Drying corn cob pipe in the car

[arthoz]

Is it ok to leave my corn cob pipes in my car glove box during the day to dry up? Just for context, I once left a stick of candle in the glove box and came back to find it in a pool of wax on the floor.

 

[haparnold]

I've never tried it myself, but a cob shouldn't be damaged by the heat. Worst case scenario: it somehow gets ruined, and you're out the cost of a new cob. Best case scenario: you find a great new trick.

 

[mikethompson]

Arthoz, you are probably over thinking it. Unless you have a airtight glove box which would trap moisture, you are good to go. Cobs are notoriously durable.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

One word of advice I'd give is to make sure you let that pipe cool down completely before filling and smoking. I've left mine in the car after only a half bowl, returning at lunch to retrieve it and finish the rest. That was the hottest damn near unpleasant smoke I ever had. The pipe itself was hotter than it was when I smoke it, so that heat transferred over into the tobacco.

 

[davek]

I set them in the sun to dry up all the time. Helps a lot if you've smoked one too much. Only thing I would worry about is the plastic.

 

[mso489]

I'm one of these sentimentalists who does not think of cob pipes as disposable. I either buy them with acrylic stems or fit them with Forever stems. The point being that I wouldn't select a cob as a car pipe to bake (on very low heat by oven standards) in the Southern heat during the summer. I'd leave a cob in the car if I parked while traveling, but I wouldn't store it there regularly. I think some of my inexpensive briars would be somewhat more durable, and I'd choose those to live in the car if I needed that. I think pipes do best if they stay in the temperature and humidity zones of the owners as much as possible.

 

[wolflarsen]

I set them in the sun to dry up all the time. Helps a lot if you've smoked one too much. Only thing I would worry about is the plastic.

I also set them out in the summer sun to freshen them up, however I like to pull the stems off first.

 

[piper64]

Leave mine in my van had no problem yet.

 

[crashthegrey]

I was really hoping for a video to accompany this post.

 

[arthoz]

Thanks for sharing the information. Someone should make a video on this as "young" pipers like me have tendency towards watching video tutorial than reading stuff off the forums. I guess corn cobs really are tough. Was worried because being a hobbyist bowyer sometimes I over cured my wood stave or bamboo in my car and they cracked.
Here in Malaysia we have tendency of the weather to be extremely hot and humid or hot and wet...occasionally it's cool and floody. I think my cobs feel a bit damp in the evening when the sun is down.
Will take note from carolinachurchwarden to make sure the cobs cool down before a smoking session. I have a feeling that I could successfully roast a chicken in my car if I put my mind to it.

 

[lawdawg]

I also set them out in the summer sun to freshen them up, however I like to pull the stems off first.

+1
I do the same. The first time I ever put some cobs out in the sun, I left the stems in them, and one of the "tenons" on the nicer MM acrylic stems got a bit deformed. It still smokes fine, though I now take the stems off (and leave the stems in the house) before putting the cobs in the sun to avoid possible warping / deforming of the stems.