New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart

So anything with out a plain black stem kind of gets my attention these days. I almost picked up an estate pipe with a clear acrylic stem. Has anyone seen any odd things happen using the salt/alcohol treatments with acrylic or lucite? Lucite I figure is no big deal but it would kind of suck to melt or cloud a clear acrylic stem.

On a side note how do you guys get rid of the burnt rubber vulcanite skank smell? Seems no matter what I do it keeps a funk.

Oh and howdy it has been awhile =D

Chris

[BigFrank]

Originally Posted by Benwoo

So anything with out a plain black stem kind of gets my attention these days. I almost picked up an estate pipe with a clear acrylic stem. Has anyone seen any odd things happen using the salt/alcohol treatments with acrylic or lucite? Lucite I figure is no big deal but it would kind of suck to melt or cloud a clear acrylic stem.

I have a Boswell pipe with a acrylic stem that is anything but black. As others said, no salt treatment on the stem. I just take a bristled pipe cleaner, soak it in some rum and scrub that SOB till theres no gunk. I run a pipe cleaner through it, let it dry then give it a practice sip and if there is still a funky taste I just run a few more booze soaked cleaners through the stem...

[Mister Moo]

Not sure how salt and alcohol figures in with stems, B'oo; I only treat briar with salt and booze.

To destinkify a vulcanite stem (my fave) I use bristle pipe cleaners dipped in Everclear for the inside and clean the exterior back to shiny black with MicroMesh; if you have a for real low speed buffer, buff with Tripoli, White Diamond and polish with carnauba).

So a usual alch swabbing should remove the burnt rubber funk?

Ok TY Moo

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Benwoo

So a usual alch swabbing should remove the burnt rubber funk?

Ok TY Moo

Well, maybe. It depends on how funky the outside is. When vulcanite oxidizes it does get funky.

Stem in post #481 above was funky inside and out....

Yeah i guess that's the step i missed early on in the restoring research... Salt and Alchy with stem removed >.<

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Benwoo

Yeah i guess that's the step i missed early on in the restoring research... Salt and Alchy with stem removed >.<

After you clean the pipe you have smoke by the fireplace, in the kitchen, surrounded by your loving family, just like Mister Moo.

Well a couple estate pipes showed up this week, i hope to get some pics up soon. This one is some what troubling though. I really love this Jeantet pipe I picked up but it looks like it maybe suffering from burn out. Can I get some Old Farts to chime in please



Thank you
Chris

[BigFrank]

Take some picks let's see what ya got going on.

FWIW most estate pipes that I have acquired ( especially from EGay ) require a lot of love, work, booze, butt load of pipe cleaners, and elbow grease to get back into smoking condition.

This pic didn't come through? I see it in the post >.<
Let me see what else I can try...
How about this?

[Mister Moo]

I see a little irregularity in the cake - no biggie, that. Smooth it out a little and make sure no unburned flakes are trapped in those chunks. Why are you suspecting this pipe is burned out?

A burnout is going to grossly enlarge the airhole where it enters the chamber, make a pretty obvious pit on the wall of the chamber, create a burn mark on the outside of the pipe and, maybe, tip itself off with a super-hotspot you feel while smoking the pipe before something else pops up.

[Slow Triathlete]

Just get some ultra fine sandpaper and wrap it around your finger and give it a few spins through there. That will even it out.

I had thought it maybe a burn out because it looked to be deeper into the wall then an area that looked to be clean briar but it could just be a lighter section of cake. I'll clean it up guys, thanks

[BigFrank]

Chris I found that using a dull butter knife works best for me. I purchased a adjustable reamer, but I found that for evening out cake the butter knife works best. Just dont use one with a serrated edge ....

[MarkinAZ]

Originally Posted by BigFrank

...Just dont use one with a serrated edge ....

...You have some new designs on the inside wall of the bowl Frank?

[hotreds]

When I'm wet sanding a black stem with micro mesh, why do I get brown residue? Am I supposed to continue until I don't get any more brown residue? Even if the stem appears black?

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by hotreds

When I'm wet sanding a black stem with micro mesh, why do I get brown residue? Am I supposed to continue until I don't get any more brown residue? Even if the stem appears black?

As surface oxidation is cleaned off with light rubbing the stem goes to black; rub out evenly with finer and finer cloth until polished to a wet-glass sheen.

Practice on making a mirror finish on your thumbnail if you want to see how it works. When you're done you can look into it and comb your hair if the light is right.

So I've been looking into pipe smoking for the past week since my cigar costs are going through the roof and I stumbled onto the pipe section here I am such a newb it hurts, because I have no idea what anyone is talking about on most posts.

I started reading the beginning of this thread and found a few helpful pointers

I found a decent corncob pipe based on a post somewhere in the first few pages
http://www.corncobpipe.com/product.php?productid=16140
What else do I need for it? Filters, new stems, etc... like the suggested items section says? Do I still need all the tools and pipe cleaners since its a corn cob pipe?

I also read that I should start with pipe tobacco that is commonly available in drug stores and grocery stores, but I looked and the stores around here don't have any, I asked too, and i'd have to go into Austin (an hour drive) so what's available on the internet that might be good for a newb like me who is used to cigars?

Finally, is there a website that has how to's for filling the pipe, etc...? Because I don't know a single person who smokes a pipe in the real world and I have a feeling finding out exactly how to do everything through this post would be time consuming, and I know there are probably things I wouldn't even know to ask since I've never even held a pipe before

Basically, I have no idea even where to start except that site for corn cob pipes, and sites that sell pipe tobacco listed here in the pipe section of CA

Thanks

[Mister Moo]

You can lose the filters - almost everyone does. Yes to fluffy-type pipecleaners and yes to a cheap multi-tool scraper/tamper or, as many prefer, a big-ass nail with the point ground off or a golf tee. They have golf tees in Texas, do they not?

The cob that's best is made by Missouri Meerschaum; China and Korean imports kinda suck. No need for extra stems if you don't sit on the pipe or starting chewing on it real munchy-like.

Carter Hall, Prince Albert or Half&Half are good starters. If you can't find any at a grocery or drugstore check out jrcigar.com pipe section. Lots of online options.

Thank you for the answer

I'll be ordering the Great Dane Egg after I get back from SC in december, and that will give me time to research some pipe tobacco and smoking technique

And I can get a golf tee