Cake, Water Cleaning and a Mistake

[stokesdale]

I have NEVER flushed my pipes with water and have NEVER used (grain) alcohol or any other such thing to "flush" my pipes and I've been smoking pipes for nearly 40 years. ALL my pipes are in fantastic shape with minimal cake. There is NO need to do this especially given the daily routine you outline.

 

[mikethompson]

Maybe @jpmcwjr is part of a Smokingpipes plot designed for us to ruin our pipes so we have to buy new ones?

I've cleaned out estates with warm water with no ill effects, so ymmv.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Sorry if some of you were labelled luddites, or old-stuck-in-your-ways, or douchebags, but I hope I didn't contribute to name calling. If I did, point it out and I will apologize.

And, yes, I am part of the cabal that is not interested in ruining your pipes, but driving you to use alcohol or especially special pipe cleaners/sweeteners/refreshers that the other division of my cabal sells.

 

[jvnshr]

I’m starting to realize now, once a cake thickness has been achieved, wipe the chamber out right after smoking to hopefully remove excess buildup, so there is never a need for a reamer in the future... ?

Exactly. When I started smoking pipes I didn't touch the bowls while cleaning my pipes. I remember using a reamer for the first time after a year or so of smoking. Then I started using folded pipe cleaners to clean the bowls. It has been 4 years already, the cake buildup has been really slow. But after seeing this

You got it.? This one's been with me since '92 and has never needed reaming nor oxidation removed.

View attachment 56104

I am definitely moving to paper towel cleaning method.

 

[Papamique]

I used to do a water flush and still do from time to time. Usually after a deep clean (new estates or soggy pipe) with grain alcohol (Black Magic Rum or vodka) I will let it air dry for a day and then flush it out with tap water and let it air dry again before using.
But 90% of the time it’s neither.

 

[jvnshr]

I wouldn't worry about removing all the cake. I do it all the time... don't worry it will grow back

Sure, but that will take some time

jv- Your bowl will be hotter as you've removed some serious cake which provides some insulation. I keep my cake thin, and it has no ash in it.

Water on vulcanite will display what oxidation is already there, but a quick wipe with a half drop of mineral oil and it'll be back to where it was, perhaps a touch better.

You are right, that is why I called it a mistake. And just for clarification, the mistake wasn't trying the water cleaning method, but scraping off the walls of the bowls. My question is, now I have a fresh pipe, do I start washing it after every smoke or do I let some cake to build up then start washing? If I wash it right after my first smoke, the water will prevent the buildup of the cake. Or let me put it that way, I have a new pipe with a clean bowl, after the inaugurational smoke do you wash it?

In my experience, very hot water doesn't oxidize vulcanite. It merely exposes what is there. I've repeated this several hundred times.

Hot water will oxidize it though.

I have 3 pipes with vulcanite stem. Aside from running a pipe cleaner through them after every smoke, I have done nothing, all 3 were in a good condition. I washed them with warm water and all three oxidized. This is what happened to the stem of my Peterson System 31 pipe

 

[jvnshr]

I'm one of those evil doubters who does not endorse the water method. After my last experience of being pilloried for saying it might not be a good idea, I tried it on a few pipes I didn't plan on keeping and had bad results like the pipe having worse flavor and smoking hotter. However we all know that the water method is perfect and people like me who don't like it are evil ********s. So, ignore that you or I might not have good results with it as we are terrible people and most likely eat kittens for breakfast, toasted with some baby seal blubber.

Oh come on, you are taking all the fun out of it. After all, we are just bunch of guys who spend too much time on tools that are simply manufactured to burn tobacco.

Where's the mistake?

My mistake was scraping off the cake.

 

[sablebrush52]

Sorry if some of you were labelled luddites, or old-stuck-in-your-ways, or douchebags, but I hope I didn't contribute to name calling. If I did, point it out and I will apologize.

And, yes, I am part of the cabal that is not interested in ruining your pipes, but driving you to use alcohol or especially special pipe cleaners/sweeteners/refreshers that the other division of my cabal sells.

I certainly never called any of these Luddites or douche bags Luddites or douche bags. That would be judgemental and rude.

 

[jvnshr]

Sorry if some of you were labelled luddites, or old-stuck-in-your-ways, or douchebags, but I hope I didn't contribute to name calling. If I did, point it out and I will apologize.

And, yes, I am part of the cabal that is not interested in ruining your pipes, but driving you to use alcohol or especially special pipe cleaners/sweeteners/refreshers that the other division of my cabal sells.

I was more interested in this method after reading @cosmicfolklore's post; he stated that his pipes didn't smell.

 

[Grangerous]

I disassemble a pipe after each smoke, wipe the chamber with a paper towel, swab the mortise with Q-tips, run a pipe cleaner through the stem and draft hole, reassemble and often wax. Never needed a reamer on a newly purchased pipe, and have never had one go sour.

Ditto on the wax. I rub my tenons on any candle and my stems twist easily hot or cool.

Uh. Someone’s bound to snicker at how that read.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I'm one of those evil doubters who does not endorse the water method. After my last experience of being pilloried for saying it might not be a good idea, I tried it on a few pipes I didn't plan on keeping and had bad results like the pipe having worse flavor and smoking hotter. However we all know that the water method is perfect and people like me who don't like it are evil ********s. So, ignore that you or I might not have good results with it as we are terrible people and most likely eat kittens for breakfast, toasted with some baby seal blubber.

Are you trolling the correct masses? I bet you smell like Mixture 79, Its a sign of demonic possession.. that and not washing your pipes.

 

[captainsousie]

Are you trolling the correct masses? I bet you smell like Mixture 79, Its a sign of demonic possession.. that and not washing your pipes.

My mother-in-law is always complaining that I smell of Captain Black Grape. I wonder if it means the same thing. I'm rather tubby so I'm sure there is room for a few more demons...

 

[karam]

My question is, now I have a fresh pipe, do I start washing it after every smoke or do I let some cake to build up then start washing? If I wash it right after my first smoke, the water will prevent the buildup of the cake. Or let me put it that way, I have a new pipe with a clean bowl, after the inaugurational smoke do you wash it?

No, not right away, but after 10-15 smokes I would.

I just washed three of my most used pipes, two are for VaPers and the other is for Latakia. The VaPer pipes smell sweetish and woody, with a hint of something burnt, and the Latakia pipe smells like a Latakia blend in the tin.