Cleaning Blocked Pipe ?

[Budda]

I got my 1st clogged Blokage only 2 month of use. I Bet U the Traditional chinese & Chereokee indian Pipes Never had these problems.
This pipe did not come with any cleaning instructions. I pulled apart for 1st time -its a push fit, & noticed the blockage in the brass filter -Not the actual bowl, by blowing. When I looked at the brass filter I see black goo surrounding it- so what is the best Method of cleaning it ???? hot water, detergent , Methylated spirit, -what makes it worse is the Brass filter has 2 rubber/Plastic Orings embedded in it - so I worry chemical cleaning could Ruin these ????

 

[dd57chevy]

Can you post photos ?

 

[xrundog]

Hmm, I think you have one of those non traditional pipes. I will say that any metal fitting will benefit from an alcohol bath of some sort. Poke a wire or paper clip through openings to clear them. Clean the rubber pieces with soap and water. Clean remaining air passages with pipe cleaners or swabs and alcohol.

 

[The Benedictine]

If it's a stinger, I'd just pull it out.

 

[xrundog]

If it's a stinger, I'd just pull it out.

I think he has one of those unusual Chinese pipes.

 

[warren]

I got my 1st clogged Blokage only 2 month of use. I Bet U the Traditional chinese & Chereokee indian Pipes Never had these problems.

You really need to learn how to maintain your tools.

I feel I'm being suckered in answering such a question. But, it's soooo much fun.

 

[The Benedictine]

I think he has one of those unusual Chinese pipes.

 

[sablebrush52]

I got my 1st clogged Blokage only 2 month of use. I Bet U the Traditional chinese & Chereokee indian Pipes Never had these problems.
This pipe did not come with any cleaning instructions. I pulled apart for 1st time -its a push fit, & noticed the blockage in the brass filter -Not the actual bowl, by blowing. When I looked at the brass filter I see black goo surrounding it- so what is the best Method of cleaning it ???? hot water, detergent , Methylated spirit, -what makes it worse is the Brass filter has 2 rubber/Plastic Orings embedded in it - so I worry chemical cleaning could Ruin these ????

Get yourself some B J Long pipe bristle cleaners and some alcohol. Dip one end of a pipe cleaner in the alcohol and insert it into the shank, moving it back and forth to loosen up the crud. Repeat with a clean pipe cleaner dipped in alcohol until there's little to no crud on it.
Do the same with the stem, but not with bristle pipe cleaners. Use regular pipe cleaners dipped in alcohol, scrubbing out the interior until the crud is removed.
Then, reassemble. You should clean out the pipe after every smoke, not every few months.

 

[warren]

I wonder why it only effects Cherokee and not Sioux or Seminole or other tribes. Just Cherokee. Strange!

 

[Searock Fan]

A friend asked me to clean a used pipe he had bought at an estate sale. He had tried but gave up. It was a half bent and would not draw at all. To me it was obvious the owner had not taken care of it as the bowl needed a good reaming, which I gave it. Still blocked and couldn't get my trusty tool made from a piece of metal coat hanger, let alone a pipe cleaner, through it. Total blockage. So, I resorted to a technique I've used before. Removed the stem, put the pipe in a glass jar and filled it to the rim with water, put the lid on and let it sit for a month. When I removed it, it was still blocked but after using my waterpix with hot water and high pressure, in the shank and down in the bottom of the bowl, I was able to break up the blockage and clean it out with a bristle pipe cleaner. Pipe saved.

 

[OzPiper]

A friend asked me to clean a used pipe he had bought at an estate sale. He had tried but gave up. It was a half bent and would not draw at all. To me it was obvious the owner had not taken care of it as the bowl needed a good reaming, which I gave it. Still blocked and couldn't get my trusty tool made from a piece of metal coat hanger, let alone a pipe cleaner, through it. Total blockage. So, I resorted to a technique I've used before. Removed the stem, put the pipe in a glass jar and filled it to the rim with water, put the lid on and let it sit for a month. When I removed it, it was still blocked but after using my waterpix with hot water and high pressure, in the shank and down in the bottom of the bowl, I was able to break up the blockage and clean it out with a bristle pipe cleaner. Pipe saved.

