shrink tubing - seems to adhere nicely, and I can hold it better with my teeth. Haven't smoked anything in it yet.

I also tried dying one red, but that was just ugly. It came out looking like a rather anatomical pink. So I tried overcoating it with yellow to see if it would get orange. It didn't. It just looked mottled. So that one was relegated to the dustbin.

[JustTroItIn]

I also tried dying one red, but that was just ugly. It came out looking like a rather anatomical pink. So I tried overcoating it with yellow to see if it would get orange. It didn't. It just looked mottled. So that one was relegated to the dustbin.

I like how these are turning out. Maybe you could go over that last one again with black to keep it from being banished to the bin.

[Bruck]

I like how these are turning out. Maybe you could go over that last one again with black to keep it from being banished to the bin.

Perhaps I could have, but it lies in the county landfill now, with the others I lost to buffing accidents. They were pretty cheap and I have several to work with still. I'd rather just start over.

[Desertlifter]

OK, here's the latest installment of the pimped out clays:

http://i.imgur.com/MuccF23.jpg

It took several coats of blue dye, as the clay just soaks it up like a sponge. It's a little uneven as the clay didn't absorb it uniformly, but that adds character :) Then I buffed it with carnuba to seal it and give it a little sheen.

And the white tip is heat shrink tubing - seems to adhere nicely, and I can hold it better with my teeth. Haven't smoked anything in it yet.

I also tried dying one red, but that was just ugly. It came out looking like a rather anatomical pink. So I tried overcoating it with yellow to see if it would get orange. It didn't. It just looked mottled. So that one was relegated to the dustbin.

Well done here - this looks sharp.

[Bruck]

Well done here - this looks sharp.

Tnx vm. Currently working on a green one and a gray one. Will post pix if they come out halfway decent :O

[Bruck]

Here's the green one:

http://i.imgur.com/72GEHJD.jpg

I'm pretty R/G colorblind, and particularly bad at greens (don't ever drive with me at night). The first rendition of this, my wife, who is a graphic artist/designer among other things, referred to as "snot green." So I cooled it off with some blue dye to produce the color you people see here. Mrs. Bruck says it looks okay now. Just looks like grass green to me :)