Has Careless Reaming Damaged This Barling's Make Ye Olde Wood?

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May 8, 2017
1,593
1,627
Sugar Grove, IL, USA
I just purchased a pre-transition Barling's Make Ye Olde Wood diplomat off eBay. It had a nicely done repair of a small crack in the stem using a sterling band, along with what I believe is a nice replacement stem. This was intended to be my really great smoking knock around pipe, bought on the cheap, so I didn't care too much about the collectibility aspects. I was disappointed, however, once I started cleaning up this puppy. First, the draft hole was remarkably filthy and then I began to notice that it seemed a little too big. I stuck my 5/32" drill bit in it and it sailed through with barely any friction. I haven't tried 11/64ths, but my guess is that someone opened this pipe up to 11/64ths.
Then, I noticed the real issue which prompted this post. There is a depression about 1/3" in diameter in the center of the bottom of the bowl that I estimate is 1/8" deep. The draft hole already looks kind of high for a quarter bent pipe. In total, the bottom of draft hole is 3/16" above the lowest part of the bowl. It looks to me like someone used a pipe knife to ream this in the past and made this divot. That's not how it's supposed to be, right? I have a full bent Barling's Make Ye Olde Wood that also has a relatively high draft hole, but no weird divot. I'm still waiting for the pipe to dry out before testing it, but with the combination of the size and height of the draft hole, my expectations are exceedingly low.
What do you think? Should I fill the divot with pipe mud in the bottom of the bowl? I've heard some suggest JB Weld, but I would be concerned about the unknown health impacts of that stuff.
PIpe-1.jpg


 

pitchfork

Lifer
May 25, 2012
4,030
605
Damaged, yes. But probably not in terms of smoking. I'd be more concerned about the over-large draft hole. Not only could it burn hot from so much air, but if the stem doesn't have a similar diameter draft you're likely to have a wet smoker.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,570
27,077
Carmel Valley, CA
I'd fill the heel with pipe mud. How thin is the heel?
I wouldn't be concerned with the size of the draft hole as much as the thinness of the heel.

 
May 8, 2017
1,593
1,627
Sugar Grove, IL, USA
Good point. I hadn't thought to check the stem. I had assumed that it had been opened up similarly. Nope. My guess is a lazy refurbishment. Easier to drill out the hole than clean it. I have opened up a few of my cheapie pipes as an experiment with mostly positive results. I think I can safely open the stem to a point, but this replacement saddle bit is much like the originals -- very flat and thin, so there's a limit to how far into the stem it would be possible to drill.
Not worried about the high draft hole? I know there's a good bit of debate on that topic. Maybe it's not a good idea to reopen that can of worms.

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
One of our mods, ssjones (Al) once recommended
"Fireplace Mortar & Cement" at Lowes. It is silica based and is already mixed, ready to apply. It dries fast and hard. I tried it in one of my pipes. It is drying now, but I believe one could even sand the bowl interior smooth with this stuff.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_64843-85334-GA0188_4294856693_4294937087?productId=1191571
Maybe he can update us with his current opinion of the stuff. I think your pipe needs this, otherwise you'll be dumping a lot of dottle with each smoke.

 

oldmansmoking

Part of the Furniture Now
May 13, 2017
587
65
UK
I would fill with pipe mud made from cigar ash and enjoy the pipe. Don't think it's anything to worry about.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
I wouldn't tamper with an old Barling, but since this one has already been modified, there's no going back to original anyway. If there is an extreme difference between the shank ID and the stem ID, you could at least make the transition smoother with a tapered drill bit. I bought one in 5/32" for exactly that purpose, and it makes a noticeable (positive) difference.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
@Pitchfork- I don't know if it's my particular smoking style or what, but a larger draft burns cooler than a narrower draft for me. I liken it to closing the vents to a slit on a barbecue grill- it really gets the fire roaring.

