I've never done that. I just wipe a new bowl or one of a severely reamed used one with a light coating of honey. I've never had a problem developing an even cake.
Motie2,, I respect yo greatly, and pray about y our health issues, HOwever, I have several. “the pipe” that break all the rules and I love them,, cool clean smokes, almost to the bottom
There is a small antique store located along highway 195 in Eastern Washington that I have driven past many times on my way to job sites or family functions but never had the opportunity to stop. This past week I had little spare time on my way home and took the opportunity to stop in. Sitting on a table by the door were the only two pipes in the shop: a matching pair of white billiards – one bent and one straight – both in good exterior condition. Both pipes, and the stand they were on, came as a set and the price was such that I could not pass them up – I would have paid list price for just the stand. I knew nothing about the name stamped on the shank– the pipe – but I thought I would take the chance…. What could go wrong?
Once home, I was able to do a more thorough review of their condition. Both pipes were in about the same condition, the rims were covered with a heavy crust of lava and the bowls had a nice thick cake built up on the sides. And they both had a strong smell of aromatic tobacco. The outside of the both bowls were in very good condition considering the painted finish; no worn spots, dents or discolorations. The straight billiard has a very small chip in the rim and had two pin-point sized flaws in the paint but the paint on the bent was flawless.The stems are nylon and had some tooth dents around the button. The dents were deep but not to the point of needing filled. Both airways were clear, but were restricted with a thick layer of tar. Removing the stem revealed an o-ring set in a groove in the tenon. Looking into the shank I saw no briar only plastic. Even more intrigued now, I searched for the pipe on-line and I found the following on Pipedia:
In 1963, Super-Temp Corporation began making plastic pipes with pyrolytic graphite bowl liners. They were called the pipe. In 1965, Super-Temp contracted to market their unique pipes through Venturi, Inc., the company which sold Tar Gard cigarette filters. Colors and stripes began to be offered circa 1967. About 1970, THE SMOKE pipes were added to the line – they were non-traditional shapes with a less expensive bowl liner. Venturi pipes were added around 1972 – they had no liner in the bowls at all. The pipes were out of production by 1975.
Plastic pipes? Pyrolytic graphite bowl liners? Granted, I missed out on the 1960’s, but I did get to live through the aftermath and I remember the cultural fascination with space-age materials as they tried to find a place in our daily lives… but I had no idea they made space-age pipes. An ad in the December 1967 issue of Esquire, captures this fascination. I felt that I needed to do a little more research and found that the pipe has a small following of dedicated fans. I eventually came across a web site authored by Billie W. Taylor II, PhD that is dedicated to the history and novelty of these pipes. He has amassed what could easily be called the definitive work on the pipe: http://www.thepipe.info/sitemap.html
While there is no way I could (or would) share all the information in Dr. Taylor’s website, there are a couple of things I think worth sharing. The first is the pipe’s unique anatomy. The body is made of compression molded Bakelite stummel with a graphite bowl insert. There is an insulating air gap between the bowl insert and the bowl body.Pyrolytic graphite has been manufactured since the 1950s and is used as heat shields in rockets and reactors, it being an excellent conductor of heat. As the story goes, in 1963, a machinist at Super-Temp was machining graphite rods into cups to be used in the nuclear power industry. Being an avid pipe smoker and seeing the cups were about the size of his pipe, he made one that fit into the bowl of his pipe. Finding that is smoked well, he took the idea to his management and the pipe was born.
Early stems for the pipe were made of nylon while many stems made after the first year were made of Bakelite – addressing complaints that the nylon was too soft. The tenon has an o-ring set in a groove to ensure a seal between stem and stummel. Although it was originally offered only in black, in 1967 the pipe came in nine different shapes and offered in standard red, green, blue and white. The pre 1970’s pipes were coated with a two-part epoxy paint while those after 1970 used an acrylic paint. Additional colors and color schemes were offered throughout the life of the brand but some of the ‘unique’ colors were the result of fading of the acrylic paint.
Other than stem material, I did not have much to go on to date these two pipes. But because both stems are nylon I will estimate that they were early runs and date to the mid-1960’s.
