Pipe Mud Again

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Jun 9, 2015
3,970
24,851
42
Mission, Ks
This chamber was damaged from more than likely a torch. Pipe mud to the rescue.

Also, you bring up a good topic.

Folks: what is the proper term for chamber damage? I use spidering, charing, and I’m curious if there is a term to describe charing in addition to the wood appearing dry or “vulnerable”.
Well that chamber was repaired with both pipe mud and water glass. I reamed back to bare wood and filled that hole with mud, then used water glass/carbon over the top of that and the rest of the burnout. IMG_9078.jpegIMG_9082.jpegIMG_9097.jpegIMG_9079.jpeg
 
Dec 10, 2013
2,618
3,364
Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Well that chamber was repaired with both pipe mud and water glass. I reamed back to bare wood and filled that hole with mud, then used water glass/carbon over the top of that and the rest of the burnout. View attachment 286880View attachment 286879View attachment 286882View attachment 286881
Thank you for sharing Fletch; great job, reassuring words and pics to support.
So for mud cigar ash and water ?
I suppose you wear rubber gloves and then really "push" the waterglass/ca mixture into the briar.
No sanding to even out the chamber a little ?
Still an odd idea to insulate briar with glass :)
 
Jun 9, 2015
3,970
24,851
42
Mission, Ks
Thank you for sharing Fletch; great job, reassuring words and pics to support.
So for mud cigar ash and water ?
I suppose you wear rubber gloves and then really "push" the waterglass/ca mixture into the briar.
No sanding to even out the chamber a little ?
Still an odd idea to insulate briar with glass :)
Definitely do not touch waterglass with your bare skin, sodium silicate in its base forms is sodium hydroxide (lye) and silica. It will burn your hands pretty badly. Its safe to smoke out of once its dry but definitely don't touch it while it's in a liquid form, its caustic. I wear heavy mil nitrile gloves.

That chamber was sanded smooth, the last picture is just a play of light. It's glass smooth.
 
Dec 10, 2013
2,618
3,364
Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Definitely do not touch waterglass with your bare skin, sodium silicate in its base forms is sodium hydroxide (lye) and silica. It will burn your hands pretty badly. Its safe to smoke out of once its dry but definitely don't touch it while it's in a liquid form, its caustic. I wear heavy mil nitrile gloves.

That chamber was sanded smooth, the last picture is just a play of light. It's glass smooth.
Good, will order a box and then get to it :)
 
Dec 10, 2013
2,618
3,364
Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Jun 9, 2015
3,970
24,851
42
Mission, Ks
Thank you, the video is in my favourite list since long :)
Suppose standard vinyl powdered gloves will not do ?
Are yours smooth, or textured and where do you purchase them ?
Vinyl will also work, I get mine from Harbour Freight.

 

sean.

Lurker
Feb 6, 2024
26
87
New England
I've used pipe mortar developed by Canerod Piper on almost all of my pipes. None of my pipes are particularly high quality and all have been improved by using pipe mortar. My first briar pipe, a Grabow, had its bowl drilled slightly too low at the factory, so a bit of pipe mortar fixed that and now it can smoke all the way down to ash. I've also used pipe mortar as part of estate pipe restoration. I like to remove all of the built up carbon cake, deep clean the pipe, and then give the bowl a coat of pipe mortar to "pre-smoke" it. Lastly I've used it on all of my cobs. I use a drillpress to drill out the shank that's inside the bowl, then add a good heap of pipe mortar to the bottom of the bowl and shape it to the desired bowl shape. The results from pipe mortar have always been transformative with my cheap pipes :).
 

proteus

Lifer
May 20, 2023
1,580
2,628
54
Connecticut (shade leaf tobacco country)
A while back I was chasing pipe mud, and had to give up because Scott over at Atristocob has apparently pulled th e plug and doesn't want any contact from people like me...after a few emails to him, I "got the message" when they went unanswered.
Tried the pipe ash trick. Very ground up. Very fine. Did two cobs and the result was miserable.
So, I'll use Mike's recipe, from over at Canerod Piper. I should have used that first up. Great recipe. Great result.
1 gram of Plaster of Paris.
.6 of a gram of activated charcoal.
.5 of a gram of salt.
I go a fraction less with the NaCl. Get a fair amount of humidity here. And Mike said that might be a wise decision.
The last time I used it, the result was ten out of ten!
So, I should have proceeded with what I knew worked, and worked well.
It is another case of "Captain Vacant Brain" strikes again!
I agree with the plaster of Paris and charcoal. I omit the salt. One part act charcoal to 4 parts plaster Paris. If I remember my formula correctly. It about that much. You have about 2 to 1 ratio which only about 10 more charcoal than mine so it's about the same give or take. I just look at the color and add more charcoal to get a nice haze gray.
 
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Salvince

Lurker
Feb 8, 2024
21
37
A while back I was chasing pipe mud, and had to give up because Scott over at Atristocob has apparently pulled th e plug and doesn't want any contact from people like me...after a few emails to him, I "got the message" when they went unanswered.
Tried the pipe ash trick. Very ground up. Very fine. Did two cobs and the result was miserable.
So, I'll use Mike's recipe, from over at Canerod Piper. I should have used that first up. Great recipe. Great result.
1 gram of Plaster of Paris.
.6 of a gram of activated charcoal.
.5 of a gram of salt.
I go a fraction less with the NaCl. Get a fair amount of humidity here. And Mike said that might be a wise decision.
The last time I used it, the result was ten out of ten!
So, I should have proceeded with what I knew worked, and worked well.
It is another case of "Captain Vacant Brain" strikes again!
I watched that recipe! Question, Paris plaster is just gypsum right?
Why hasn't anyone here just buy brewer's gypsum? Calcium sulfate is commonly used in brewing beer and that is guaranteed food grade
 

sean.

Lurker
Feb 6, 2024
26
87
New England
I watched that recipe! Question, Paris plaster is just gypsum right?
Why hasn't anyone here just buy brewer's gypsum? Calcium sulfate is commonly used in brewing beer and that is guaranteed food grade
I have personally tested this hypothesis with food grade gypsum. It turns out that plaster of Paris and gypsum, while almost the same, are not quite the same material. Plaster of Paris is a product derived from gypsum by heating it up. What will happen if you use gypsum is the moisture that happens when you smoke will soak into the pipe mortar and disintegrate it. This does not happen with plaster of Paris.
 
Dec 10, 2013
2,618
3,364
Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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