I cannot get a grabow Omega unclogged!

[papapauly]

Hello all,

I am a new member here and hopefully someone can help me out. I typically smoke cobs, I know cobs well as far as how and when to clean them up but I recently decided to try some briar pipes, several of the p&c basket pipes as well as a Dr. Grabow Omega. No matter what type pipe cleaner I use I cannot get it to go through to the bowl of the omega pipe. It has à nasty clog or something because the draw isn't clean anymore. I can manage to clear every other bent pipe I own except the omega, any advise on how to fix this? Thanks in advance for any help

 

[Chasing Embers]

Is the clog in the stem or the bowl?

 

[pagan]

Put alcohol down the stem with a dropper and let it sit a bit then continue with stiff pipe cleaners

 

[papapauly]

At the bowl, I can get the pipe cleaner 90% of the way down and then it is stuck right where bowl and stem meet

 

[mcitinner1]

Do you mean that the pipe is still assembled while you're trying this? Take it apart with a twisting motion.

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

"stuck right where bowl and stem meet "
Have you not taken the stem off at all? The Omega accepts a filter, is one in there? A lot of room for gunk, take the stem off and clean it.

 

[ejames]

Like the Monk said,lots of room in the shank of an Omega. Also the airway drilling is at a different angle than the mortise. The Omega's are drilled a lot like the Peterson system pipes,they have a small "well" at the bottom of the mortise.Remove the stem and use Q-tips to clean the "well" and holding your tongue just right- a pipe cleaner through the airway.

https://pipedia.org/images/thumb/9/95/System1.jpg/400px-System1.jpg

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Hey, Ed, how's it going?

 

[ejames]

Going great Alex !

 

[danielplainview]

Hey Monk, good to see you on PipesMag.

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Nice seeing some familiar faces here.

 

[papapauly]

I did not explain that well, it has the military bit and the bit is removed when I try to clean it, it is the briar stem not the bit where I am stuck, it is apart when I clean it

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Can you take a picture or something? Having trouble visualizing what you're trying to convey. The "Briar stem" is the problem? You mean shank?....

 

[papapauly]

Yes, the shank, thank you for giving me the correct term. At the bottom of the shank the pipe cleaner will not go into the bowl, and it did when I first started smoking the pipe,

 

[ejames]

I did not explain that well, it has the military bit and the bit is removed when I try to clean it, it is the briar stem not the bit where I am stuck, it is apart when I clean it

Take a good look at that photo I posted and you'll see how your pipe is drilled. It can be quite tricky to get a pipe cleaner through the airway of the bowl. You may just be hitting the bottom of the well. Sometimes ( on any pipe that is clogged) it may help to run a pipe cleaner through from the bottom of the bowl instead of going through the shank.

 

[papapauly]

Thanks for the help everybody, I appreciate the help.....Were I a bit more up to speed on terminology this might have gone a bit smoother! Now I'm off to try all the tricks on this page until the pipe smokes right again

 

[jpmcwjr]

I've sometimes used the pick of pipe tool to get through to the heel of the bowl.

 

[mso489]

ejames, I had no idea that Dr. Grabow Omegas were drilled like Peterson systems pipes. That is really intriguing. papapauli's pipe seems to be jammed with something, probably a piece of tobacco or stem, or waded pipe cleaner fluff (unlikely). Seems like this is fairly rare, since these pipes have tremendous sales and yet not so many complaints that I know of. I have only the Royaltons, a bent bulldog and an "apple" that looks to me more like a prince shape. I've never had any problem with them, but I suspect they do not have the chambered drilling. I learn something every time I read Forums.

 

[seagullplayer]

If I had such a clog and had no luck with everything mentioned, I might go to the air compressor in the garage.

 

[ray47]

^^^^^^^^^ I've used an air compressor in the past and it worked everytime. I like to clean a stem with some Everclear and then use the air compressor.