Breaking in a pipe with a deep well

willm · Jun 30, 2014

I recently purchased a pipe with what I heard coined as a "deep well." The air intake hole in the chamber is above the bottom of the chamber, making it difficult to smoke the tobacco at the bottom. Does anyone have tips for burning tobacco below the hole? I'd like to make sure that the pipe is broken in properly but I can rarely smoke a bowl all the way to the bottom.

cosmicfolklore · Jun 30, 2014

Then I wouldn't worry, if it never smokes all the way to the bottom, there's no need for cake there.

daimyo · Jun 30, 2014

+1 Fill it, smoke it, enjoy it. You will either smoke it down to the draft hole and build cake or you will not need it. I've never bought into the half bowl to start method myself.

wilson · Jun 30, 2014

If the draught hole is above the bottom of the bowl it will not be possible to smoke all the way to the bottom and build cake at the bottom. You have two options, as far as I know. Smoke away and care not about the bottom of the bowl. Since you will never smoke all the way to the bottom, cake will not be needed there. Or, build up the bottom of the bowl with pipe mud until it is up to the draught hole. This will help insofar as you will not waste a bit of tobacco at the bottom of the bowl.
Me? I would just smoke away and not worry about it. I have two pipes that routinely and easily smoke to the bottom. The rest always seem to leave some dottle, even though none have the draught hole above the bottom of the bowl. If the well is deep enough that it takes half a tin of extra tobacco, I might reconsider!
If you wish to go the pipe mud route, have a look at this post

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/pipe-mud-and-pipe-cement-warning-giant-post

willm · Jun 30, 2014

Thanks, folks. I'll smoke it as it is and not worry about it.

cortezattic · Jul 1, 2014

How about using pipe screens in some way?

cosmicfolklore · Jul 1, 2014

Cortez, what you smokin'? ha ha!

cortezattic · Jul 1, 2014

I dunno. Just havin' a senior moment. :lol:

Doesn't somebody make some kind of absorbent stones you can put in the bottom of a pipe?

Seems to me a low chamber would be a moisture trap, eventually fouling the pipe.

frozenchurchwarden · Jul 9, 2014

I've tried putting a cotton ball at the bottom of the bowl, only once, but it didn't work too bad (real cotton, definitely not synthetic, see how they burn to tell them apart). The worst part was it's a little too easy to reduce draw, cutting the balls into thirds or quarters works best.

I find the curled pipe cleaners in my 9mm filter pipes to be a little more convenient though (grabbing a cotton ball out of the bottom of the bowl is a little finicky).

daimyo · Jul 9, 2014

Doesn't somebody make some kind of absorbent stones you can put in the bottom of a pipe?

Erik Nording makes little clay stones for the bottom of your bowl, never used or needed them myself though.

antbauers · Jul 10, 2014

Denicool crystals are also another option besides the Nording stones. Idk how similar or different the two are, but if imagine either one would work for your situation. I'm surprised no ones mention pipe mud/cement. Which I think is the best option.

metalheadycigarguy · Jul 10, 2014

I agree with the others and just smoke it as it is. I've never bought into the half bowl to start etc.

As for the stones, I've never tried them but I think the pipe mud would be a better option if you really are that concerned.

cortezattic · Jul 10, 2014

If the Ole Cajun read this, he'd recommend to build up the bottom of the bowl with DAP or Red Devil stove repair mortar.

tbradsim1 · Jul 10, 2014

If you use this, wet your little spoon on your pipe tool, remember a little dab goes a long way, dop a little in, tool or wet finger smooths it out. Let it skin, load it up and smoke the crap out of it, leave ash , load up and smoke again. I fixed an old Pepanio Ascorti freehand someone had dug about a 1/4 inch indention in the btm. Now it is one of my best smokers.

hawke · Jul 10, 2014

I had an estate pipe that had burned into the chamber pretty deep. It was a Corn Cob now that I think of it and it was burned all the way through. I set it on a piece of glass and mixed up some JB Weld. Dribbled it into the pipe delicately and filled the hole and brought it up to the draw hole. It popped off the glass easily and problem solved. Smoked it a while with no problems then gifted it to a friend at work.

willm · Jul 13, 2014

I applied pipe mud this morning. I'll let yall know how it fares.

Breaking in a pipe with a deep well

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