After what I read, I assumed that the typical briar pipe restoration techniques would apply. I was worried about damaging the graphite liner and not sure what chemicals might do to it. I also assumed that the bowls should not be scraped or sanded. Since both of the pipes I had bought had nylon stems, using alcohol on them was out. I kept researching and found a 1969 magazine ad that gave me an idea: Putting the pipes in my wife’s dishwasher was out of the question… I didn’t even ask! Additional reading through thepipe.info website I found a cleaning guide that began with a soak in warm water with a small amount of mild dish soap. This began to loosen the hardened tars and lava.
I used the paper stick of a cotton swab, cut at an angle, to remove much of the buildup in the corners of the mortise and the airway. The remainder of the buildup required half a dozen soaks in soapy water and a lot of cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. I finally got the internals cleaned and in the end I didn’t use anything more abrasive than a paper towel. The shank still had the ghosts of the old tobacco. So I went back with an alcohol soaked cotton swab and wiped down the inside of the shank again. Surprise, surprise, it came out dirty. Nothing seems to cut though the old tobacco oils and residue like alcohol.
I also soaked the stems in warm soapy water. Using a small nylon bottle brush I was able to soak and scrub repeatedly until the bulk of the crud was removed. I continued on with bristled pipe cleaners but even after the pipe cleaners came out clean I could still smell the old tobacco smell. I could not figure out where it was coming from until I removed the o-rings. I didn’t think about this at right away, but of course there was a lot of build-up in the grooves. To raise the tooth dents, I placed the stems in some near boiling water. I have tried to use direct flame or a heat gun in the past but have found them to be too hot and they melt the nylon. The hot water did raise the dents some but it also straightened the stem of the bent pipe. Another dip in hot water and molding the stem over a large diameter dowel restored the stem’s shape. No pictures of this…. I am afraid that both hands were busy.
To completely remove the tooth marks I needed to sand them with 220 grit paper. I removed the deeper scratches of the 220 grit with 500 grit and 1000 grit paper. I finished up the stems by wet sanding with 1500 – 2400 micro mesh pads. The nylon is soft and the scratches hard to remove. Several times I had to drop back to a courser pad to remove a stubborn scratch. I finished polishing with the 3200 – 12000 pads and a light amount of mineral oil. I took the pipes to the buffing station and used red diamond on the stems only, – I didn’t want to risk damaging the paint with even a light abrasive. Dr. Taylor’s website suggested auto wax as a finish but I opted for the more traditional three coats of carnauba wax over all.
The end of the pipe of occurred in about 1975 with complications of corporate business plans and a lack of following. Estimates say that approximately three million units were sold during the ten year life of the pipe. My own inexpert opinion, nothing will ever truly compete with briar for a good smoke. This is the best pictures I got of the graphite bowl liners. This entry was posted in Pipe Refurbishing Essays and tagged Aaron Henson article, article by Aaron Henson, Dremel and sanding drum, polishing nylon stems with micromesh pads, Pyrolitic Graphite Pipes, raising tooth dents with boiling water, restoring a pyrolitic graphite pipe, Scrubbing a pyrolitic graphite bowl, Space Age Pipes of Graphite, The pipe on October 16, 2016 by rebornpipes.
Everclear is non-toxic, unlike isopropyl/rubbing alcohol. I've used both letting any residue evaporate before smoking. Be careful not to get alcohol on a fine pipe's finish.
I have many ‘Pipes’. There are as favored as my cobs....there should never be a cake buildup in them,,, that is why they smoke so clean and cool... I can switch tobacco’s from aromatics to anything else, and no carry over....I really can’t find anything to complain about with them, except they are getting harder to find,
A couple of my pipes are starting to get a little funky. I run a pipe cleaner through it after every smoke but I guess all the smoking I've been doing has finally caught up to them. I've read this entire post through and just want to get some opinions on my plan for cleaning this weekend.... I'm thinking I will start off with @PappyJoe idea about coffee grounds (always have a good supply of those in my house) then a good cleaning with some liquor.... My question is which do you think would be best. I have Captain Morgan Cannon Blast rum, Irishman whiskey, Tullamore Dew whiskey, and Johnny Walker. Thats all I have available and now money to get anything else so I wanted opinions on what I should use. Thanks for the help.