 
May 8, 2017
1,593
1,627
Sugar Grove, IL, USA
The Fireplace Mortar & Cement is an interesting option. @ssjones knows his stuff. I'd appreciate his input. The MSDS isn't real encouraging from a safety standpoint, but they don't separate cured vs uncured, contact vs vaporization vs ingestion, and so forth. My guess is it's pretty safe. I'd feel better with that than JB Weld.
Here's a quick update on the pipe. I went ahead and enlarged as much of the stem's draft as possible, then tapered a bit further with a small tapered round file. The fact that it's already a smallish bowl should minimize the likelihood that it'll actually ever gurgle. There's simply less time for liquids to build up. It seemed like the high draft hole did cause me to be unable to smoke the normal amount of tobacco. I don't usually smoke to the bottom of the bowl anyway, so that's not a big problem. As for moisture, pretty good. Only a bit of moisture which collected in the divot (or, should I say "reservoir"? ) and the pipe cleaner came out damp, but not wet. The pipe smoked pretty well overall. I'll hit it with the retort or a cotton ball/alcohol treatment and try again.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,570
27,077
Carmel Valley, CA
Not worried about the high draft hole? I know there's a good bit of debate on that topic. Maybe it's not a good idea to reopen that can of worms.
My comment was about the size of the opening- but you've already enlarged the airway in the stummel. My suggestion to put in pipe mud is to protect the (presumably) thin heel form a burn through, not so much as to "lower" the draft hole. I am not convinced that a high draft hole means either wet tobacco or that you can't smoke to the bottom.

 

pitchfork

Lifer
May 25, 2012
4,030
605
Update on the pipe sounds positive. That's good.
@Pitchfork- I don't know if it's my particular smoking style or what, but a larger draft burns cooler than a narrower draft for me. I liken it to closing the vents to a slit on a barbecue grill- it really gets the fire roaring.
Yeah, an open draft definitely smokes cooler for the smoker because you can take slow, easy draws and still keep your pipe lit. With a narrow draft, I (at least) tend to draw harder/faster, which oftener leads to tongue burn. But it's a lot easier to get carried away and overheat the inside of the bowl with an open draft. Supposedly Jim Cooke limits the diameter of the draft hole on his pipes for precisely that reason (for whatever that's worth).

 
May 8, 2017
1,593
1,627
Sugar Grove, IL, USA
On a lark, I pulled out my Barling's Make full bent which also has a high draft hole and packed it with Escudo Navy Flake. I've only had it a short time. Darn it. Smokes wet. Wetter than this diplomat, actually. I'll try it with a ribbon cut English in a week or so. Maybe it's my inexperience packing flake.

 
May 8, 2017
1,593
1,627
Sugar Grove, IL, USA
At some point you cannot smoke tobacco below the draft hole. This one is really quite high. I've decided to fill the divot with wood ash pipe cement, but won't attempt to raise the bottom of the bowl from the original. I'll assume Barling got it right to start.

 
May 8, 2017
1,593
1,627
Sugar Grove, IL, USA
One last bowl before bedtime having cleaned the pipe with a retort earlier. This time I packed my go to English blend, Iwan Reiss Gourmet English along with some Nording Keystone pebbles to fill the divot. Success!! Very pleasant, sweet, dry smoke down to my normal stopping point. I've only used the Nording Keystones a few times before, but I have a generally positive impression of their performance. A high draft hole seems like the ideal use for them. They effectively raise the bottom of the bowl and absorb moisture.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,088
6,412
Florida
What you have here is a crude attempt at a cavalier style moisture trap, w/o the cap. /s

Sounds like what you get with a MM Legend, as far as the draft and the troubling little divot below the draft hole.

It should smoke just fine w/o any additions. Mud, rocks, cement? You said yourself it wouldn't burn well below the draft hole, so, that's when you're done with the bowl.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I'm not a big fan of reamers -- don't own one. Used correctly, they are a necessary tool for cake-builders, which I'm not. But much damage is done with them by the inexperienced and untrained. Had this Barling been maintained on a thin carbon coating only, it would look much better. I hope the previous owner had lots of fun grinding away at the briar (?).

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
I just found out that Aristocob sells a pipe mud compound, to which you just add water. Easy. $1.00

http://aristocob.com/Aristocob-Miracle-Mud-P3248829.aspx

 
I'd fill the heel with pipe mud. How thin is the heel?

Why? I don't understand the premise here. Everyone recommending he fill it with something blows my mind. What is the reasoning?
This looks like all high end Danish pipes. They never allow the draft to come out at the absolute bottom to give the little driplet of water somewhere for gravity to pull it to. If you fill that low spot, you will potentially have a gurgler on your hands not worth a shit. Why not ask him to test it to see if it has an issue, instead of just assuming the the draft should be the lowest part of the pipe, which in Danish high ends and some Italians, it is not ever.

 
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