Joseph Wourms - A Day in the Life

Joseph Wourms sits in his bachelor apartment holding a custom-made pipe. Wourms moved from B.C. to P.E.I last March, and has a passion for woodworking. Photo by Daniel Brown.         

By Daniel Brown
December 9, 2016           
             Joseph Wourms dug through his bachelor apartment. He was trying to find his homemade pipe.

            “I don’t think I’ve had it out since I came back from B.C.”

            He looked in one of the pockets of his backpack, and there it was. He took it out and started caressing it. It was a dark, reddish colour, with a curved stem.

I asked how he made it.

            When Wourms lived in British Columbia, his friend helped him make it.

            Wourms started with a block of briarwood, which was ordered online from Vermont. He drew out a pattern of where to cut.

            He carved the shape of the pipe, and then used a dremel tool to round it. He used a drill press to make both holes – one for the tobacco and a narrow one that would connect to the stem.

            Wourms sanded it until it was smooth. He then mixed a red powder with alcohol and rubbed it on the pipe, for the stain.

            Then he set it on fire.

            “It burns off all the alcohol, then all you’re left with is the stain. It’s instantly dry.”

            Wourms’ friend had a collection of acrylic stems, so he chose the one he thought looked best.

The stem was originally straight, but he stuck a pipe cleaner through it, then held it over a toaster. Once it was warm enough, he molded it to have a bit of a curve, and then held it like that until it cooled off.

He chuckled.

“Then you gotta smoke it a bit.”

Wourms, 24, had just returned from visiting his family in B.C. He was born there, and while he moved around a bit, his family returned to live there when he was older.

He has four sisters and three brothers, most of which were homeschooled. They were raised in a strong Catholic household.

During his upbringing, he delved into computer programing and graphic design. He found fulfilment in creating things.

“I see that as kind of innate in humanity. It’s the desire to create. It comes from being created in the image of God. You know, we want to participate in that creative character.”

He doesn’t remember how he got into woodworking.

“I guess just wanting to build things in the real world.”

When Wourms finished his education, he didn’t have any specific plans.

“Most of my life has just been day by day. Like, ‘Oh, this is what I’m going to do now. Oh, now I’m going to do this now.’ There hasn’t been much of a plan up until like a year ago.”

Wourms ended up spending two years with NET Ministries of Canada, allowing him to travel around the country. On his second year, he met Jessica Pierlot from P.E.I.

After finishing NET, Wourms returned to B.C., but the two started dating long distance. Last March, Wourms decided to make the jump across Canada to live near Pierlot.

He lives in a one-bedroom apartment in Charlottetown. He has a small workbench set up, and built a lot of his furniture, including a single bed that folds into a coffee table.

He proposed to Pierlot in October. She said yes.

Wourms is focusing on learning more in computer coding, hoping he can make a career of it. He also plans to do woodworking on the side.

He may start making custom-made pipes for people, as there aren’t other options for that on P.E.I.
         “There might be a market for that.”