Always wait until the pipe is cool before removing the bit and cleaning the pipe to
avoid breaking the tenon, bit or shank. Gently remove the bit, holding the stummel (the
bowl and shank) firmly in one hand, and steadily turning the bit until the tenon is clear.
In some cases, the bit may be so tight it will not turn. If that happens, try the same
disassembly method above, but instead rotate the stummel. If you still cannot remove the stem from the stummel, put the whole thing in the freezer for an hour. Then try. Never known to fail.
Standard (soft), bristled, extra fluffy and churchwarden pipe cleaners are
among the few absolute necessities for pipe care. They are vital for regular
removal of moisture and other accretions from the pipe stem as well as the
inner shank and start at about $2 for a pack of 35. Walgreen’s sells three-
packs at a great savings but might only have the bristled kind. As always,
tobacconists are the best bet. Use regular cleaners on most pipes, which have large
enough airways in the bits to fit the soft cleaner, in particular when soaked with alcohol
for periodic deeper cleaning. Also, moisture and detritus in the shank all the way to the
draught hole at the bottom of the chamber are absorbed better by the regular or extra
fluffy cleaners, and the wire from the bristled variety can wear grooves in the bottoms of
meerschaum and clay chambers in particular. That said, there are exceptions to almost
every rule and times when a fluffy cleaner just won’t fit through the bit or shank. And
so, keep some bristly cleaners on hand for those situations!
A paper towel is good to clean the chambers of all pipes so as not to remove the desired
1mm of uniform cake. These steps can be done every time the pipe is used, but should
not be avoided, on average, more than every two or three times the pipe is enjoyed.
==========
Any high alcohol content will do as a solvent. (I use high proof rum, myself)Avoid isopropyl, as it's toxic. Watch out that alcohol doesn't damage the outside finish. Then, if all else fails to exorcise the funk:
It’s not something I invented but something I was learned from
some older than me pipe smokers 20 or 30 years ago. Its an
alternative to packing your bowl with rock salt and filling it with
grain alcohol. Instead, you pack the bowl of the pipe you are
cleaning with damp used coffee grounds and let it sit for 24
hours. “The PappyJoe (no joy) part is that I found that a used K-
cup of unflavored coffee will fill most bowls with just a little left over.)
Not sure about the science behind it, but the theory is that the
acid in the coffee ground will soften the cake and then the coffee
will absorb the ghost of the old tobacco. It is double effective at
sweetening a pipe if you do the salt/alcohol treatment first and
then the coffee treatment. After 24 hours, you dump the grounds
and wipe out the bowl. I also rinse out the bowl with running tap
water and then let it dry for 24 hours. (Briar is wood. It won’t
absorb the running water and it won’t hurt the pipe as long as you are not soaking the pipe in it.)
I have used the coffee grounds in meerschaum pipes also but
skip the water rinse.
As @motie2 said, "Any high alcohol content will do as a solvent. (I use high proof rum, myself)Avoid isopropyl, as it's toxic. Watch out that alcohol doesn't damage the outside finish." And he is correct. However, there are a number of pipe restorer's I know including some who does restoration work as a full time job, who do use 91% isopropyl alcohol (or higher) to clean pipes. They also rinse the pipe thoroughly after the cleaning which removes any of the isopropyl residue.
Now, here's what I've found, be extremely careful that you don't get the high proof grain alcohol or isopropyl on the outside of the pipe. It will damage the finish if it is in contact too long. If you want to completely remove the finish, it doesn't hurt to soak the pipes for 24 hours in the alcohol.
@Michael308 Also, when using alcohol ~80+? especially (lower proof can do it also) be careful of acrylic stems, it will turn them white and soften them enough to leave finger prints. Also when/if soaking stems (any kind) in alcohol, be careful of any logos/inlays that can “melt”/distort/fall out. I soaked a particularly nasty Bakelite stem for too long and destroyed it. Luckily it was pretty thrashed anyway. Actually, it was the original stem for the Yello-Bole that I posted a few days ago in (pipe refinishing).....hence the new yellow swirl acrylic stem.
