Pipnet Reamer Broke on First Use

[lawdawg]

The best "reamer" that I ever used to control cake -was a piece of sandpaper wrapped around the proper size wooden dowel. Saw a vertical slit on one end of a dowel and roughly round off that end with a file to capture a strip of sandpaper. Never got a chip, never got an unwanted gouge...and the hardware store always has sandpaper and various dowels stocked on the selves.

A lot cheaper than those classy reamers that twist and break.

Same. I don't buy a tool unless I think it's necessary, and I just haven't seen the need with pipe reamers. My cleaning practices generally prevent the buildup of much cake, and when I've had a caked up estate pipe, I also found sandpaper to be a good solution. I just used a wooden pencil wrapped in a paper towel to get the right diameter, then wrapped a piece of sandpaper around that. Worked excellent to get rid of most of the cake, and I tamed the rest with paper towels and grain alcohol as well as one of the dull folding reamer blades that come on some pipe tampers. Now if I was constantly reaming pipes as a part of a restoration or repair service, then I'd get a good reamer set.

 

[runscott]

Now if I was constantly reaming pipes as a part of a restoration or repair service, then I'd get a good reamer set.

Since I like fixing 'wood things', spending $15 on a reamer as part of bringing a $35 estate pipe back to life - even if it's new value is only $50 - was worth it to me. The cruddier an object looks - as long as it's restorable - the more it intrigues me to try to refurbish it, but I have had an antique collectibles business for twenty years and restoration is just a natural part of it.

 

[lawdawg]

Since I like fixing 'wood things', spending $15 on a reamer as part of bringing a $35 estate pipe back to life - even if it's new value is only $50 - was worth it to me. The cruddier an object looks - as long as it's restorable - the more it intrigues me to try to refurbish it, but I have had an antique collectibles business for twenty years and restoration is just a natural part of it.

I also like repairing things when possible and have a special affinity for old items and antiques. I love checking out antique shops, and it sounds like you've got a really cool business. I hope to one day pick up a couple pieces colonial era / early American wooden furniture, though I understand it can be quite pricey. I didn't mean at all to say that reamers aren't worthwhile - just that I've accomplished the task just fine without one.

 

[runscott]

I also like repairing things when possible and have a special affinity for old items and antiques. I love checking out antique shops, and it sounds like you've got a really cool business. I hope to one day pick up a couple pieces colonial era / early American wooden furniture, though I understand it can be quite pricey. I didn't mean at all to say that reamers aren't worthwhile - just that I've accomplished the task just fine without one.

I understand. I was getting by perfectly fine with the oyster knife, and if was just maintaining my own 'bought new' pipes, I wouldn't even need sand-paper.

I still love that oyster knife and always use it prior to bringing in the Pipnet. I may end up ordering a few and mailing them to nay-sayer friends when I hear they've lost control and bought a particularly cruddy estate pipe

In regards to the business - it has been fantastic, even though I no longer stay on top of it enough to make a profit. Over the years I've had a house covered with old Stetsons and hat-restoration devices, devised my own chemical method for restoring daguerreotype images, restored pre-1950 pool cues, created my own silicon molds for making resin chess pieces, bought alabaster and soapstone for creating my own (although never actually carved anything), and the list goes on and on - just loads of fun, and the most fun was when I was making old things look better. Pipes are a natural fit.

 

[didimauw]

Man, I've never heard of one even breaking untill today! Makes me worry....


And mine is a cheap one I use too...

 

[runscott]

Man, I've never heard of one even breaking untill today! Makes me worry....

And mine is a cheap one I use too...

Google 'review' and the name of your set. If the review are good, get back with us - I might try it out. Thanks.

 

[sablebrush52]

That's very interesting. I have two Pipnet sets that I've used for years with absolutely no problems. The plastic used in my sets has extra "give" to it that comes in handy shoud the blade get a little bit stuck. They will twist rather than snap. And I've also become more adept at best usage, so I don't get into situations where the reamer gets jammed. Finesse is better than pure brute force.

On the other hand, the Castleford that I bought, a cheap Chinese knockoff of the Pipnet, with skinnier blades and more brittle plastic, wound up in the trash after only a few uses when I discovered that one of the blades had not been finished off properly , with a little bit of burr left on it that gouged out the chamber wall of one of my pipes. For me, the Castleford is a low quality POS.

Mostly though, I use a piece of shaped doweling that I cover with sand paper. Does the job.

 

[BROBS]

Man, I've never heard of one even breaking untill today! Makes me worry....

