Kaywoodie Cracked Meer Lining

[Sobrbiker]

Well, I bought another Kaywoodie, an early FlameGrain Meerschaum. This one is a four hole registration number 09B, so I’m thinking early forties on age.

It did have the mortise fixture stuck to the tenon, I got that all squared away and the stem and stummel back in nice shape, including sharpening up the button for a good clencher.

While it cleaned up nicely, that cleanup exposed two cracks in the lining. Neither are displaced, and there’s no missing chunks, so I’m not inclined to try egg white/plaster of Paris or other reconstruction efforts.

For piece of mind, should I seal cracks with CA and sand smooth, or smoke it as it is and hope for the best?

Some pics, because we all love pics….

 

[AJL67]

I still might seal it for piece of mind, i don't have much mind to start with so you know ... But it's not structurally sound and cleaning it after bowls could weaken it even more or out and out break it.

DIdn't @RustiePyles CPG just make a new insert for someone?

 

[Sobrbiker]

He’s a most gracious, capable guy but very busy I’m sure. Maybe when he gets the old tooling set up in a corner by the window…
Actually this little guy was a under $20 score off fleabay, and I’m not looking to make more of a project than just a cool little smoker out of it. Re-lining might be an option if for some reason it becomes my favorite pipe of all time and it’s guts fall out and I’m forlorn and faklempt over it.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

I wouldn't be to worried about those cracks. If you just smoke it and keep it clean they shouldn't really affect anything. The way those liners are fit in it shouldn't get any worse if you keep it clean.

 

[Sobrbiker]

I wouldn't be to worried about those cracks. If you just smoke it and keep it clean they shouldn't really affect anything. The way those liners are fit in it shouldn't get any worse if you keep it clean.

Nice, that’s kind of what I was thinking/hoping.
And obviously no “banging it on the truck door” I’d imagine

 

[kcghost]

Just smoke the pipe and it should be fine provided you keep it reasonably clean.

 

[peteguy]

If the look isn't going to cut it, I believe their is an egg recipe on the web. You could find it and try it on the crack. Maybe rusty or someone knows of something else. You could always do the charcoal thing just to fill them where its already darkened as well. Great job on the cleanup, even with the two cracks it looks like it will smoke great.

 

[jhowell]

Just brush a little egg white on the cracks and smoke it...

 

[Sobrbiker]

It’s powdered chalk and egg white, but I’ll save that for missing chunks

 

[jhowell]

It’s powdered chalk and egg white, but I’ll save that for missing chunks

Just using egg white alone will seal the edges of the cracks and assure the meer lining is adhered to the briar. Keep in mind that when the recipe was developed it used natural chalk - modern chalk, while being the same chemical composition, is different at a microscopic level. I myself have used a composition of meerschaum dust and egg white with success. If you could find a source of pozzolan (a specific type of volcanic ash used by the Romans to make cement) that should work even better. And then there is always refractory cement...

 

[Sobrbiker]

@jhowell, I appreciate the input.
If I notice and enlargement/displacement of the current cracks I will be trying such measures