Only one of the calabashs have a cork seal. The rest don't. But it looks to be in really good shape just need to rejuvenate it. I'll only replace it if its brittle and can't be saved.
Thanks
Replacing Cork in Calabash Pipe.
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Only one of the calabashs have a cork seal. The rest don't. But it looks to be in really good shape just need to rejuvenate it. I'll only replace it if its brittle and can't be saved.
Thanks
Why? Was there an issue? Or do you just prefer the cotton balls? Probably a lot cheaper. I'll have to try it side by side to see what happens.
Thanks
Ok did some research found out about regular cork and instrument cork. As I mentioned its just much more refined. Its not as course, more durable. Quieter as well, apparently the regular stuff squeaks.
The other thing is they suggest using the synthetic cork. Its cork with rubber as a binder I guess. It wears better, it doesn't compress as easy and it ages better so something to think about when needing to replace the cork seals on your calabash.
Haven't checked the price difference. I'll look into it when I need to buy some. I'm going to get the insert first then use some cardboard or (?) to test for thickness.
The other thing is they suggest using the synthetic cork. Its cork with rubber as a binder I guess. It wears better, it doesn't compress as easy and it ages better so something to think about when needing to replace the cork seals on your calabash.
Haven't checked the price difference. I'll look into it when I need to buy some. I'm going to get the insert first then use some cardboard or (?) to test for thickness.
Cheapest and best 100% pure USP food-safe lanolin is available in the pharmacy and/or baby section of most grocery stores. It's sold in little tubes for breastfeeding moms who get chapped nipples.
We use it on our senior dog's paws because it's super dry here in the winter and she slips and falls on our fake hardwood floors if her paws get too dry.
We use it on our senior dog's paws because it's super dry here in the winter and she slips and falls on our fake hardwood floors if her paws get too dry.
Oh hell no!! Don't need that. After spending hours reaming, sanding, trying not to screw up or scratch the finish with the sandpaper.
If it needs refinishing then no big deal as long as its not deep scratch or sand marks. But after all that, cleaning, polishing the stem, possibly making repairs to the stem and you go to sanitize it and POP!!!
Don't need that. I do have a Retort setup. No fancy burner or anything just figured I'd use candles.
My understanding is you can just keep boiling the alcohol until enough contaminants prevent it from boiling. You don't have to keep changing it when it gets a little dirty.
This method sounds safer than salt to me. When researching how to sanitize and de-ghost a pipe, I never read anything about it cracking the pipe. But thinking about it I understand the mechanics of it.
The salt can soak up the alcohol, possibly harden, expand and POP!! I was concerned about using boiling alcohol on a gourd. Right now I couldn't get salt or cotton balls where the carbon buildup is. If I could take a picture I'd show you. I used a dental mirror to see it with a flashlight.
It appears they used something to keep like a draught hole open in the carbon. So if I put in salt or cotton balls it would set on top and not penetrate the center. Pretty sure a retort will penetrate. Only possible problem is the shank extension I believe is bone.
The alcohol could remove the glue on the shank extension. Or the heat could further damage the already cracked extension.
The salt might work its way in but if it can crack a briar it will destroy the shank of the calabash if it expands.
The carbon is about 1/4" thick around the hole in the center. Picking at it has been a pain. Didn't consider the brushes. Sort of out of sight out of mind type thing.
Figure I can start with the draught hole brush, then mortise brush, the bowl brush, then possibly a toothbrush or/and a nylon shotgun barrel brush.
I have several gun cleaning kits. Some contain specialty brushes for tight areas, different types of weapons. Also some of them the brush forms a dome to protect the bore from damage. Most brushes are just cut off and the end addressed to remove burrs and sharp edges.
Thanks for the information about possible damage. Definitely something to consider.
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Has anyone tried the synthetic cork on their calabash? It may be worth it to test it out. Since I have several of these pipes, if I can restore them to working condition, I may keep 2 of them. One can have a synthetic cork, the other natural cork. I'll keep track of how they age.
I can give updates on how they're progressing, wearing, how the glue holds up on each over time. If any issues come up during regular maintenance. What happens if I should forget to keep them lubricated. You know it'll happen and any issues during regular maintenance.