View attachment 38755
And mine is a cheap one I use too...

Looks like the pipes they sell on eBay as “great condition and lightly smoked”

 

[runscott]

That's very interesting. I have two Pipnet sets that I've used for years with absolutely no problems. The plastic used in my sets has extra "give" to it that comes in handy shoud the blade get a little bit stuck. They will twist rather than snap.

The reaming issue (twisting) did not cause the break. It was from pulling the head straight out of the handle. I had a bad head - it happens.

Mostly though, I use a piece of shaped doweling that I cover with sand paper. Does the job.

I have loads of sandpaper in my shop and I use it all the time, but it would be the final bowl-cleaning step if I were restoring a pipe like the one the last poster showed.

I've started repeating myself, which means that some of what I'm posting isn't worth reading, so I'll bow out now. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.

 

[sablebrush52]

The reaming issue (twisting) did not cause the break. It was from pulling the head straight out of the handle. I had a bad head - it happens.



Yep, but reamer sets aren't for pipes that can be cleaned up with sandpaper.

Not correct. A dowel covered with sandpaper will clean up a chamber every bit as effectively as any reamer made. Check out some of George Dibos' restoration videos to see how that works.

 

[didimauw]

Google 'review' and the name of your set. If the review are good, get back with us - I might try it out. Thanks.

Mine is made by Decatur. It's inexpensive, but I tell you it's been through some tough times!

 

[runscott]

Not correct. A dowel covered with sandpaper will clean up a chamber every bit as effectively as any reamer made. Check out some of George Dibos' restoration videos to see how that works.

Okay, that's great - whatever works for you.

 

[runscott]

Mine is made by Decatur. It's inexpensive, but I tell you it's been through some tough times!

It looks like it is made of something more sturdy than the plastic mine's made from. If I had been aware that the old Pipnet reamers that got such great reviews were constructed differently from the new sets, I would have bought a cheap set of something else on ebay.

I glued the broken pieces back together today with Krazy Glue, so we'll see how that works.

 

[peregrinus]

Some not quite correct information here.

First, Aron Alpha (superglue) will not be a lasting repair, it will not take the lateral stress needed for cake removal. Best to replace the reamer if you want a longer term solution.

Second, George Dibos does indeed use a reamer on pipe restorations, albeit a heavy duty type he makes himself using a modified spade drill bit and a lager tap handle, a tool he dubs “the cracker”.
After reaming he then finishes up with ascending grades of sandpaper.
If you have only a pipe or two, minimal cake and lots of time multiple grades of sand paper and a dowel or two may be sufficient.

See George’s very informative and detailed video:
George Dibos YouTube, heavy cake removal.

 

[runscott]

Some not quite correct information here.

First, Aron Alpha (superglue) will not be a lasting repair, it will not take the lateral stress needed for cake removal. Best to replace the reamer if you want a longer term solution.

My apologies, as I might not have made this clear: the reamer head was apparently composed from two parts (either glued or molded to one another), the connection point being a zig-zag, thus no issues with lateral stress. The problem was that the zig-zag connection point was weak - it broke loose when I pulled straight up to remove the head from the handle (hole too tight).

The other three heads (again, sorry for repeating myself) have the same zig-zag connection. Also repeating myself (sorry) - not sure if the bottom part was first molded, then the top part was a second pour, or the two pieces were glued together (I suspect the former).

One more repeat (I think) - the two pieces did not fit back together perfectly, as there was a slight irregularity at one of the four zig-zags. I think that was the weak spot that caused the break.

 

[peregrinus]

One more repeat (I think) - the two pieces did not fit back together perfectly, as there was a slight irregularity at one of the four zig-zags. I think that was the weak spot that caused the break.

Please, no apologies needed. This is a valuable and sometimes entertaining form of communication, but is inherently more flawed than direct speech, which is itself imperfect!?

I think understand what happened. You certainly have nothing to loose by trying glue. Generally, I have better results with a good epoxy on any item that will be flexed or stressed in any fashion as epoxy “flexes” some before giving way and so it is more forgiving than the more brittle super glue.
Watch George’s video if you haven’t had the chance.
Best of luck.

 

[runscott]

Generally, I have better results with a good epoxy on any item that will be flexed or stressed in any fashion as epoxy “flexes” some before giving way and so it is more forgiving than the more brittle super glue.
Watch George’s video if you haven’t had the chance.
Best of luck.

Thanks. It was laziness - I had superglue handy and felt like the worst thing that could happen is that it breaks again along the same line...then I go get some epoxy.