Cool Down Time for a Pipe

[craig61a]

After I'm done smoking it, I'll set it aside for several minutes, or a day or two...

If it's a well pipe, I'll usually wipe out the excess moisture right away, as it's kind of a PITA to do so later. Same with Kaywoodies. Those types of pipes are meant to be taken apart often.

Sometimes I'll rinse it with water, sometimes I won't...

Almost always run a pipe cleaner through the draft.

On some I do a thorough cleaning 6 months or a couple years, depending on how much it gets smoked.

My point... I have none. Pipes are somewhat resilient. They aren't precision pieces of engineering that need constant maintenance.

 

[mikebjrtx]

Been a dog guy my whole life. Sickingly enough I prefer hot to cold. Either way my dog looks back at me like I am a poopaphiliac degenerate

Seriously, who’s saving this stuff?

 

[mikebjrtx]

I’m not a perfect smoker. Not every bowl is sweet and burned down to clean grey ash. I leave those to sit and cool. The nasties get dumped immediately regardless of temperature.

 

[mso489]

For anyone who is mystified by this discussion, I should say that there is a long time prohibition in some pipe circles against removing the stem of a pipe while it is still hot from smoking. For many years, and to some degree still, this was a sort of dogma. And broken stems and mortise have certainly occurred, or at least, this is the belief. Several stalwart smokers on Forums laugh off this precent and report it causes no problems. On the other hand, there is some practical sense in not dismantling a pipe until the ember is cold, so as not to spill it, as someone mentioned. I still follow the old superstition, as a kind of magical rite, or unless I forget, which hasn't caused any problems either.

 

[Kissel bixby]

It seems to make sense if heat expands there is a better chance to break because of possibly using more force. My most expensive pipes are 50$ so I would think easier to break. If I had a 200$ pipe I would stress out every time I took it apart.

 

[mikebjrtx]

Don’t take it apart hot for sure, but dump nasty immediately. You can even water flush it warranted.

 

[mikebjrtx]

I’m a firm believer in not forcing things. That’s why if it’s too tight I never force it, I just go get a bigger hammer.

 

[mikebjrtx]

Nasty doesn’t much get into the tight gap between the stem and shank. Leave that alone, but dump and flush nasty before it has a chance to soak in.

 

[anotherbob]

Hi pipers... When I finish a bowl, I know to let it cool before taking apart to clean. But is there any need to cool before I dump the ash or lightly scrape the bowl? How long should a cool down take? Thanks!
Tom

from my understanding it's just the stem and the wood expanding from heat that is why you are told to wait. The thing is if you force it the pipe might crack. So as long as you don't have to force it

 

[kcghost]

When I am done I remove the dottle with my pipe tool, scrape the inside of the bowl with the blade of the tool, then I run a clean pipe cleaner through it, and set aside for at least a day.

 

[Chasing Embers]

My most expensive pipes are 50$ so I would think easier to break. If I had a 200$ pipe I would stress out every time I took it apart.

No substantial difference between the two, I treat them all the same.

 

[ncshawn]

I dump the ash and scrape or wipe the bowl immediately and wait for the cool down to clean. No problems here.

 

[bullet08]

Every one of my pipes get disassembled right after the smoke. It's easier to clean that way for me. So far, none of them broke. I'm sure there is a chance the mortise or the stem will break, but so far no issues.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Every one of my pipes get disassembled right after the smoke. It's easier to clean that way for me. So far, none of them broke. I'm sure there is a chance the mortise or the stem will break, but so far no issues.

All the gunk is easier to clean when it's warm.