Smoker

I toyed with the idea of trying to build a smoker using an old coffee pot as the base and a tin can to make the nozzle. I could find an old leather purse at the thrift store and cut it up. That leather plus some wood scraps and a spring could be made into a bellows... BAH.

I'm pretty handy but I've learned to recognize a project that is just going to be ridden with angst. If this sounds like the kind of project you'd enjoy, a few others have tried it and you can find some of their projects here, and here.

As for me, that just sounds like a good way to end up with no skin on my knuckles and a bunch of time lost. So I decided the small sum in my PayPal account would be best spent on a smoker.

Here's what I learned:
-I try to buy used whenever I can, but Craigslist for my local area has absolutely no beekeeping supplies. Check in your area.
-prices seem to be pretty standard across the beekeeping supply companies. If there is a discount supplier offering crazy-awesome deals, I haven't found it.
-shop shipping charges. For example, I initially checked with Brushy Mountain and found that they only ship with UPS, which is considerably higher than USPS (they also do not accept PayPal). I eventually ended up ordering from Mann Lake (which does accept PayPal) where they have several shipping options to choose from. They also offer free shipping on orders over $100. So if your PayPal account is healthier than mine and you have several things to buy, this is a good place to check.

My smoker arrived in good time and I used the complimentary pellets to try it out. They make excellent smoke, but you know me...
I stopped along the road where some pine trees grow and filled up a cardboard box with the dry needles on the ground under the trees. They also make great smoke and you can't beat the price with a (pine) stick.