Wanted to mention I remember the lanolin cream. I have 4 kids, 2 boys, 2 girls. Boys came first. Never knew it was lanolin. Was just told to get whatever the brand name was.
This spring when I set up my drill press and band saw, I will try to modify the cabinet I bought to turn into a pipe cabinet.
It may be sooner. I may decide to just use the Fordom flex shaft. I recently got it working. I wish I could remember it's actual brand name.
I was thinking of taking some of the shaping bits and sand out a seat for the pipe bowls on the shelves of the cabinet.
Making the part that holds the stems is easy enough. Was thinking of making a bar like gun cabinets have or a lip, something to prevent them from easily sliding out. Just as added protection.
Butter fingers here IS going to drop a pipe or knock one out. I have wood floors that are basically petrified so a pipe has no chance if I drop one.
When I start I'll create a thread about it and post pictures. I'll post about my progress too, any problems and how I solved them.
Thanks again for all the great information. As I mentioned before I did search about this but the information I found was more about maintaining the calabash not really restoration. Maybe I can fix that.
I haven't taken pictures yet, but if there's an interest in my restoration I'd be more than happy to create a thread and keep track of everything with pictures, and make occasional updates.
I'm not sure if I have pictures of them in their as received condition. But I'm not too far along. One of them I did remove the busted up gypsum insert. I have another pipe that the meerschaum insert may be glued in. The insert is cracked as well.
Difference being the gypsum insert was about 1/8"-3/16" thick. The cracked meer insert is 1/4"-3/8" thick. Its a monster.
Hopefully I can fix them all. Rich at briarville said the cost for him to repair them would be more than they're worth. So hopefully I can persevere.
The other calabash I've been working on needs a stem, the insert it has is also meerschaum. Really nice color and patina. Had to sand some away. It was covered with lava and the cake was very thick. But the insert isn't as thick as the cracked one Rich had.
I plan to work on all the calabash's at the same time so maybe I can show all my work as I progress through. Just let me know by maybe liking this post.
Man I need to stop with the really long posts. Sorry.
Thanks again everyone.
I can give updates on how they're progressing, wearing, how the glue holds up on each over time. If any issues come up during regular maintenance. What happens if I should forget to keep them lubricated. You know it'll happen and any issues during regular maintenance.
Wanted to mention I remember the lanolin cream. I have 4 kids, 2 boys, 2 girls. Boys came first. Never knew it was lanolin. Was just told to get whatever the brand name was.
This spring when I set up my drill press and band saw, I will try to modify the cabinet I bought to turn into a pipe cabinet.
It may be sooner. I may decide to just use the Fordom flex shaft. I recently got it working. I wish I could remember it's actual brand name.
I was thinking of taking some of the shaping bits and sand out a seat for the pipe bowls on the shelves of the cabinet.
Making the part that holds the stems is easy enough. Was thinking of making a bar like gun cabinets have or a lip, something to prevent them from easily sliding out. Just as added protection.
Butter fingers here IS going to drop a pipe or knock one out. I have wood floors that are basically petrified so a pipe has no chance if I drop one.
When I start I'll create a thread about it and post pictures. I'll post about my progress too, any problems and how I solved them.
Thanks again for all the great information. As I mentioned before I did search about this but the information I found was more about maintaining the calabash not really restoration. Maybe I can fix that.
I haven't taken pictures yet, but if there's an interest in my restoration I'd be more than happy to create a thread and keep track of everything with pictures, and make occasional updates.
I'm not sure if I have pictures of them in their as received condition. But I'm not too far along. One of them I did remove the busted up gypsum insert. I have another pipe that the meerschaum insert may be glued in. The insert is cracked as well.
Difference being the gypsum insert was about 1/8"-3/16" thick. The cracked meer insert is 1/4"-3/8" thick. Its a monster.
Hopefully I can fix them all. Rich at briarville said the cost for him to repair them would be more than they're worth. So hopefully I can persevere.
The other calabash I've been working on needs a stem, the insert it has is also meerschaum. Really nice color and patina. Had to sand some away. It was covered with lava and the cake was very thick. But the insert isn't as thick as the cracked one Rich had.
I plan to work on all the calabash's at the same time so maybe I can show all my work as I progress through. Just let me know by maybe liking this post.
Man I need to stop with the really long posts. Sorry.
Thanks again everyone.