I don't recommend soaking the stems - acrylic or vulcanite - in alcohol. My method is to soak the stems in a solution of 2 tablespoon of Oxyclean in one quart of hot water. Time is variable but I do a minimum of one hour up to as much as 3 hours. This will bring the oxidation to the surface for removal and It hasn't damaged any logos on the stems that I've noticed.
That being said, if you are worried about the logo or stamping, cover it with a small piece of tape before soaking and sanding.
I use an alcohol stem soak as a sterilization/cleaning step. Followed by an alcohol retort sterilization/cleaning step, then a few hours in an ozone chamber for more sterilization and “exercising of ghosts”. Now that is for “nasty” “estate” pipes, no need to “deep clean” any of my own once they have been through the initial restoration cleaning. Just a quick swab with alcohol for vulcanite stems and a more mild “pipe sweetener” for acrylic stems.
Comments
@KenofAhwlby
Space Age Technology for a Better Smoke? PART ONE
https://rebornpipes.com/2016/10/16/space-age-technology-for-a-better-smoke/
Blog by Aaron Henson
There is a small antique store located along highway 195 in Eastern Washington that I have driven past many times on my way to job sites or family functions but never had the opportunity to stop. This past week I had little spare time on my way home and took the opportunity to stop in. Sitting on a table by the door were the only two pipes in the shop: a matching pair of white billiards – one bent and one straight – both in good exterior condition. Both pipes, and the stand they were on, came as a set and the price was such that I could not pass them up – I would have paid list price for just the stand. I knew nothing about the name stamped on the shank– the pipe – but I thought I would take the chance…. What could go wrong?
Once home, I was able to do a more thorough review of their condition. Both pipes were in about the same condition, the rims were covered with a heavy crust of lava and the bowls had a nice thick cake built up on the sides. And they both had a strong smell of aromatic tobacco. The outside of the both bowls were in very good condition considering the painted finish; no worn spots, dents or discolorations. The straight billiard has a very small chip in the rim and had two pin-point sized flaws in the paint but the paint on the bent was flawless.The stems are nylon and had some tooth dents around the button. The dents were deep but not to the point of needing filled. Both airways were clear, but were restricted with a thick layer of tar. Removing the stem revealed an o-ring set in a groove in the tenon. Looking into the shank I saw no briar only plastic. Even more intrigued now, I searched for the pipe on-line and I found the following on Pipedia:
In 1963, Super-Temp Corporation began making plastic pipes with pyrolytic graphite bowl liners. They were called the pipe. In 1965, Super-Temp contracted to market their unique pipes through Venturi, Inc., the company which sold Tar Gard cigarette filters. Colors and stripes began to be offered circa 1967. About 1970, THE SMOKE pipes were added to the line – they were non-traditional shapes with a less expensive bowl liner. Venturi pipes were added around 1972 – they had no liner in the bowls at all. The pipes were out of production by 1975.
Plastic pipes? Pyrolytic graphite bowl liners? Granted, I missed out on the 1960’s, but I did get to live through the aftermath and I remember the cultural fascination with space-age materials as they tried to find a place in our daily lives… but I had no idea they made space-age pipes. An ad in the December 1967 issue of Esquire, captures this fascination. I felt that I needed to do a little more research and found that the pipe has a small following of dedicated fans. I eventually came across a web site authored by Billie W. Taylor II, PhD that is dedicated to the history and novelty of these pipes. He has amassed what could easily be called the definitive work on the pipe: http://www.thepipe.info/sitemap.html
While there is no way I could (or would) share all the information in Dr. Taylor’s website, there are a couple of things I think worth sharing. The first is the pipe’s unique anatomy. The body is made of compression molded Bakelite stummel with a graphite bowl insert. There is an insulating air gap between the bowl insert and the bowl body.Pyrolytic graphite has been manufactured since the 1950s and is used as heat shields in rockets and reactors, it being an excellent conductor of heat. As the story goes, in 1963, a machinist at Super-Temp was machining graphite rods into cups to be used in the nuclear power industry. Being an avid pipe smoker and seeing the cups were about the size of his pipe, he made one that fit into the bowl of his pipe. Finding that is smoked well, he took the idea to his management and the pipe was born.
