return of the smoke pipe: the sequel

Once again, for the rebuilding... like a phoenix from the ashes (literally)...

The smoke pipe returns!  Taller and better!

I've made some improvements since the original.  The parts were sitting around for awhile and we are planning on using it on a couple of upcoming dinners, so I had to stop procrastinating the reconstruction.  The inside and outside of the fan housing were painted with 3 coats of BBQ pit paint for a little heat resistance.  I then put a layer of aluminum tape wherever possible inside the housing (this is the danger area for heat).  It's true that I cannot make it heat proof, but I can add some heat resistance.  There is an added length of tubing added between the bowl and the fan housing which allows for significant reduction of heat inside the housing below.

The bowl tube fits within another plastic insulator tube (glued on with gorilla glue and more aluminum tape) and can slide in or out.  The rubber band 'closes' the air gap for vacuum suction below when it sits on top of the tube from the weight of the pipe bowl.

Here it is packed for travel.

The smoking gun from Polyscience costs about $50 before shipping, and my parts cost about $30 ($20 for the vacuum and $10 for a cheap pipe at a head shop).  Not much savings considering what you get... this is the "Beverly Hillbillies" car of smoke pipes.  It's still not good for big groups or extended use, but I can work within it's limitations.  I don't want to do 20 plates with smoke under glass anyway.  Grant Achatz has a great way (cut to about 2:20 minutes into the video) to get the same affect with no gun and using the perfume of burning leaves.  Building my gun was fun, though.

I'm using it tomorrow in a demo for our 5 new Korean interns, and as a joke on another dinner.

Comments

[Jim]

What about putting a superheated rock or metal ingot under the plate and dish and sprinkling wood powder or sawdust onto it? You could keep dozens of them in a superhot oven (maybe under a salamander?) and use them as the dish is ordered. You'd just have to design a stand or covering so the customer doesn't touch the metal/rock.

[sygyzy]

I believe you can't even buy the Smoking Gun from Polyscience anymore. They pulled it because of a major defect.