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Extreme Pipe Cleaning for very filthy caked up estate pipes and others....
Wolf41035
Master
OK I have searched all over the net for articles and videos on how to clean an extremely dirty and/or smelly pipe and also cleaning out bowls with extreme cake build up. NO LUCK! So this thread will solve that problem, everyone has different ideas on how to clean them estate pipes or pipe they though they lost and hadn't been cleaned in years. Pipes that have tar build up inside and out, pipes that have such a bad smell you wouldn't dare smoke from them even if they looked new, pipes that look like the were smoked for 50 years and never cleaned, pipes that have such a cake build up you almost couldn't add a pinch of tobacco in the bowl.
We will talk about reaming bowls.
We will talk about sanding out the inside of the bowl for what ever reason.
We will talk about cleaning stems and mouth pieces.
We will talk about best solutions for stubborn build up.
We will talk about how to remove fowl odors.
We will talk about mouth piece repairs ((Minor) maybe Major).
We will even talk about Pre-Treating (coating) the bowl.
Everyone is welcome to add their two cents just don't knock anyone's methods please.
Thanks
We will talk about reaming bowls.
We will talk about sanding out the inside of the bowl for what ever reason.
We will talk about cleaning stems and mouth pieces.
We will talk about best solutions for stubborn build up.
We will talk about how to remove fowl odors.
We will talk about mouth piece repairs ((Minor) maybe Major).
We will even talk about Pre-Treating (coating) the bowl.
Everyone is welcome to add their two cents just don't knock anyone's methods please.
Thanks
Comments
Anyway the pipe is cream white with yellow stem/mouth piece, has carving that looks like a leaf with possibly grapes but can't be 100% on that, if I had to lean one way I would guess more like "thePipe" Pyrolitic graphite? I will have to post a picture, darn thing might be worth something who knows! I smoked some old No. 9 Creamy Vanilla out of it today and even with the tobacco being dry and old it smoked good.
What can I do when my pipe "turns sour"?
A pipe, properly cared for, will probably outlast its owner. Occasionally, however, a pipe may begin to taste bitter or "sour." Sometimes this is caused by not allowing the pipe sufficient time to "rest" between smokes; other times, no cause can be determined with certainty. In any event, such a pipe can usually be rejuvenated by applying the "Professor's Pipe-Sweetening Treatment," publicized by Dennis Congos.
First, find some salt (non-iodized is preferred, but not essential), some alcohol (preferably "Everclear," or some other form of near-pure, non-denatured ethanol), and a place to rest your pipe in a semi-upright position. Insert a pipe cleaner into the stem of the pipe so that it extends into the shank. Fill the bowl to the rim with salt and drip or carefully pour alcohol into the bowl until the salt is just saturated. Try not to get any alcohol on the pipe's exterior, as this may damage the finish; any spills should be wiped up immediately. Leave the pipe alone for a day or two. After this time the salt will have turned brown from the absorption of "tars" from the bowl. Thoroughly clean all salt from the bowl and set the pipe aside overnight to dry completely. Your pipe will now be revitalized, and all traces of bitterness should be gone.
WARNING: Many people swear by this process, but the procedure is not risk-free. Some people have had pipes crack after this treatment, particularly when they allowed the salt and alcohol mixture to enter the pipe's shank and/or when they left the mixture in the pipe for several days. Any pipe with significant monetary or sentimental value should be sent to a professional pipe repair person.
You might also want to give the stem draft-hole a thorough cleaning by periodically cleaning it with a scrubbing bristle pipecleaner dipped in alcohol or a "pipe sweetener".
G.L. Pease also offers a more effective method:
"I reamed the pipe almost back to bare wood, pre-heated my electric oven to 220°F, and turned it off. After removing the pipe's stem, I filled the bowl with activated charcoal pellets purchased from the local aquarium supply shop. Placing the pipe on a soft towel in the oven, I left it to sit while the oven cooled - about an hour... No perceptible difference was detected.
A couple of conversations with Trever Talbert, friend, pipesmith extraordinaire, and constant experimenter with briar, provided an important piece of information; briar heats very slowly. He explained that it could take several hours for a piece of briar's temperature gradient to reach equilibrium with the ambient temperature. Clearly, my pipe's short stint in the Sauna was insufficient to do the job.
I reheated the oven, this time setting the thermostat to 180°F, knowing from my tests that the temperature in my empty oven would vary between about 180°F and a bit over 200°F, well below the temperature at which the briar would scorch. Stemless and empty, I placed the bowl on its towel in the oven, on the upper rack, far away from the source of radiant heat, where it would be left to sit for three hours.
After removing the now hot pipe, I filled the bowl with the activated charcoal, and placed it back in the oven for an additional three hours. When the pipe was finally removed, and emptied of the charcoal, there was absolutely no trace of its prior scent ... After allowing the pipe to cool overnight, the stem was refitted, the bowl filled with a favored blend, delicate enough to allow any vestigial flavors from the pipe to come through clearly. I sat down to experience the fruits of my labors. Success! Only at the very bottom of the bowl was a slight hint of the previous aroma, and this disappeared completely after a couple of smokes."
I know it sounds bad but two pipes I had gotten smelled like death or something as nasty. I completely reamed them out, soaked them in a solution I made, took the finish off the bowls, soaked them again, scrubbed them a dozen times, used mouth wash on the mouth pieces a few times along with another home made mixture and then coated the bowls with Olive oil, coated the inside of the bowls with honey and activated charcoal. At that point they were good and ready to smoke but I let them sit another few days just to let them rest.
@PappyJoe I hear you there, if they are afraid of them they can send them my way, I now have practice cleaning the worse of the worse and it doesn't or won't bother me.