Early stems for the pipe were made of nylon while many stems made after the first year were made of Bakelite – addressing complaints that the nylon was too soft. The tenon has an o-ring set in a groove to ensure a seal between stem and stummel. Although it was originally offered only in black, in 1967 the pipe came in nine different shapes and offered in standard red, green, blue and white. The pre 1970’s pipes were coated with a two-part epoxy paint while those after 1970 used an acrylic paint. Additional colors and color schemes were offered throughout the life of the brand but some of the ‘unique’ colors were the result of fading of the acrylic paint.
Other than stem material, I did not have much to go on to date these two pipes. But because both stems are nylon I will estimate that they were early runs and date to the mid-1960’s.
[continued]
I used the paper stick of a cotton swab, cut at an angle, to remove much of the buildup in the corners of the mortise and the airway. The remainder of the buildup required half a dozen soaks in soapy water and a lot of cotton swabs and pipe cleaners. I finally got the internals cleaned and in the end I didn’t use anything more abrasive than a paper towel. The shank still had the ghosts of the old tobacco. So I went back with an alcohol soaked cotton swab and wiped down the inside of the shank again. Surprise, surprise, it came out dirty. Nothing seems to cut though the old tobacco oils and residue like alcohol.
I also soaked the stems in warm soapy water. Using a small nylon bottle brush I was able to soak and scrub repeatedly until the bulk of the crud was removed. I continued on with bristled pipe cleaners but even after the pipe cleaners came out clean I could still smell the old tobacco smell. I could not figure out where it was coming from until I removed the o-rings. I didn’t think about this at right away, but of course there was a lot of build-up in the grooves. To raise the tooth dents, I placed the stems in some near boiling water. I have tried to use direct flame or a heat gun in the past but have found them to be too hot and they melt the nylon. The hot water did raise the dents some but it also straightened the stem of the bent pipe. Another dip in hot water and molding the stem over a large diameter dowel restored the stem’s shape. No pictures of this…. I am afraid that both hands were busy.
To completely remove the tooth marks I needed to sand them with 220 grit paper. I removed the deeper scratches of the 220 grit with 500 grit and 1000 grit paper. I finished up the stems by wet sanding with 1500 – 2400 micro mesh pads. The nylon is soft and the scratches hard to remove. Several times I had to drop back to a courser pad to remove a stubborn scratch. I finished polishing with the 3200 – 12000 pads and a light amount of mineral oil. I took the pipes to the buffing station and used red diamond on the stems only, – I didn’t want to risk damaging the paint with even a light abrasive. Dr. Taylor’s website suggested auto wax as a finish but I opted for the more traditional three coats of carnauba wax over all.
The end of the pipe of occurred in about 1975 with complications of corporate business plans and a lack of following. Estimates say that approximately three million units were sold during the ten year life of the pipe. My own inexpert opinion, nothing will ever truly compete with briar for a good smoke. This is the best pictures I got of the graphite bowl liners.
This entry was posted in Pipe Refurbishing Essays and tagged Aaron Henson article, article by Aaron Henson, Dremel and sanding drum, polishing nylon stems with micromesh pads, Pyrolitic Graphite Pipes, raising tooth dents with boiling water, restoring a pyrolitic graphite pipe, Scrubbing a pyrolitic graphite bowl, Space Age Pipes of Graphite, The pipe on October 16, 2016 by rebornpipes.
Missouri Meerschaum Company
https://www.corncobpipe.com/
CLEANING THE PIPE
Always wait until the pipe is cool before removing the bit and cleaning the pipe to avoid breaking the tenon, bit or shank. Gently remove the bit, holding the stummel (the bowl and shank) firmly in one hand, and steadily turning the bit until the tenon is clear. In some cases, the bit may be so tight it will not turn. If that happens, try the same disassembly method above, but instead rotate the stummel. If you still cannot remove the stem from the stummel, put the whole thing in the freezer for an hour. Then try. Never known to fail.