Table salt usually has iodine added. Not that that would matter much I suppose.
Musical cork, or Golden cork is what I have used to replace old cork gaskets in Calabashes, and mortise lining of old pipes. I forget were I bought it, but a Google search will lead you there. I use rubber cement to affix the cork. Never had any problems.
I have a kaywoodie calabash that has tar build up in it like yours. I have been looking for how to clean it out I will have to try the alcohol. I put Vaseline on the cork in mine. The gourd has broken in half and glued together so I have some worry about alcohol eating that but not enough to not do it.
I had another pipe I stripped for parts it was a calabash that was smoked without an insert. Someone glued a tenon in to join the two halves. I decided it wasn't worth saving. Pulled all the silver off to hopefully use in the future. Thanks
The alcohol and salt routine is fine for sterilizing but to get rid of built up goo inside the gourd you need to use a flexible pipe brush. Scrub the hell out of inner gourd and then rinse it out. A toothbrush can work pretty well too, you just can't get around the bend with it.
A brush like this is what you need.
A brush like this is what you need.
I have several draught hole brushes, bowl brushes, and mortise brushes. Also have some nylon brushes from several gun cleaning kits. Looking at other type brushes on eBay and Amazon too. The brushes I have have limited reach due to the length of the handles. So I'm looking at bottle brushes and whatever I can find. Thanks
It will make your life a lot easier. I used to have a hell of a time cleaning my gourd calabash pipes until I finally tried a bottle brush.
I have another question, can the cork be doubled up? The 2 calabash pipes I'm restoring used to be gypsum/plaster lined.
At the top of one it looks like it may have had a cork gasket at one time. The top of the bowl is tapered. May have just been that makers way of doing things.
If I use 1/4" cork I have to use regular cork not instrument cork. So I thought I could double up on the cork. Except for the top, most will be sanded back to nearly a single layer.
On the other I have a fancier carved block meerschaum bowl. The first is a smooth pressed meerschaum bowl. Any way, I have to remove the band on the block meerschaum bowl because it doesn't seat all the way.
I read on reborn where he did this with a Dremel and by hand. Lucky for me I have a flex shaft tool with a foot speed control. Its a Bartlett & Co. Not a Fordom like I've been calling it.
Once I remove this band I can use a single layer of cork on this one. I also got some lanoline cork grease.
In the pipe cabinet I'm making I will have to make a special holder for the calabash pipes. Was thinking maybe I could take one of those acrylic holders and glue/screw it to the cabinet. Problem solved
I could also just take either a couple dowels, or cut a u shape out of a small piece of wood with a taper. So the gourd will rest on it, not the bowl insert.
Has anyone had to use 2 layers of cork on their calabash? I've also considered doing just the first layer, sanding, if needed. Then cut a thinner piece for the top. Glue it in and shape it.
I think this will be better than just glueing 2 layers together just to sand most of the top layer away to fit the bowl. I think it'll be less work as well. Thanks
At the top of one it looks like it may have had a cork gasket at one time. The top of the bowl is tapered. May have just been that makers way of doing things.
If I use 1/4" cork I have to use regular cork not instrument cork. So I thought I could double up on the cork. Except for the top, most will be sanded back to nearly a single layer.
On the other I have a fancier carved block meerschaum bowl. The first is a smooth pressed meerschaum bowl. Any way, I have to remove the band on the block meerschaum bowl because it doesn't seat all the way.
I read on reborn where he did this with a Dremel and by hand. Lucky for me I have a flex shaft tool with a foot speed control. Its a Bartlett & Co. Not a Fordom like I've been calling it.
Once I remove this band I can use a single layer of cork on this one. I also got some lanoline cork grease.
In the pipe cabinet I'm making I will have to make a special holder for the calabash pipes. Was thinking maybe I could take one of those acrylic holders and glue/screw it to the cabinet. Problem solved
I could also just take either a couple dowels, or cut a u shape out of a small piece of wood with a taper. So the gourd will rest on it, not the bowl insert.
Has anyone had to use 2 layers of cork on their calabash? I've also considered doing just the first layer, sanding, if needed. Then cut a thinner piece for the top. Glue it in and shape it.
I think this will be better than just glueing 2 layers together just to sand most of the top layer away to fit the bowl. I think it'll be less work as well. Thanks
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