To prevent over cake without reaming, do any of you swab out the bowl with a dry paper towel after every bowl like I do?
Over Heating Pipe
- Thread starter James8855
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Lots of people do. I much prefer to flush the bowl with very hot tap water. Clears the airway, and gets more ash out than all but the most fastidious wipers, going through racks/reams/stacks of paper towels.
I think I read you do this in another thread. You’ve never had issues getting briar soaking wet? I know that wood is fairly water resistant, it just seems so odd to purposely get it wet. I got caught in the rain with my castello once and almost had a panic attack. Am I crazy? Lol
You betcha!
Except, I spit into my anatomical snuff box, wet the tip of my finger in said saliva and apply it to the chamber. Then I wipe it furiously with a paper towel. I then switch to a dry portion of the towel and continue swabbing till the towel comes off white.
My chambers thus look thus:
The system doesn't work as top notch with cobs, though. Cobs will net you endless gunk no matter how much and long you swab them, which is why I don't care for them much:
Yes. Almost every time. If I don’t have a paper towel I rub my finger inside along the walls.
Not crazy at all. For many decades tobacconists, wholesalers and manufacturers have put forth the bunk that water will damage the pipe. Why? Look at their offerings of proprietary "cleaners", "fresheners" and so forth. Stuff they manufacture for pennies on the ounce and sell for dollars.
The pipe gets more and longer exposure to moisture while smoking. And it's in steam form, much more able to penetrate cake and briar than a quick rinse with hot water.
I've been doing this for four years now, and have had zero problems. Just a bit of kickback from a few "you can't teach me nothin'" folks. Fear, mostly.
Folks here have put them through dishwashers, soaked for days, left in rain and snow for weeks, and the pipe survived. None of the previous sentence is recommended. Flushing with hot water cleans and sweetens the pipe with a minimum of effort, and no risk of damage. (Leaving out pipes with cracks. I've done it with cobs, but not enough to be sure it's ok long term)
A charred chamber that was drilled by the lowest bidder and held on the lathe by the worst of chucks.