Custom, Hand Made Funnel Bowls

[fifthmanstanding]

Hi all,

I just want to throw something out there and see what the general interest is. I'm currently in my 4th year of study for my Metal Design and Jewelry degree and I've taken a great love to hookahs in the past 6 months. In finding your forum I lurked around for a month or so and saw that you guys spend a great deal of money on everything under the sun for your hookahs, so I figured maybe a few of you would be interested in my idea.

I'd like to start (on a small scale for now) forming and fabricating hookah bowls for any size specification. So far I've made two and I'm very, very confident about my skill and craftsmanship for this type of product, especially since the last two have turned out well. The first one I made about a week ago and was dubbed the 'party bowl' by some friends as it holds a third of a cup of shisha lol. It smokes like a champ. I made a smaller one yesterday. I decided to make both of them funnel bowls. I'm trying to get photos of them up shortly, but my camera phone is being difficult and my digital camera is non-functional at the moment.

I'm interested in your responses on the matter. Keep in mind these bowls should be 100% custom, however you like it, provided we discuss the details of the design. I also have kilns and metal enamel for sealing and coloring the bowls however you'd like. I can also do initials or lettering, Champ-Leve, Bas Taille and cloisonne techniques.

examples of cloisonne:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloisonn%C3%A9

and bas taille:
an indention or patten is made in the base metal and filled with a dark enamel and then fired, covered with a transparent enamel and fired again. The result is that the darker colors show through the transparent colors and make it 'pop'.


If you have any questions, or crazy cool project ideas send me a message.


I also work in jewelry so any of those 'hookah charms' you see I could also make if any of you are interested.

looking forward to working with you guys.

[EternalSoil]

that's a really good idea.

however i can see them costing more but having a really personal feel.

getting your name and designs or something on there.

and the custom size would be good too!

Good luck man!

[Cybersist]

id type a para. bout how cool ur idea is... but im on a wii

[fifthmanstanding]

Yeah I'm working on some champleve bowls now, they're going well. I'm going to get some photos up soon so you guys can see some of my work with them.


And I don't want to give the wrong idea, if someone wants a simple brass bowl I can do that too. I want to do a project centered around what you want, what YOU want because I always feel that we're only allowed 3-5 options and you have to choose one and be happy. So I really want to make this a personal thing, it's not all about money all the time. If you want a brass bowl or you want some elaborate crazy enameled cloisonne portrait of your mother, it's up to you. lo

[EternalSoil]

do you do ceramic?

and if so could a ceramic screen be made?

[MechAnt]

Be careful with recreating Phunnels and the like. It's wholly possible Eric has a patent on them right now.

Ceramic screens would be amazing though! Check out Scoop's post on it.

[fifthmanstanding]

patent? really? I figured they were like some kind of old arabic normalcy of hookah paraphernalia. How bout that. Is he a forum member I can talk to?

from what I can tell from scoops post on the ceramic screen. In essence, yes I can do it, the reason I say this is because ceramic when glazed utilize colored glass to make the colors and texture of ceramic glazes (granted the ceramic has very special heat absorbtion characteristics) these glazes are the same thing that's used on different base metals that smiths refer to as 'enamels', they're literally the same, so an enameled metal would look the same as glazed ceramic essentially. but my thoughts on this would be that yes, could utilize a few things in my metals repertoire and produce the same thing: an enameled screen cut to fit the size of the bowl of your choice.

pm me if you'd like to discuss this further. I don't want to dig myself a hole with promises before I get a prototype going on one of my own bowl but I'm confident I could do it. Gimme a few days and I'll see if I can get some photos up. Edited June 8, 2008 by fifthmanstanding

[SimplexCoda]

Phunnel bowls are by no means old style of hookah accessory. Im sure he does have a patent on them.

[fifthmanstanding]

hmm I'd really liike to talk to him about that, because granted it's not EXACTLY a phunnel bowl, what I made in the shop is essentially a U shaped bowl with brass tubing forged to a taper, eutectic soldered to the inside of the bowl, and then that whole until eutectic soldered to a brass pipe, which I mean, you can't patent the making of a bowl, the making of pipes and forging of pipes, and also they'll never be exactly the same as his simply because it's metal. But even a simple change in design could achieve the same results and still not infringe on his patent. Granted I wouldn't want to hurt this man's business or cause him a problem, but I'm sure I present little threat considering I'd never make a killing off these anyway. I'd still like to talk to him, is he a forum member?

