Q: I want to make some clay pipes for smoking. What clays are
best for resisting heat? How do you get that long tunnel to go down
the stem? And how do you sculpt on them without mashing them up?

A: The traditional clay pipe, the "churchwarden", is cast from
a white earthenware clay. It is not glazed, and is fired at a
low enough temperature to retain its porosity. While not very
durable, they are supposed to smoke very well, and are cheap
enough to replace when broken or clogged. Most clay bodies will
work for making pipes, though- I believe those elaborate Bavarian
pipes with metal lids are made from glazed stoneware. I'd say any
clay that can withstand firing can deal with the gentle heat that
slow-burning tobacco generates, but non-vitrified clays in general
withstand heat-shock better. If you do have a problem with pipes
cracking when used, you might increase the proportion of fireclay
in the body, or add talc.

If you are going to cast them, you don't have to worry about
hollowness- the slip leaves a void when you pour it out of the mold.
The trick is to get a layer built up which is not so thick as to close up
your "tunnel". If you are hand-building them, you can form the stem
around a metal rod. Try a little water lubrication on the rod before
extracting it.

If you're having difficulty in sculpting the wet clay, try leaving it to dry
a bit after you form the major masses, then burnishing the surface with
smooth modeling tools. I made a lot of elaborate pipes using one of those
aluminum pipe-tamping and scraping tools to model the surfaces. If you let
the clay dry to a "leather-hard" state, you can carve it with sharp tools. If
you don't get along with clay, you can make your original out of something
else- wood, soapstone, even soap- and then take your mold from that.

Andrew Werby


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