A horrible horrible pit.

[youngsterpuffer]

Okay so I got this pipe a little while back and hadnt smoked it for a while. Well today, i broke it out to start breaking it in, and all i could hear is this horrible crackling noise every hit i took. It sounded like liquid so I slowed down, let it go out and relit it. nothing worked. The lightest hit would make the loud noise. So i cleaned it out and found this. A deep pit that looks like it was formed by the drilling of the chamber. when i say deep, its at least 2/16". Is there any way to remedy this? I love how this pipe smokes other than catching liquid and gurgling like a geyser. heres the links to the pics on my profile.

http://pipesmagazine.com/members/youngsterpuffer/album/picture/12761

http://pipesmagazine.com/members/youngsterpuffer/album/picture/12762

 

[zack24]

It's bad drilling, but I'm betting that's not the problem. More likely, you have a tight airway with a big gap between the end of the stem tenon and the bottom of the mortise. High speed air goes in, hits the gap, condenses out and it gurgles…

 

[condorlover1]

Zack is spot on. Your pipe has become your very own distillation column. It is a shame as that looks like a wonderful pipe.

 

[zack24]

I only know that 'cause I screwed up that gap on a couple of my early pipes...trying to keep the gap at around .015- that allows for the wood to expand, but not enough space for condensation...

 

[condorlover1]

Yep…thats why I stopped smoking briar pipes chum!

 

[youngsterpuffer]

ouch. So theres no way to really fix it? i love this pipe i just wish i could make it stop gurgling.

 

[mso489]

You pulled the short straw on that one, I'm afraid. I've bought fifty pipes (a few more counting the ones

I've traded) and never saw this problem. You don't have to give up briars. You just need another pipe,

and better luck next time. This is unfortunate, but pretty rare. I'd get a pipe that works, then decide if

you want to send this to a pipe repairman and see what the fix would be, and how much. For the same

price, you might be able to get another pipe.

 

[youngsterpuffer]

Might as well. I mean other than the gurgling it smokes very well. Nice and cool and a fairly large bowl. Damn. Gonna bite it on 40 bucks i guess. oh well. Just another reason to get another pipe.

 

[zack24]

Yep...fix would involve opening draft in shank and cutting new stem so the tenon would hit the bottom of the mortise...but when you have a drilling as far off as that one, it's a sign of bad mechanics overall...

 

[youngsterpuffer]

Darn. It's a shame because the man who made it makes artisan pipes that sell for around 100-300. I feel like I got cheated on this one. Oh well. I have my cobs I guess. LOL

 

[portascat]

Couldn't just fill the pit with pipe mud?

 

[youngsterpuffer]

ive thought about that, but have never done it before. Is it difficult? Other than that, it sort of sucks because the draft hole seems to be off to the side of the bowl, then right beside it is the dip, where it seems to keep all the condensation. I put a pipe cleaner through it after a smoke, and it pushed liquid into the bowl and soaked the cleaner. Rough situation.

 

[zack24]

You're chasing the wrong direction- the hole at the bottom of the tobacco chamber is not the problem…When I make a pipe and miss that badly on the tobacco chamber-draft hole drilling, it becomes a shop pipe…and it smokes just fine as long as I have a good drilling on the shank and stem…Here's a video I did on drilling that might give you a good overview…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DPYYbMV0Fg

 

[youngsterpuffer]

Okay now I see what you mean. Alright. Just bad luck with this one I guess.