Bleach and Stingers?

[fireandoil]

Recently picked up an estate and am cleaning it up but it's got a ton of oxidation on the stem. Usually I give stems a bleach bath to get the worst of the oxidation off...
... but this one's got a stinger in it. Is it safe to give stems with a stinger a soak in the bleach solution? Love this little briar and don't wanna kill it with ignorance...
Thanks, guys!

 

[beefeater33]

If you can't remove the stinger from the stem(some are removable, some not), I would coat the stinger in Vaseline, then bleach. The bleach will eat away at the stinger if unprotected. Usually results in a dull, discoloring..... it won't dissolve it away though. Err on the cautious side, protect the stinger....... ::

 

[fluffie666]

I wouldn't bleach a stem. There are much better ways to get oxidation off. If it's extreme then oxiclean, magic eraser and micro mesh is a good method. If the stinger is badly clogged, some high proof alcohol and pipe cleaners should do the trick. Vinegar is another way to clean the stinger.

 

[fireandoil]

Thanks guys! The stinger i pretty clean already so I'm not worried about cleaning it up, it's just an issue of oxidation on the vulcanite. I've had good luck with a combination of weak bleach solution followed by a magic eraser. I'll coat the stinger and threads in vaseline, though - that's a great idea.

 

[peteguy]

I like what fluffie is saying. I believe georged told me not to bleach stems at all - good advice.

 

[fluffie666]

Honestly, I'm not even sure oxiclean is the best way to go. Why add more oxygen to something that can oxidize? The method used to remove the oxidation, I believe, is a case by case decision and better decisions come by trial. I've removed far to much material from some stems for no good reason. Now I try my best to remove as little good material as I can while at the same time, removing all the oxidation. It takes lots of practice. I'm still learning. It's a process.

 

[danielplainview]

Be sure to plug the draft as well as coating the stinger. The bleach will eat the stinger from the inside out.

 

[ianscottmoyes]

I'm BRAND new to this pipe repairing malarchy and trying to learn fast.
This is probably a stupid question but, what about using hydrogen peroxide on stems?