Fixing My Draw

tjameson · May 5, 2013

I have a bent Eriksen that I smoke Lat blends in, but it has always had a bit of a poor draw and ocassional gurgle. Last night I decided to open the draw a bit in the stem and rework the draught hole. The pipe was drilled a bit above the bottom of the bowl but not much. I took a needle file and reworked the draught hole so it entered flush with the bottom and used a slightly larger drill bit to open the stem by hand. I'm going to try it out this afternoon with some GLP Ashbury and see if it smokes any better. I will report back with my experience.

numbersix · May 5, 2013

Very curious if this works, looking forward to your report.

kashmir · May 5, 2013

I've done this on straights quite a bit. In fact, I've opened all of my pipes to one degree or another. Never on a bent though. Needle files are a Godsend for such work. Let us know how she smokes.

tjameson · May 5, 2013

It worked! The draw was perfect and although I got one moment where it seemed like it was about to gurgle it didn't, smoked right down to ash

Mission accomplished and I think I will enjoy this pipe much more now!

numbersix · May 5, 2013

Congrats - that is great news - glad it worked out.

tbradsim1 · May 5, 2013

TJ that's the can do attitude I see in your posts, way to go young man, proud of you.

tjameson · May 5, 2013

Thanks Bradley, that means a lot coming from you

I've always enjoyed fixing things or making things myself. It's been hard to do so recently with no space to work in, but I will have a garage in my new place next month and I've already cleared it with the wife that once things are settled in I'm going to start making pipes. I also do metal work and hope to be able to incorporate that into my pipes. I figure I'll start with some cheap block kits with Pre-fitted stems to her the basic working and shaping part down then once I get some more tools Ill move onto blocks and bending/fitting stems.

tjameson · May 5, 2013

Thanks six I appreciate it!

fnord · May 6, 2013

Damnit, Tucker!
Pictures, son. Pictures. You know better than that.
BTW, way to go, brother. Bradley walked and talked me through opening the draft on an old Bertram billiard and, with his advice, a formidable paperweight became a favorite burner thanks to a little sweat equity.
You tore into a bent stem, Tucker, and that's downright heroic.
Fnord

tjameson · May 6, 2013

Jim here is the pipe in question. Not much to see in terms of the work I did as it was pretty much internal but just think of what the bottom of a well drilled bowl looks like where the draft hole almost seems to continue into the bowl just kissing the bottom, that is what I tried to replicate. Before I could shine a light into the shank and it would hit the other side of the bowl now it gently lights a straight line on the bottom that meets on the opposite side of the bowl. This at least gives you an idea of the bend. This pipe has some sentimental value as it was the first pipe my wife bought me for Christmas when I got back into pipe smoking about 5 years ago, so I'm happy it's smoking better now.

This doesn't show much but this is top down before the mod.

gmwolford · May 6, 2013

Thanks for the info. I really need to do this one one or two pipes myself. But of late I can't seem to find or make the time for any such "fun".

Search

Search

Fixing My Draw

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Site Sponsors

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

tjameson

Lifer

numbersix

Lifer

kashmir

Lifer

tjameson

Lifer

numbersix

Lifer

tbradsim1

Lifer

tjameson

Lifer

tjameson

Lifer

fnord

Lifer

tjameson

Lifer

gmwolford

Lifer