Can We Talk About Water Glass (Sodium Silicate)?

[renfield]

I’ve used water glass/ sodium silicate to repair / modify pipes a few times. The hardened silicate quickly gets a layer of cake and no longer comes into contact with the smoke stream.

I don’t think it’s the compound itself that is the problem but the inhalation of it in a fibrous form.

Once the silicate has been heated to about 215F it debonds from the water molecules and becomes a glass with a transition temperature of over 1,000F.

 

[proteus]

I can see that sodium silicate could have special applications in some repairs and/or restorations. That gets into an area of expertise I don't claim to have. But I wouldn't like to see it dropped on consumers in factory pipes or sold as a general remedy for pipes.

Not to get fanciful, but I wonder if the old homespun tradition of coating new pipe bowls with honey was addressing burn-out problems, since it was designed to generate cake thus avoiding burn-out. It probably has some insulating properties as well. It's organic and I doubt it has any deleterious health effects.

I don't use honey on pipes except when it is offered by the pipe shop, and then I do it just for the old tradition, more social than for preserving the pipe. My uncoated pipes have broken in well, no coatings necessary.

Honey makes a great cigar glue too

 

[proteus]

Another use of sodium silicate is to "glue up" paper cartridges for black powder rifles or revolvers, etc.

I've used it like you said for full brass BP shells. And Duco cement and silicone caulk works too. And SS will kill your engine if you put in the gas tank. Cash for cars...

 

[anantaandroscoggin]

It's also a good reason to wear a mask or two when your area is currently receiving Volcanic Ash fallout from upwind. A large percentage of volcanic ash turns out to be nearly-powdered volcanic glass. Extremely sharp edges! Change your vehicle air-cleaner often too, and for the same reason, though the cylinder walls and pistons are much harder than lung tissue.

I was 45 miles away (in N Portland) when Mount St. Helens blew its top.

 

[woodrow]

Great thread, and I’ve heard about the application. It’s certainly a professional restoration technique.
Ive had very good luck with plaster/charcoal/ and salt mix For chambers. I’ve used JB weld as well, and covered that with a bowl coating.
Water Glass is used by the pros though.

 

[monty55]

Glad this has generated some healthy conversation.

To be clear, I was not intending to use this as a bowl coating, but rather to make a pipe mud with for bowl repair on a spot of initial burnout.

I've never had a briar burnout yet, but I have a Churchwarden my daughter bought me at the renaissance festival years ago that is made from olive wood. I only smoked it twice. It smoke fine except the second time I smoke it I could smell and taste the olive wood burning. Sure enough it started to burn a spot in the bottom of the bowl, so I put it away till I figured out how I wanted to address it. This is what I originally intended to use the SS for.

The pipe still sits, unaddressed. The sodium silicate went into the trash because it was old.

Thanks everyone for your input.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Glad this has generated some healthy conversation.

To be clear, I was not intending to use this as a bowl coating, but rather to make a pipe mud with for bowl repair on a spot of initial burnout.

I've never had a briar burnout yet, but I have a Churchwarden my daughter bought me at the renaissance festival years ago that is made from olive wood. I only smoked it twice. It smoke fine except the second time I smoke it I could smell and taste the olive wood burning. Sure enough it started to burn a spot in the bottom of the bowl, so I put it away till I figured out how I wanted to address it. This is what I originally intended to use the SS for.

The pipe still sits, unaddressed. The sodium silicate went into the trash because it was old.

Thanks everyone for your input.

And what do you intend to add to it ?
I contemplate wood ash.

 

[monty55]

And what do you intend to add to it ?
I contemplate wood ash.

I have some hardwood (oak) ash I can use, but there is also a cigar lounge in town that I could get some cigar ash from. I think either will work, as they have worked for others for many years.

 

[orlandofurioso]

I have some hardwood (oak) ash I can use, but there is also a cigar lounge in town that I could get some cigar ash from. I think either will work, as they have worked for others for many years.

The one time I coated a chamber with sodium silicate and water glass my pipe tasted foul and bitter.
Since then my way to go for a chamber coating is an organic maple syrup and activated charcoal one; just finished two chamber coatings. No harm, no foul.
For pipe cement water glass might work perfectly though and I will try soon mixed with a
very fine oak wood ash.