Is it safe to ream a corncob

[oldmansmoking]

Just wondered what your views of reaming the carbon in a corncob. Or any views of someone who has done it.

On my cobs without a hard wood base I always glue a coin to fit the base on the outside of the bottom so I don't get burn through and to protect the soft bottoms.

Not so much a problem with MM Corncobs as they put the stem right through the smoking chamber.

 

[aldecaker]

I've only owned MM cobs. I have a Dr. Grabow-branded cob I used years ago, but it is actually manufactured by MM.
I wouldn't use anything sharper than a Buttner type reamer on a cob.

 

[oldmansmoking]

Thank you I myself have a Buttner reamer so when the time comes will carefully give it a try. Slowly and carefully. I find genuinely they don't carbon up as much as briars do.

Not sure why that is!

 

[fishnbanjo]

I use my ReamNKleen in my cobs some that lived over 13 years, would have probably gone longer had it not dropped out of my pocket and got run over by a truck. Just make sure you stop short of seeing kernels, that is leave some cake and mark your reamer so you know where the safe zone is in the future, regards.

banjo

 

[oldmansmoking]

Thank you, the hardest thing I find when reaming is getting to that difficult part at the bottom, I have used a small screwdriver to get it in control, but it's risky.

Any tips will be appreciated.

 

[ray47]

I use a 40 caliber bore brush on my cobs after each smoke. I've got 10 yr old cobs where you can still see the kernel pattern inside the bowls.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I use a wet rag.

 

[didimauw]

I do ream my cobs, but only after it gets as thick as ten cents worth of cake... in nickels. But always regret it, cause it's just not the same.

 

[fishnbanjo]

I use my Laguiole pipe scraper for the bottom it's the only pipe tool I trust, just push down alongside the wall to break up the excess TheNativetrout small scraping should suffice, I have often considered grinding the bottom of one and my ReamNKleen tools just for cobs but have held off since my current method works, regards.

banjo

 

[mso489]

Wipe them out after a smoke with a paper towel or napkin to keep the cake down to a thin carbon coating and you'll never need to ream. This works fine for briar pipes as well. There is a whole cohort of contrarians here on Forums who do the same. Works fine.

 

[jvnshr]

Wipe them out after a smoke with a paper towel or napkin to keep the cake down to a thin carbon coating and you'll never need to ream.

MSO, I do that however they still grow cake. I have 4 MM corn cobs that I bought in 2015 and after 2 years of smoking I had to ream them (a week ago).

 

[jitterbugdude]

I use a 40 caliber bore brush on my cobs after each smoke. I've got 10 yr old cobs where you can still see the kernel pattern inside the bowls

Excellent idea!

 

[mawnansmiff]

I also use a British Buttner reamer on my cobs but I do so very carefully.
As for glueing a coin to the underside of the bowl to prevent a burnout, I'd be very interested to hear how that works.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[aldecaker]

Sounds like it would work, but at the expense of weight. I already have clench problems with my beloved MMs, due to the balance.