Retort!

[jaytex1969]

Good morning.
Please define for me retort, as it pertains to pipes.
Thank you.
Jay :nana:

 

[aldecaker]

It is a device that cleans pipes by introducing heated alcohol vapor into the the stem and shank to loosen stubborn crud. Usually it consists of a glass vessel with alcohol in it, connected to the pipe stem by a flexible tube. When the alcohol is heated, the vapor expands into the pipe; when the heat is removed, the vapor goes back to liquid and precipitates back into the glass vessel, carrying the dissolved crud with it. At least, that is my understanding of the process.

 

[bonanzadriver]

yup

several youtube videos out on it and at least one person that sells a Retort Kit with everything you need. Or at least he used to.

 

[uperepik]

You can get them on eBay. Ive wondered if they are better than a salt and alcohol soak.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I'd go for several hot water flushes before the trouble of a retort.

 

[sablebrush52]

You can get them on eBay. Ive wondered if they are better than a salt and alcohol soak.

Yes, in the sense that it dissolves and carries away rancid tobacco deposits in a fraction of the time that the SA treatment takes, and works when the SA treatment doesn't quite do the job. But, it's a dangerous process with a risk for fire, so not to be done casually, and you have to be careful that the boiling alcohol doesn't bubble out over the rim and destroy the finish. I've used it for stubbornly stinky estates.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I used to use one, but have since settled for reaming the cake, and scrubbing the inside of the shank and stem with alcohol soaked bristle pipe cleaners. Any remaining ghost can be smoked out. For stubbornly hard cake, I use a cotton ball and alcohol soak to soften it.

 

[sablebrush52]

I used to use one, but have since settled for reaming the cake, and scrubbing the inside of the shank and stem with alcohol soaked bristle pipe cleaners. Any remaining ghost can be smoked out. For stubbornly hard cake, I use a cotton ball and alcohol soak to soften it.

Retort gets used when all that doesn't quite do the job. And afterward I still do another pass with alcohol dipped pipe cleaners to remove the softened deposits that remain. Before I first smoke an estate purchase, it's made as clean as possible.

 

[igloo]

What Sable said is spot on .

 

[pagan]

Ive wondered if they are better than a salt and alcohol soak.

Retort to clean the shank/stem

Salt bathe for the bowl
I will give a Estate pipe a Salt bath, repeat as necessary then Retort again repeating as necessary then a good hot water scrubbing and it's all good

 

[stvalentine]

This is my retort:

I prefer to use a hot air gun for heating as an open flame is too risky for me. Alcohol burns with over 700° Celsiua which makes it the hottest burning fluid. You don´t want the hot gases to catch fire on your work bench!

 

[jpmcwjr]

See also this thread....LINK to thread.