Standard (soft), bristled, extra fluffy and churchwarden pipe cleaners are among the few absolute necessities for pipe care. They are vital for regular removal of moisture and other accretions from the pipe stem as well as the inner shank and start at about $2 for a pack of 35. Walgreen’s sells three- packs at a great savings but might only have the bristled kind. As always, tobacconists are the best bet. Use regular cleaners on most pipes, which have large enough airways in the bits to fit the soft cleaner, in particular when soaked with alcohol for periodic deeper cleaning. Also, moisture and detritus in the shank all the way to the draught hole at the bottom of the chamber are absorbed better by the regular or extra fluffy cleaners, and the wire from the bristled variety can wear grooves in the bottoms of meerschaum and clay chambers in particular. That said, there are exceptions to almost every rule and times when a fluffy cleaner just won’t fit through the bit or shank. And so, keep some bristly cleaners on hand for those situations!
A paper towel is good to clean the chambers of all pipes so as not to remove the desired 1mm of uniform cake. These steps can be done every time the pipe is used, but should not be avoided, on average, more than every two or three times the pipe is enjoyed.
==========
Any high alcohol content will do as a solvent. (I use high proof rum, myself)Avoid isopropyl, as it's toxic. Watch out that alcohol doesn't damage the outside finish. Then, if all else fails to exorcise the funk:
===========
@PappyJoe’s Coffee Treatment
It’s not something I invented but something I was learned from some older than me pipe smokers 20 or 30 years ago. Its an alternative to packing your bowl with rock salt and filling it with grain alcohol. Instead, you pack the bowl of the pipe you are cleaning with damp used coffee grounds and let it sit for 24 hours. “The PappyJoe (no joy) part is that I found that a used K- cup of unflavored coffee will fill most bowls with just a little left over.)
Not sure about the science behind it, but the theory is that the acid in the coffee ground will soften the cake and then the coffee will absorb the ghost of the old tobacco. It is double effective at sweetening a pipe if you do the salt/alcohol treatment first and then the coffee treatment. After 24 hours, you dump the grounds and wipe out the bowl. I also rinse out the bowl with running tap water and then let it dry for 24 hours. (Briar is wood. It won’t absorb the running water and it won’t hurt the pipe as long as you are not soaking the pipe in it.)
I have used the coffee grounds in meerschaum pipes also but skip the water rinse.
As @motie2 said, "Any high alcohol content will do as a solvent. (I use high proof rum, myself)Avoid isopropyl, as it's toxic. Watch out that alcohol doesn't damage the outside finish." And he is correct. However, there are a number of pipe restorer's I know including some who does restoration work as a full time job, who do use 91% isopropyl alcohol (or higher) to clean pipes. They also rinse the pipe thoroughly after the cleaning which removes any of the isopropyl residue.
Now, here's what I've found, be extremely careful that you don't get the high proof grain alcohol or isopropyl on the outside of the pipe. It will damage the finish if it is in contact too long. If you want to completely remove the finish, it doesn't hurt to soak the pipes for 24 hours in the alcohol.
I did an experiment awhile back. You can read about it at: https://pappyjoesblog.com/alcohol-baths-for-restoring-pipes/
Also, when using alcohol ~80+? especially (lower proof can do it also) be careful of acrylic stems, it will turn them white and soften them enough to leave finger prints. Also when/if soaking stems (any kind) in alcohol, be careful of any logos/inlays that can “melt”/distort/fall out. I soaked a particularly nasty Bakelite stem for too long and destroyed it. Luckily it was pretty thrashed anyway. Actually, it was the original stem for the Yello-Bole that I posted a few days ago in (pipe refinishing).....hence the new yellow swirl acrylic stem.
That being said, if you are worried about the logo or stamping, cover it with a small piece of tape before soaking and sanding.
Got a filthy estate pipe that you need to clean?
https://rebornpipes.com/2020/01/20/got-a-filthy-estate-pipe-that-you-need-to-clean/