Is There A Way To Raise The Heel?

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Charlie718

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 25, 2021
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I have a basket pipe I’m rather attached to and it smokes great with the exception of the draft hole being higher then the heel causing me to waste good tobac. I read a thread from 2015 that mentioned either Pipe-Mud or maybe a non-toxic high heat clay? The thread ended without a solution to raising the heel so I was wondering if anyone has found a good method before I go and experiment on my basket pipe.
2D83BE0F-4D5A-4E3A-B668-1436E2459DE2.jpeg
The draft hole being off center hasn’t bothered me lol.
 

BarrelProof

Lifer
Mar 29, 2020
2,701
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The Last Frontier
Definitely misread the title of this thread. I thought it said is there a way to raise hell. I jumped on here about to invite you over for a quick but effective lesson.

Pipe mud and fireplace mortar seem reasonable. Would it be possible to let cake build up down there? What about one of those narrow shitpads?
 

brooklynpipeclub

Can't Leave
Sep 6, 2019
374
1,596
Brooklyn, NYC
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I've had success using pipe mud to raise the heel of 2 pipes and found that by doing so I eliminated the gurgle that was prone to both. I believe the 'recipe' I used came from a thread in this forum. Basically I collected the ash left after smoking a bowl and sifted it, leaving only the fine light grey powder. Mixing this with a couple of drops of water, I created a thick paste. It is easy for this slurry to become too wet so be very light handed, adding literally a drop of water at a time. It may only take 2-3 drops. I used a pipe nail to scoop up the paste and dump it into the bottom of the bowl and used a tamper with a rounded end to push it down as evenly and firmly as possible. I let this dry for a few days and repeated the process again until the floor of the chamber was just under the draft hole. Though I can't speak to the longevity of this method, it has worked very well for me thus far.
 

Toast

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 15, 2021
659
1,312
UK
One of my best smokers is a saxophone shaped Ardor that because of the angle of the chamber in relation to the stem is effectively the same.

If I manage to keep the level of the ash above the beginning of the hole, it's usually pretty easy, having practiced a bit, to keep it going to the bottom. The heat is trapped & you're still pulling oxygen down into it to keep the ember fed. Once there's a path of less resistance, it's game over.

So you could try not tamping towards the end & see if you can make that work for you...
 
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OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
5,756
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I've used both pipe mud as well as JB Weld effectively.

If the floor needs raising only slightly, pipe mud is sufficient.

If it need to be raised more, then JB Weld followed by a thin coat of pipe mud works. I used this method on a 100yo estate that was over-reamed and had rather thin walls and floor. It smokes well now.
 
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OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
5,756
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Sydney, Australia
PS for pipe mud - there are several recipes in a lot of older posts.
I keep it very simple - cigar ash which is much finer than pipe tobacco ash which often has bits of dottle included, mixed with water (added with a dropper). It's amazing how little water is needed, so add cautiously - mix, then add another drop as necessary.
 
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jeepnewbie

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 12, 2013
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Byron
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PS for pipe mud - there are several recipes in a lot of older posts.
I keep it very simple - cigar ash which is much finer than pipe tobacco ash which often has bits of dottle included, mixed with water (added with a dropper). It's amazing how little water is needed, so add cautiously - mix, then add another drop as necessary.
I use OzPipers method also, it works really well. Good luck!
 
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C

carolinasmokes

Guest
I would use pipe mud made from cigar ash and when allowed to cure for a couple of days will last a long time.
 
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Charlie718

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 25, 2021
955
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Bronx, New York
I keep forgetting to save some cigar ash ?‍♂️ The draft hole is a 1/4” above the deepest part of the bowl and every time I smoke that pipe I kick myself for forgetting to make the pipe mud lmao
 
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