Shank is stuck with dirt

J

jenssenkuek23

Lurker

Jul 12, 2017

27

0

• Jul 12, 2017

• #1

Hey all pipe smokers!
I just started out smoking the pipe on 1st July this year.
However, my pipe shank is stuck with ashes and airflow is not going through. The ash/dirt is at the end of the shank where the airflow passes through.
I tried using my pipe tool to scrap the ashes/dirt but it won't come out.
Is there any ways to take it out? Pretty please advise me on this
Best Regards,

Jenssen

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate

Nov 12, 2014

43,411

109,197

• Jul 12, 2017

• #2

Alcohol and a pipe cleaner should do the trick.

 

dmcmtk

Lifer

Aug 23, 2013

3,672

1,685

• Jul 12, 2017

• #3

Alcohol and a pipe cleaner should do the trick.

Click to expand...

Or, alcohol and multiple pipe cleaners... :wink:

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate

Nov 12, 2014

43,411

109,197

• Jul 12, 2017

• #4

And Q-tips.

 

J

jenssenkuek23

Lurker

Jul 12, 2017

27

0

• Jul 12, 2017

• #5

I was actually using Q-tips to clean the shank hole. It picked up some dirt. So, with a little dirt picked up of the Q-tip head, I pushed it in to the end of the shank (where the airflow is) and the dirt got stuck in the shank hole (where the airflow is).
Now, I can't suck in any air at all.
Hope this is clear

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate

Nov 12, 2014

43,411

109,197

• Jul 12, 2017

• #6

Pipe cleaners and alcohol then. Or, you could run some hot water into the bowl.

 

J

jenssenkuek23

Lurker

Jul 12, 2017

27

0

• Jul 12, 2017

• #7

Okay, let me try that method! Thanks Have you all experienced this before?

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate

Nov 12, 2014

43,411

109,197

• Jul 12, 2017

• #8

Oh yeah.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate

Nov 12, 2014

43,411

109,197

• Jul 12, 2017

• #9

Just dry the outside of the pipe following the water.

 

mawnansmiff

Lifer

Oct 14, 2015

7,416

7,340

Sunny Cornwall, UK.

• Jul 12, 2017

• #10

"Alcohol and a pipe cleaner should do the trick."
"Or, alcohol and multiple pipe cleaners"
Or better still alcohol and bristled pipe cleaners. Follow that up with a good hot water rinse, dry off and Robert's your Mother's brother.
Regards,
Jay.

 

rcanderson

Might Stick Around

Jul 12, 2017

56

0

Aiea, Hawaii

• Jul 12, 2017

• #11

I am glad to see I am not the only newbie here. I also started puffing the pipe on July 1st. Haven't had any airflow issues yet besides the time I overpacked my bowl, but I'm starting to get the hang of bowl packing now. I make sure to run at least two pipe cleaners through the stem all the way to the bowl as soon as I finish a bowl to clean it out while it is still warm before it hardens on me. Haven't had to do anything else yet but I only use a pipe once a day and rotate between various pipes for my 3 to 4 bowls each day.

 

pipesmokingtom

Lifer

May 4, 2015

3,210

16

• Jul 12, 2017

• #12

Part of my post-smoking ritual is blowing hard through the stem to clear everything out.
Pick out the dottle, dump. Whack it on my palm, dump. Turn over and blow aggressively. Pipe cleaners.
This is all assuming I'm outside smoking, which I usually am.

 

J

jenssenkuek23

Lurker

Jul 12, 2017

27

0

• Jul 12, 2017

• #13

It is not the stem that is stuck. It is the shank. There is dirt blocking the air flow. Having a hard time to clean the dirt out.

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings

Jun 15, 2013

19,747

45,290

Southern Oregon

jrs457.wixsite.com

• Jul 12, 2017

• #14

Take a paperclip and straighten it out so that you have a straight length of wire. Remove the stem and push the wire, gently, into the airway. Push at the blockage until it gives and you poke a hole through it. Keep pushing against the edges of the hole to push more crap into the chamber, then dump the crap.
Once you have made a hole in the plug, wet a pipe cleaner with alcohol and push through the hole and scrub the plug to further erode it. Repeat scrubbing the plug until you have dissolved it. Buy yourself some tapered bristle cleaners and use them, with alcohol, to really scrub out the airway. first narrow end in then wide end in once the airway plug is sufficiently eroded. If the chamber has gotten so caked up that it's hard to clear the airway you will need to ream it out.

 

A

aldecaker

Lifer

Feb 13, 2015

4,407

42

• Jul 12, 2017

• #15

That's a hell of a blockage for only 11 days' smoking time. Is it a new pipe, or did you buy a pre-crudded estate pipe?

 

J

jenssenkuek23

Lurker

Jul 12, 2017

27

0

• Jul 12, 2017

• #16

It was cause I made a silly beginner mistake. It was prior to cleaning the shank after smoke.

 

J

jenssenkuek23

Lurker

Jul 12, 2017

27

0

• Jul 12, 2017

• #17

Take a paperclip and straighten it out so that you have a straight length of wire. Remove the stem and push the wire, gently, into the airway. Push at the blockage until it gives and you poke a hole through it. Keep pushing against the edges of the hole to push more crap into the chamber, then dump the crap.
Once you have made a hole in the plug, wet a pipe cleaner with alcohol and push through the hole and scrub the plug to further erode it. Repeat scrubbing the plug until you have dissolved it. Buy yourself some tapered bristle cleaners and use them, with alcohol, to really scrub out the airway. first narrow end in then wide end in once the airway plug is sufficiently eroded. If the chamber has gotten so caked up that it's hard to clear the airway you will need to ream it out.[/quote]
Thanks for this advice!