Question for Restorationists: Can hot-spot / burnout be repaired?

pipehunter · Jan 3, 2019

An otherwise fine pipe I have and like has started to burn out at a spot about half way up the bowl. I'm hesitant to toss the pipe because it is engineered nicely and is quite handsome. Is there anything to be done?
If I sand out any soft wood or char in the spot, is there some sort of putty or briar paste I could use to fill it in and protect it? Is there something pipe restorers use that wouldn't taste objectionable, even if it weren't as absorbent/ideal as the original briar or looked funny inside the bowl?
My hope is to try to repair it or maybe find someone to repair it, if it's beyond my skills. It would make a real nice fishing or knock-around pipe, even if the repairs diminished its looks. For whatever reason, I am very fond of the pipe.
If it's hopeless, I suppose it would make a fun door knocker for my office....

crashthegrey · Jan 3, 2019

Pipe mud. Otherwise known as cigar ash mixed with water.

donjgiles · Jan 3, 2019

I like this stuff...
https://aristocob.com/Aristocob-Miracle-Mud-P3248829.aspx
Don

pipehunter · Jan 3, 2019

Thanks! I'll look into those.

snagstangl · Jan 3, 2019

cigar ash and waterglass, or a little red devil fire place cement.

Chasing Embers · Jan 3, 2019

I would go with fireplace mortar.

saltedplug · Jan 3, 2019

I thought a hot spot could be remedied but not a burnout, as they go all the way through the wall. Patched, these materials can stand up to smoking as well as briar?

Chasing Embers · Jan 4, 2019

Patched, these materials can stand up to smoking as well as briar?

Fireplace mortar, once set, is like rock. Knocking and reaming won't break it loose.

oldgeezersmoker · Jan 4, 2019

Waterglass (sodium silicilate) plus activated charcoal powder (both obtainable from Amazon) will do the trick. I find that a little easier to work with than fireplace cement, which also works.Pipe mud might or might not work if the wood is compromised.

jpmcwjr · Jan 4, 2019

I thought a hot spot could be remedied but not a burnout, as they go all the way through the wall. Patched, these materials can stand up to smoking as well as briar?

He said it was the start of a burn out. I believe they will stand up, based on reports by others.
OP: Might you show some photos of the damage?

jeff540 · Jan 4, 2019

This seems obvious to me, but maybe I'm off base. For other wood restorations (example filling in drill holes on guitars) you use a carefully cut dowel of similar grained wood. Thus, wouldn't a proper repair involve cutting out damaged wood and carefully cutting a piece of briar to fit the resultant void?

jpmcwjr · Jan 4, 2019

Probably not, as most burnouts are caught before they go all the way through. And you don't want to remove a micron more of original briar, and working inside a chamber is difficult. I've never seen a repair that employs a plug going all the way through, though I bet George or Dave have.

crashthegrey · Jan 4, 2019

Plugs have been done but are not recommended for the unique circumstance which is a tobacco pipe and the heat constantly applied. A weak spot, once filled with pipe mud or the like, is still a risk. It is worth it to try to save a beloved pipe, and you want to smoke slowly and carefully thereafter. But once the wood is compromised, there is always a chance of it continuing to worsen.

tkcolo · Jan 4, 2019

I second the fireplace mortar. It is solid, permanent, & tasteless. I've use it twice to repair spiderweb charred cracking in my higher end pipes. Worked wonders! I was knocking the pipemud solution out of the bowl too easily. The mortar feel a little gritty (sandy) on your tamper for a while, but it goes away. No negative effects that I can see at all. I used it in my two best VA pipes, and there was no changes in taste or moisture absorption. I used my finger to work it into the cracks, flush with the outermost wood. I did not solidly lined the bowl.
This is what I used. I was worried about the gray (instead of black), but the grey blended in with ash and cake perfectly.

Meeco Red Devil Fireplace Mortar 121

ashdigger · Jan 4, 2019

This is a 1963 Dunhill that was smoked to hard that when I bought it I had to ship it to George Dilbos to have a stem put on it. The plug is expertly done and even GeorgeD thought it was good. I smoke it regularly.

crashthegrey · Jan 4, 2019

Very cool. That tends to be a very rare fix. Glad it is working so well!

pipehunter · Jan 4, 2019

It does not go through. There is a darker spot on the outside of the bowl corresponding to the burn. Someone picked away some of the soft wood behind the burn (long story), so that might be a problem. But it is not so deep. At a minimum half the thickness of the bowl wall is intact. Probably more. I will need to dig it out and take a picture.
Thanks!

jpmcwjr · Jan 4, 2019

First one I've seen. Thanks!
Pipehunter- I'd think the fix is to carefully scrape away that which is weak and loose, then mortar it up.

lawdawg · Jan 4, 2019

^^^ That is a good looking repair, Ashdigger. I bet you hardly think of it when enjoying that fine Dunhill. On a similar note, one of my favorite flannels has a small hole that I had to patch up, and it takes nothing away from my enjoyment of the shirt. I enjoy repairing and fixing things to keep them going, even in the event that I have to pay someone else to do the repair.

Question for Restorationists: Can hot-spot / burnout be repaired?

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