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Making of Pipe Mud
>> If you have an old pipe that Is SHOWING the beginnings of a burnout spot or the
bottom of the bowl is below the draft hole, here is a quick, easy and
effective way of fixing the problem. If the burnout is through to the
outside, this repair method may not work, but works really well on those
spots that are beginning to burnout and will prevent additional damage.
The pipe to the right is beyond help of pipe mud, but if caught early…it
could have been saved.
1. Get some very fine ash. This can be from a good quality cigar or
pipe ash. To get a fine ash, you may want to grind it a bit in a mortar and pestle (or back side of
a spoon in a small bowl). Using a small kitchen strainer and the back side of spoon work’s well
too.
2. You’ll need some tap water and liquid Sodium Silicate (Sodium Metasilicate, Na2SiO3). Liquid
Sodium Silicate (a.k.a. water glass or liquid glass) can be purchased from Amazon.com for $15.95
for a pint. You’ll also need an eye dropper, a small mixing bowl, a spoon and a small pocket knife
with a long thin blade.
3. Add 3 to 6 drops of Sodium Silicate to a small amount of fine ash and mix well with the spoon.
The mixture will quickly become very stiff, but don’t add to much Sodium Silicate. You DON’T
want a thin, runny paste. The best consistency is like damp cement.
4. You want to create a stiff, glossy paste.
5. Make sure the pipe bowl is clean and dry.
a. Low Bottom: Drop a small amount of mud into the bottom of the bowl and tamp
very gently. Repeat (if necessary) until the mud is level with the bottom of the draft
hole. Placing a pipe cleaner in the air hole will help with gauging the level.
b. Burnout (side walls/bottom): If the repair
is a burnout along the side or bottom of
the pipe, use the pocket knife or oil
painter’s trowel (a very small tool used by
people who oil paint for mixing paint color
– available in hobby shops). Scoop up a
small amount of mud and trowel it into the
burnout. If it’s a deep burnout, you may
have to pack several thin layers to completely fill it in.
6. Smooth the mud with the knife edge or finger and allow the pipe to dry for a couple of days
before smoking.
7. When it’s dry, it will be absolutely rock hard. If there is an excessively rough surface, you can use
some fine sandpaper to smooth it out.
8. Congratulations…you’ve just fixed your favorite pipe. Sit back and enjoy!
Patching Note: I personally used the patching “mud” on an old Pre-Trans Barling that was badly
charred on the side and back walls. Since the charring was deep, I applied two layers of the mud and
to look at it now, you’d never know there was a burnout spot fixed. The pipe smokes great!
