- 1). Drill a ¼-inch hole in the center of the bowl shaft. Do not drill all the way to the bottom. Do not let the drill bit come through the pipestone.
- 2). Drill another ¼-inch hole through stem from the back. Drill until this hole meets the one you drilled through the pipe bowl shaft at a 90-degree angle.
- 3). Widen the pipe bowl with a 3/8-inch drill bit. Stop 1/2 inch before the end of the ¼-inch hole. Widen the stem shaft hole to 3/8 inches all the way to the pipe bowl shaft hole.
- 4). Further widen the pipe stem hole with a cone-shaped rotary file. Stop before you get to the bottom of the 3/8-inch portion of that hole.
- 5). File four diagonal grooves where the pipe bowl meets the stem. Make two grooves on each side of the bowl that angle downward toward each other at 45-degree angles.
- 6). Sculpt the pipe into the shape you want using the rough side of a farrier file. Make it round and of the same thickness throughout, although some people taper the front end. Ensure the pipe bowl is at a 90-degree angle to the stem and that you have flat ends. You will probably remove a lot of stone in this step.
- 7). Create a smooth surface on the pipe with the fine side of the file. Smooth out any rough areas and gouges. You should not be removing much stone for this step.
- 8). Dry sand the pipe starting with 100-grit sandpaper. Sand again with 150-grit sandpaper. Repeat with 220-grit sandpaper.
- 9). Wet sand the pipe with a small piece of 400-grit wet and dry sandpaper. Wet the pipe and the sandpaper in a small pan of water and keep it very wet during the polishing. Optionally you can give the pipe an even smoother surface by wet-sanding with successively finer wet and dry sandpaper.
- 10
Heat the pipe in a pan on the stove. Turn the heat to medium and leave the pipe in the pan for about 20 minutes. Remove it when it is hot enough to melt beeswax. - 11
Cover your hand in a cloth rag to hold the pipe. Melt beeswax over the whole surface of the pipe. Rub it in with the rag and let the pipe cool. - 12
Remove any excess wax with an old credit card or your fingernail. Rub the pipe with a clean, soft cloth to shine it. Insert a wooden pipe stem and add any ornamentation you desire.
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