[chromecarz00]

I would definetly be in on this. Eric is the person who owns tangiers; his number is 619-265-2225.

[chromecarz00]

He is a forum member as well

[fifthmanstanding]

I would definetly be in on this. Eric is the person who owns tangiers; his number is 619-265-2225.

be in on this?

And even still, if funnel bowls are a problem, cuz I'm not sure my design qualifies verbatim as a 'funnel bowl', I can still make egyptian style bowls w/ no issues.


I ah...hope. Edited June 8, 2008 by fifthmanstanding

[chromecarz00]

As in I would buy from you. Especially if you do custom colors/styles.

[MechAnt]

Porcelain bowl and Porcelain screen would earn you a customer from me in a heart beat. Of course, it has to be a toilet shaped bowl with a screen that looks like a "filled" toilet..... Hahaha, if you use the type of porcelain that Corelle uses (the durable one) I would jump on it in a second!

[Big Boss]

You don't use chromium in your glazes, do you? Or perhaps potassium bichromate?

[vaypourus]

Have you thought of making a custom vase?

[cb1021]

sickkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

[fifthmanstanding]

You don't use chromium in your glazes, do you? Or perhaps potassium bichromate?

it's all glass bro, just glass, now as far as coloring I dunno, I emailed my master enamelist professor, but I'm waiting for her to get back from florence to correspond. I can update you in a week or so on this, but I highly doubt it's anything beyond basic colored glass like I was tought it was.

and as far as vases go, yeah I can raise a vessel that can hold your stem, which is a very subjective thing, raising a vessel from a sheet that is, but it's a very intensive thing. Correspond with me on it if you have any ideas.

what I really want this project to be is a challenge of my creativity and problem solving skills that yields really kick ass results and stuff I can be proud of, call me wierd but I really get off on making cool stuff. Edited June 8, 2008 by fifthmanstanding

[fifthmanstanding]

ok so my pm inbox is filling up. If you have any ideas/questions or anything and wanna talk about it, hit me up at pirateinthestates@gmail.com

[Johnny_D]

Just out of interest, I'm told that Funnel bowls have been around for some time.... in one guise or another.

I just can't find anything to confirm this

[fifthmanstanding]

I've pm'd eric and hope to open discussions with him about it. If you find any evidence to support that, by all means let me know. Thanks.

[Johnny_D]

I've pm'd eric and hope to open discussions with him about it. If you find any evidence to support that, by all means let me know. Thanks.

Eric's attendance is very sprodaic. I would not guarantee a reponse as he's up to his neck in tobacco and Juicy goodness.

May I suggest that you phone him?

[Snoopy1966]

I wish I still worked at the Metal Fab shop were I worked until I got injured on the job. I have so many things that I want to make and could have.... Powder coat paint (not for the bowl of course)and the whole nine yards. Custom Laser work for any design for backgrounds to put in windows, make your names into key chains, bottle openers that look like a shark, whatever you can think of. Sounds pretty cool about the bowl, I wanna see some pics of your invention. I would buy one from you if all works out.

[fifthmanstanding]

After talking with a few of you I've gotten a general idea on something. What about a bowl with a mechanism that would hold a scalli type of mod but is interchangeable, so say you wanted to put the mod in or take the mod out it's up to you, like a snap in snap out part. What you guys think?

another thing of note, I forgot to mention I also work in silver, fine or sterling. If anyone is interested in a smithed silver bowl I would love to talk to you, as enamel and silver look beautiful together. We can discuss pricing and design and what not, but I'd love to have the opportunity to make one. Edited June 8, 2008 by fifthmanstanding

[Big Boss]

I highly doubt it's anything beyond basic colored glass like I was tought it was.

A glaze is just that, colored glass. Chemicals are used to change the color of the glass. I cannot support nor condone this endeavor until you are aware of the chemicals you use in your glazes.