GBD Virgin Perspex

[donjgiles]

I recently picked this pipe up and the refresh was rather simple but the stem did give me troubles.
I tried Nature's Solvent (spit), Barkeepers Friend, Hot Soap and Water, and Everclear. None of those worked, at all.
The only thing that worked? Acetone, or in this case, nail polish remover.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I clean them with an over night soak in lemon juice then finish with a bristle pipe cleaner and whitening toothpaste.

 

[mso489]

Good for you. I'd be leary, not knowing the chemistry of specific plastics and what might cloud or discolor them, but it sounds like you got it right. As a footnote, the latest paper catalog from Iwan Ries, a former sponsor anyway, shows a half page or so of new GBD pipes I hadn't seen before with them, at moderate prices, for those who like English pipes but not always the prices.

 

[ssjones]

Brilliant, glad it worked!

 

[Chasing Embers]

I recently picked this pipe up and the refresh was rather simple but the stem did give me troubles.
I tried Nature's Solvent (spit), Barkeepers Friend, Hot Soap and Water, and Everclear. None of those worked, at all.
The only thing that worked? Acetone, or in this case, nail polish remover.

On my next perspex stem I'm trying that.?

 

[donjgiles]

Once I had the airway clean, which happened relatively quickly, I immediately rinsed the stem with water and worked a water soaked pipe cleaner through to get all the nail polish remover out of the airway as quickly as possible.

 

[Elric]

Brilliant!

 

[Chasing Embers]

Yikes, just read that acetone can dissolve acrylic products like perspex or lucite over time!

 

[donjgiles]

I just checked my pipe, and you are right....

The entire stem has disappeared!

 

[scloyd]

The entire stem has disappeared!

The stem looks looked good.

 

[donjgiles]

I am joking, of course.
But I do think the key is to remove any residual acetone as quickly as possible. I would not recommend letting the acetone soak at all, it cleans very quickly! Cold water flush, water soaked pipe cleaner, more cold water flush and all will be well.

 

[bent1]

Looks good, will try it. I‘ve used Soft Scrub with a bristle pipe cleaner, but it takes a while.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

I have posted previously that the old Smokers Haven (the leading seller of GBD Perspex stems ever) formula of 50% IPA and 50% acetone applied by running a pipe cleaner soaked in the solution through the stem works. The evaporation is virtually instantaneous, no need to rinse. Don’t believe me? Try it, wait a few seconds after you run the soaked cleaner through the stem ,then run a fresh cleaner through it. It will be dryer than a popcorn fart, in less time than it would take you to turn the water tap on.

 

[donjgiles]

It was your post that made me ask, in desperation, if my girlfriend had any nail polish remover (acetone)
Thank you for that.