First you will need to get all your materials and tools together. Here’s a list of what you will need. I’ve included a picture for easier understanding.
1. Dry Coconut
2. ½” hydraulic/high pressure hose (7 to 8 inches long)
3. 3/8” clear flexible tube (max. 24 inches long)
4. Flat head screwdriver (Would help if you could grind the tip to a blade)
5. Sharp knife (preferably with a point – South African ratchet maybe?)
6. Sand Paper (Grades 400 & 120 are good choices)
7. Clay Kutchie (You may have to buy this.. unless you’re a potter)
All the dimensions I’m about to give in this article are all very variable, and highly dependent on the size of your coconut. Typically you don’t want a big nut that’ll need 8 gallons of water to fill, but a comfortable nut that fits nicely into your hand. A good nut will cross-section about 3 inches wide and 3 to 4 inches long.
Preparing The Cup
First you will need to empty the water from the coconut. It's highly nutritious so you may want to drink it. This also gives you a closer connection with your chalice - it's cosmic! The chalice is a holistic instrument and I think everyone who hopes to use one should have that pride within them to want to make it themselves. So now, on to real work.
There are three ‘holes’ on the top of every coconut. These are arranged in a manner that would resemble the human face. The hole which would represent the mouth is always the weakest. Use the knife to carefully punch a hole in the ‘mouth’. Be careful not to let the knife slip right through and ruin the nut. After breaking the shell, you may need to make your way through the hardened fruit. Have you got a hole? Drink away…
Hopefully you haven’t tossed the coconut after drinking. Use the knife to create a hole in the top of the coconut for accommodating the stem. The chalice is supposed to be air tight, so the hole must be a bit smaller than the hose’s outside diameter to give it a snug fit. (If not, you may need to patch it with a mixture of small wood chips and wood/furniture glue) Be careful when making this hole, as I mentioned, this section of the coconut is the weakest. Be sure not to crack the nut or create unwanted blotches or holes. After you’ve made the hole, use the sand paper to strengthen the circumfrence. Do not sand excessively, this will widen the hole, and increase the need for patches. You’ll now need to use the screw driver to remove the hardened fruit from inside the nut. This requires great patience and care so the cup isn’t ruined by accidental slips. The screwdriver is a good tool because the rounded stem it has won’t damage the hole in the nut as you leverage to pry out the fruit. Remove all the fruit and put the nut to dry outdoors for about 15 to 20 minutes. You may now sand the cup to perfection. If you are able, use a finger (or two… work that brain!) to sand the inside of the cup; this should give it longer life.
There are two more holes you'll need to add to your cup. The first is for the 3/8” tube. Make the hole as small as you can to get the hose fitting tightly through it. There is no set specification as to where the holes should be, but you may want to keep towards the upper end of the nut so the water (when in use) doesn’t get to the hose when you’re inhaling. The second hole is the "steam" hole. A small hole about ¼ inch in diameter to release smoke from the chalice when sipping.
Preparing The Stem
Depending on the kind of hose you got for the stem of the chalice, you may need to make some adjustments. Typically you want the outside diameter of the stem to be just about ¾ of an inch. (Note you may also use bamboo for making the stem – but for first-timers, I would recommend you use the hose. It’ll be easier to adapt the Kutchie) You won’t need the full 7 inches, but the stem should be long enough to go down into the nut and leave a space ranging from a ¼ to a ½ of an inch at the bottom of the nut. A protrusion from the nut of about 2 inches is good. So make your measurements against the outside of the nut and modify the hose to suit your needs.
Assembly
Cup completed, stem cut to size, flex-tube in hand… good. Now just fit the pieces together as shown in the picture (top right).. I-ration! It would be good if you let the assembled chalice lay in the sun for a short period, let it absorb the energies of Creation.
Block a reverence and bless the chalice everytime before you use it. Maybe someday I’ll write an article on how to use it, but until then... you can either... admire your brand new, self-made, paper weight; or… let that brain work!
“Nuh bother ban it I-man coconut chalice, this, must haffi blaze it, must haffi blaze it.”
One Perfect Love Sekou-Ajene Tafari © 2007
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