Can't Get Cleaner All the Way Through the Pipe

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Aug 14, 2013
10
0
So my new peterson came today and I was messing with it and I noticed I cant run a pipe cleaner through the pipe. When I removed the stem I noticed that the drilled hole in the pipe and the hole in the stem don't meet. Is this normal? If it is normal, is there anything I can to to stop a gurgle if I get one or will I jist have to put up with it?

 

pruss

Lifer
Feb 6, 2013
3,558
370
Mytown
I'm no expert on Petes, but it sounds like this might be a system pipe.
Here is a nice write up on how the system works and its history: http://www.pipedia.org/wiki/A_closer_look_at_the_famous_Peterson_Standard_System_Pipe
Good luck,
-- Pat

 
Aug 14, 2013
10
0
Thanks for the link Pat. I'm pretty sure it isn't a system pipe. It's set up the same as a normal pipe it's just that the drill hole is at the top rather than in the center.

 

smeigs

Lifer
Jun 26, 2012
1,049
7
Yes it can be normal. I have probably 5 pipes that I cant get a cleaner all the way through. It by no means makes it a "bad" pipe. It is just a small imperfection by the manufacturer. The hole is just drilled off center from where the stem meets it. Try wiggling and working that pipe cleaner around, you might be able to slide it all the way through with a little movement. Some pipes are just this way so dont get too worked up about it.

 

wayneteipen

Can't Leave
May 7, 2012
473
222
What shape is your Pete? My experience has been that their bent shapes can be drilled high. That has been true of all of my 999's and 80s's. As long as the tenon doesn't obstruct the airway it should perform okay. If it's not too high, you can try putting a 15 degree bend at the end of your pipe cleaner and give it a twist while trying to advance through the airway. If that doesn't work and you're determined that it needs to pass a pipe cleaner you can send it off to have the airway ramped by a repairman. It's not a DIY fix for most.

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,638
Chicago, IL
Wayneteipen said,

"...try putting a 15 degree bend at the end of your pipe cleaner and give it a twist while trying to advance through the airway."
Works almost every time for me too!

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
It's perfectly normal. I have 9 full bent Petes ,including 2 Systems,none will pass a cleaner. However, all of them smoke wonderfully! It's been my experience that most bent Petes are drilled high. It's not wrong, it's just their way of doing things. Every one I've ever taken apart is like this. It's not exclusive to Peterson, I also have a Savenelli 614ks which is drilled the same way. It also smokes very well. For the record, I don't think I have any bents that will pass a cleaner, yet all of them smoke fine.

 
Aug 14, 2013
10
0
Wayneteipen, I bought the 80s too. It looks great. Thanks for the response guys. New to pipe smoking and the only other pipe I have is a straight so I wasn't sure.

 

smokertruck

Can't Leave
Aug 1, 2013
423
0
Did a post elsewhere - i bought a chacom it also didnt pass the cleaner into the bowl - for me it was a problem i had already smoked it & all the chacoms in the store were like that - the airway in the bent stem is very narrow & rough so it chews off chunks of cleaner - the bowl smokes very ! hot so cant open it during smoking - i salivate a lot so want to pass the cleaner thru but would then draw in chunks of cleaner - as for not going thru the cleaners also dont go thru into the bowl - if a piece of tobacco lodges into hole in bowl no way to push it out - the draw is then compromised.

the whole pipe is the pits BUT from the first bowl no breaking in necessary as it has a wonderful flavor - sent it out to brigham who then sends it out for adjustment - i hope ! they dont ruin the flavor - will need to go heavy on the 99% iso alcohol to disinfect it.

no more chacoms for me.

internal craftsmanship is the pits but a very good smoke from the get-go.

 

bryanf

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 16, 2013
742
8
Yup. Normal on petes. To deal with gurgle, if it's an army mount, just pull the stem while smoking and shake it out and replace. Or, use a pipe cleaner. The gurgle is in the plastic stem. You don't need the pipe cleaner to get to the bowl to get rid of it.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,454
In my experience, few full bent pipes of any make take a pipe cleaner through to the bowl. A pipe cleaner

is just too rigid to make that turn. I have one little compact pipe that will take a pipe cleaner to the bowl,

a bent billiard. However, many 1/8 and 1/4 bent pipes will take a pipe cleaner to the bowl, and I don't

have any straight stems that won't. My Pete 999 will without a problem.

 

cavendish

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 22, 2013
806
1
I can't do that with a lot of my pipes. I just pull the stem and do what I gotta do..

 

pipingruotsi

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 6, 2013
238
0
I'm not sure this is really relevant or not, but....
I've been using a trick to get pipe cleaners to pass some of my full bent stems. I'll take the flat (ungrooved) part of a needle nose pliers and flatten the first inch of the cleaner. Then it gets through pretty well. It might work for getting through to the bowl, but I've never tried it.

I also have a couple bent pipes that I can't get through, but they still smoke well.

 
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