Soaking a pipe?

[zanthal]

I'm wondering if I can beg an explanation as to why someone would want to soak a pipe in anything at all.

 

[schmitzbitz]

I completely submerge estate pipes in 99.9% isopropyl alcohol when I want to re-stain them.

 

[zanthal]

I'm talking about any liquid, baskerville59. I've heard people using salt, rubbing alcohol, ethyl (drinking) alcohol, and I wasn't quite sure what people are trying to accomplish by doing it.
Is it safe to do with materials other than briar? My main puffer right now is pear wood.

 

[nu2pipesjd]

I completely submerge estate pipes in 99.9% isopropyl alcohol when I want to re-stain them.

Really ? how long do you soak em for?

 

[winton]

Perhaps we should mention that there are two different methods being discussed here. Alcohol will remove stain down to bare wood, if you want to refinish the pipe. Don't do this accidentally, if you are sloppy.
Also, people often use a salt / alcohol method to clean the inside of the bowl / stem to get rid of the ghosts of old tobacco on an estate pipe. I beleive I have seen videos on how to use the salt / alcohol method. Some people use cotton balls instead of salt. Basically you are trying to draw out the impurities that have developed in the pipe. This is far more common that stripping the pipe to wood.
Winton

 

[zanthal]

I've understand better now, thanks.
I'm getting an estate pipe for Christmas, so it's good to know.

 

[igloo]

I like to poor boiling water into estate pipes too remove all of the cake and tars . I do not soak them ,just the inside of the bowl .Put a little cotton in the stem end so it will hold water . When the water cools pour it out and repaeat the process . The old cake will fall out . My uncle taught me this trick and it works without harm to the pipes finish . Then follow up with salt and you favorite adult beverage .

 

[ssjones]

I'm an Everclear (or 90% iso alcohol) and sea salt guy for estate pipes. I'm careful not to get any on the bowl finish.

 

[bob1]

I'll be getting my first estate pipe next week, it's a Grabow Lark.

I plan to use the S/A method to clean the bowl of impurities after cleaning the cake down some.

I also plan to sterilize the stem and clean it up before smoking.

I'll let you know how it goes and post some before/after pics.

 

[matchstickman]

i have a question here. is kosher salt ok to use when cleaning the inside of the bowl?

Kosher salt is what I have always used to do my salt and alcohol treatments with, and I have never had a problem doing it that way. The only thing that I would say to be careful of is that if you have to do multiple salt and alcohol treatments on the inside of a bowl, check the inside of the bowl after it has been allowed to dry for about 24 hours. Sometimes, if you do multiple treatments, I have found that some residual white dust from the salt will stick to the inside of the bowl, and it is quite an experience the first time you accidentally suck some of that salt dust in while going to light your freshly cleaned pipe. If you do have some of this salt dust sticking to the inside of your bowl, a light scrape with a doubled over pipe cleaner will make quick work of it.

 

[revs]

For all you that want to know, sea salt and kosher salt are interchangeable. Only difference is usually the grind and color. Some sea salts are left natural while most kosher salt is white. Both are not iodized.

 

[nsfisher]

i used to use salt but switched to cotton balls a yr ago. does just as good a job and clean up is so much easier.

 

[modernchicago]

Cleaning / wiping, and soaking are two different things....if you soak something too long, it will absorb anything you are using. In most cases that is the solvent and matter you are actually trying to remove. Plus, when you do eventually smoke it and it heats-up, whatever is absorbed into the wood comes leeching / sweating out and that's not always good / healthy. Whiskey seems safe, Grain alcohols for stubborn goop and believe it or not, you can microwave a wood bowl upside down and a ton of stuff will come oozing out. (practice on a junker).

 

[spartan]

lol..... I want to see a video of someone microwaving their pipe now!