Pipes Magazine » Pipe Talk

1. 

   schmitzbitz
   

   Preferred Member
   Joined: Jan 2011
   Posts: 1,055

   online

   Login to Send PM

   Today I took receipt of a meer-lined KBB that I had grabbed off of E-bay for a whole buck, with the hopes of playing around with refinishing and rusticating. Much to my chagrin, when I gave the stem a sniff, I noticed the smell of sour-vomit. This seems to be emanating namely from the stinger (I can smell puke in the button, but no-where near as strong as at the stinger end - also a slight odour from the shank of the pipe), and is particularly unpleasant.

   So, is there anything I can do about this? I would like to smoke this pipe, but I don't really fancy the idea of smoking someone else's tossed cookies (hell, I don't really want to smoke my own for that matter). Normally, I would run S/A treatments on the bowl/shank, and get into the stem with some 99% Isopropyl, but I am afraid to damage the meer-lining and the aluminum stinger with the liquids. I do have potable alcohol handy, but nothing over 40% until the 99% Iso, and a bottle of Obsidian Stem-Oil somewhere in the mail; any suggestions are welcome...even though I won the pipe for $1.00, I'm cheap and want to add it to my rotation...

   Also, since I'm at it, whats the best way to deal with a meer or meer-lined bowl that someone has allowed to cake (fortunately, this pipe doesn't have that issue, the lining is smooth and golden)?

   Posted 11 months ago #
2. 

   unclearthur
   

   Preferred Member
   Joined: Mar 2010
   Posts: 7,639

   offline

   Login to Send PM

   For a buck I would trash it. But that's just me.

   If at first you don't succeed you are running about average.

   Posted 11 months ago #
3. 

   bootlegbonvivant
   

   Preferred Member
   Joined: Nov 2009
   Posts: 1,278

   offline

   Login to Send PM

   You could try all of the measures that you've stated. Maybe an alcohol soaked towel in the bowl and then pipe cleaners in the shank. Then with the stem and stinger, might be a good idea to soak it in some bleach and do the sanding treatment on it. The alcohol soaked towel should be sufficient to help clean the stinger as well. I'd just be sure to put some vaseline on the stinger before bleach.

   For a buck, what do you have to lose?

   Southerners don't talk slow because they're dumb, we do it because there's really no rush.

   Posted 11 months ago #
4. 

   james
   

   Junior Member
   Joined: Apr 2011
   Posts: 71

   offline

   Login to Send PM

   If you really want to keep it and want to put a little bit of elbow grease into it-
   http://www.seattlepipeclub.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=969877&module_id=16774
   about mid-way down the page is the procedure you're looking for.

   Posted 11 months ago #
5. 

   eaglerico
   

   Senior Member
   Joined: Jan 2011
   Posts: 326

   offline

   Login to Send PM

   For the stem I would give it a good soak in bleach. Normally you wouldn't want to put the stinger in because the bleach will kind of eat at the stinger but it isn't anything you cant clean with a brass brush. I would do it an hour at a time. Pull it out and clean like you would a dirty dish. Run some pipe cleaners through it. If it still smells do it again.

   Then, worse case, as uncle said, dump it.

   Posted 11 months ago #
6. 

   bytor
   

   Senior Member
   Joined: Jan 2010
   Posts: 369

   offline

   Login to Send PM

   Be careful when doing a bleach treatment on the stem if the stinger is permanent.

   Take a look at this thread for an example of what can happen.

   If it were me...I would alternate soaking/scrubbing the stem with 91% isopropyl until I felt it was clean, followed with a thorough rinse. I would then do a short soak (30 minutes) in 10% bleach solution, followed by another thorough rinse.

   I always use a tall shot glass for bleach treatments...that way I can leave the stinger sticking up out of the bleach/water solution.

   FWIW: My wife is a Microbiologist and does HIV research. She tells me that they use a 10% solution for 30 minutes when they sterilize.

   Posted 11 months ago #
7. 

   schmitzbitz
   

   Preferred Member
   Joined: Jan 2011
   Posts: 1,055

   online

   Login to Send PM

   Thanks for the tips - I pulled the stinger last night, and played around with isopropyl and bleach; the smell is removed from the stem completely (the stinger still stinks, but its destined for the round-file anyway). The shank seems to have lost any odour it previously offered after a night of air, but just to be safe, I'll swab it with whiskey this evening.

   Bytor; that trick with the shot glass is awesome btw! 10% bleach solution is indeed the magic number - I am a food scientist by training, we use it to clean pretty much everything that isn't involved directly in production.

   Posted 11 months ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.

    Back To Top  | Back to Forum Home Page

   Members Online Now
   beewrangler2, spartan, mlaug, storient, spyder71, barkar, lordnoble, sorringowl, tslex, ruraldean, jonahtke, baronsamedi, lazydog, dervis, crpntr1, ocpsdan, schmitzbitz, sirsmokesalot, thesmokindragon, marmal4de, lonestar, jpberg