A set of small drill bits or jewellers’ screwdrivers are just the tools for removing inspissated from shanks and mortises.
Saves a lot of time.
And having to use a whole pack of cleaners and alcohol.

 

[ChubbyOldHiker]

Small drill bits definitely work; screwed into the draft hole, they grab solids and pull them back with the bit when you withdraw it. This afternoon, I cleared one of my Brighams that clogs like an old man's colon with a 3/32" bit and it worked brilliantly. I had to hold the bit with a pair of needlenose pliers to get deep enough into the stummel but it worked. After that, you may have some tar to clear--tar is very soluble in rubbing alcohol (isopropyl, I use 70% but 91% may work better, still testing), so soak a few Q-tips to swab out the mortise, and then a few pipe cleaners to clear out the draft hole. Let the stummel sit for at least a day, more depending on the quality of briar, and you'll be smoking good thereafter.

You could also fill the bowl with isopropyl alcohol and let it loosen the clog that way. But keep in mind that it will soak into the walls of the bowl and take a long time to evaporate out. Any bowl coating will be nuked as well. But it beats having a nice pipe that you can't smoke.

 

[Gerald Boone]

A friend asked me to clean a used pipe he had bought at an estate sale. He had tried but gave up. It was a half bent and would not draw at all. To me it was obvious the owner had not taken care of it as the bowl needed a good reaming, which I gave it. Still blocked and couldn't get my trusty tool made from a piece of metal coat hanger, let alone a pipe cleaner, through it. Total blockage. So, I resorted to a technique I've used before. Removed the stem, put the pipe in a glass jar and filled it to the rim with water, put the lid on and let it sit for a month. When I removed it, it was still blocked but after using my waterpix with hot water and high pressure, in the shank and down in the bottom of the bowl, I was able to break up the blockage and clean it out with a bristle pipe cleaner. Pipe saved.

Thank you I might get an estate pipe sometime and now have your experience on how to save it.

 

[didimauw]

What is the pipe made out of?

 

[Searock Fan]

What is the pipe made out of?

Briar. Other techniques work too. Drilling can be dangerous. Once and only once, I had a drill bit go off course and went right through the front of the bowl. Fortunately, I know how to repair that.

 

[Mike N]

A straight piece of galvanized baling wire (maybe 12 gauge or so) run through the shank usually loosens up a difficult clog. Then a tapered pipe cleaner. In rare cases, I‘ve also used a long drill bit attached to a hand held pin vise drill chuck (it’s like a screwdriver handle) which you can get on Amazon for $10.

 

[didimauw]

Briar. Other techniques work too. Drilling can be dangerous. Once and only once, I had a drill bit go off course and went right through the front of the bowl. Fortunately, I know how to repair that.

I was wondering about @Budda Pipe. Theres talk of brass metal and rubber. It sounds like a different style of pipe to me. I was gifted one once that looked like wood, but was plastic with a metal insert in the bowl with 3 holes instead of one.

 

[Searock Fan]

I was wondering about @Budda Pipe. Theres talk of brass metal and rubber. It sounds like a different style of pipe to me. I was gifted one once that looked like wood, but was plastic with a metal insert in the bowl with 3 holes instead of one.

Sounds like something for file 13!

 

[ThermionicScott]

Sounds like something for file 13!

+1. OP hasn't been back since starting the thread.

 

[Doctor Chopper]

I use a hex wrench. Strong, variable sizes, and fairly blunt. The T-handle makes it easy. A twisting motion gives a gentle ream to clear the debris without injuring the pipe. I prefer this over the drill bits which have sharper edges.