I've seen many comments about the pipe cleaner test and proper drilling as being key to a good smoke -- no gurgle, cool smoking, limiting excess moisture at the bottom of the bowl, etc.
I took a closer look at my pipes yesterday to see if I could pick up differences in drilling. They all pass the pipe cleaner test (other than my peterson system pipe, which I think is understandable, and a big ben bent billiard). The airholes in the bowls in all my pipes all seem centered on all the pipes. The sizes differ a bit, and I read an article re different thoughts on how large the airhole and drilling should be, but that's not my question.
One thing I did notice is that on the big ben -- which won't pass a pipe cleaner -- the airhole is noticeably above the bottom of the bowl. It is a fairly tall bowl on this pipe, and I sometimes have trouble smoking it down. Other pipes -- my castello 55 for example, seems to have the airhole that opens almost directly on the bottom of the bowl.
Is the location/angle of the airhole relative to the bottom of the bowl one of the keys to good pipe drilling? What are the other primary considerations.
I took a closer look at my pipes yesterday to see if I could pick up differences in drilling. They all pass the pipe cleaner test (other than my peterson system pipe, which I think is understandable, and a big ben bent billiard). The airholes in the bowls in all my pipes all seem centered on all the pipes. The sizes differ a bit, and I read an article re different thoughts on how large the airhole and drilling should be, but that's not my question.
One thing I did notice is that on the big ben -- which won't pass a pipe cleaner -- the airhole is noticeably above the bottom of the bowl. It is a fairly tall bowl on this pipe, and I sometimes have trouble smoking it down. Other pipes -- my castello 55 for example, seems to have the airhole that opens almost directly on the bottom of the bowl.
Is the location/angle of the airhole relative to the bottom of the bowl one of the keys to good pipe drilling? What are the other primary considerations.