How to Make a Simple Dugout

January 17, 2020 Handheld Pipes

Dugouts are great portable tools to keep your one-hitter and herbs in one place. Imagine holding a block of wood that helps you organize your smoking practice.

Materials

These are the tools and materials that you need to use when you’re making a dugout. Some are optional, while others are necessary. We do encourage you to practice safe crafting by using safety gear and be careful with using sharp tools. You’ll be needing:

Safety gear (e.g. goggles, earmuffs, and gloves)
Vice or grip to hold your block of wood for carving
Table or handsaw
Speed square or straight-edge rulers
Drill
Drill bits, which can be 3/4 or 1” in diameter, depending on the size of your one-hitter.
Chisel
Files and sandpaper
Finishing nail and hammer
Wood, preferably ones used for making smoking pipes like beech, mahogany, rosewood, and maple. Depending on the size and thickness of your dugout, it’s usually a 4-inch square block.

How to make a dugout

Cut the block of wood in half using a table saw or hand saw. If you’re using a hand saw, a clamp or vice can help you keep the block steady. Put the other half aside. You can use it to make another dugout.
You can leave the block as it is, or shape it so that the edges curve for a comfortable grip.
Note the longest side of the wood. Take out 1/2 inch from there to set the top and bottom.
Draw the shape of the holes on the narrow top of the wood. One hole should be slightly bigger than your one-hitter to make it easy to insert and remove. The other compartment should be wider. Leave at least 2-3 millimeters of wall thickness for each hole. Make the wall separating the two compartments thick. You’ll be hammering a nail on this section for the lid.
Measure the hole you’re going to bore with your drill bit, giving a quarter of an inch clearance at the bottom. Mark the drill bit with masking tape and use it as your guide.
Drill the necessary holes. You can use the same drill to bore multiple holes to hollow the herb chamber. Use the small chisel and file to take out excess wood and improve the shape of the chambers.
Attach the lid to the box by nailing it on the separating wall.
Use sandpaper to smoothen the edges.

You can shape the dugout depending on what you want. You can add notches at the top to make it easy for you to twist the top open. If you’re feeling slightly adventurous about your wood carving skills, you can make a sliding cover instead. Several finger grip groves at the side will also make holding your dugout comfortable.

What can I use with my DIY dugout?

Making your own dugout gives you the freedom to use different one-hitters. Take for example this beautiful 3” Clear Rasta One-Hitter. It’s slightly thicker and rounder compared to the RYOT Aluminum Metal Cigarette One-Hitter. You can customize its shape and size depending on the kind of one-hitter that you have.

Other one-hitters that you may want to look into include:

Green Swirl Wide Mouth One-Hitter 2.5″

If you want something wider for a better grip and use, this is a great piece to start with. The green swirling glass gives it a beautiful accent and a touch of class. The flat mouthpiece makes it easy to use. It’s a one-hitter that will give you big, smooth hits in a tiny package.

Multi-Color Twist Boro Glass One-Hitter 4”

This one-hitter is 4” long, which means it can be hard to find a dugout that can fit it inside. It’s also got a wide globular mouthpiece that will be difficult to insert inside a regular dugout. However, colorful patters make it an exiting one-hitter, and a good option if you’re tired of the cigarette-themed or monotone one-hitters. It does defeat the purpose of stealth and discreetness, but it can make smoking fun.

Round Glass One-Hitter 3.5”

Another stylish one-hitter that has a sleek and elegant look. The twisting, curving body bends light, creating prisms of color within the pipe. It’s just the right length for a strong hit that you’re looking for.

There are many on-hitter options that you can have with your own customized dugout. If you’re looking for other one-hitters, click here now and have a look at our pipe collection!

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