WDC Wellington Pipe Questions

[Wellington]

So I have this estate pipe. Its the one I used to use the most often until the stem got too oxidized. I just learnt how to take care of that and I did, to an extent anyway. But I have some other questions about it.
The pipe has the 'well' in it, kind of like the Peterson system pipes, but the main smoke flow hole that goes to the stem, the opening in both the bowl and out of the bowl to the stem access seems pretty big, I think it may have opened up over the years. But really that doesn't seem to affect the way it smokes too much, sometimes I've sucked up some tobacco particles.

My concern starts at the mouth piece of the stem. On the bottom of it, right at the end, there is a hole, half the size of the hole at the end of the stem (mouth end). I don't know if it is a hole from corrosion of some sort (vulcanite stem by the way) or what. I was just wondering if some pipes have that or not, the hole doesn't really seem manufactored, its not perfectly circular anyway. The other thing is that when i'm smoking it I can hear 'bubbling' sounds. I keep thinking its saliva finding its way in or something, then i've wondered if its just the sound of the burning tobacco, which I doubt, I have never had that in my other two pipes. Its actually pretty loud when it happens. Unless its saliva dripping down through the stem into the well, and when I suck in it causes it to make those sounds?
Any thoughts?

 

[lordnoble]

I have a giant Wellington (see MY ALBUM) and I don't have a secondary hole, but the "bubbling" sound you hear is actually the condensation that has collected in that "well" trying to make it up into the stem. It happens on mine if I smoke too fast, with "wet" tobacco, or I improperly pack it. The only cure for the gurgling sound you're hearing (assuming that your packing, speed and tobacco moisture AREN'T the issue) is to run a pipe cleaner or twelve down to the well and absorb some of the moisture. I've been toying with the idea of using some NORDING KEYSTONES in the "well" to help absorb some of that moisture. My Wellington is by far my wettest smoker, but it is also the longest smoker too, so, when I've put a movie in to watch, I can go for 90 min-2 hours. Hopefully this helps with the gurgling. The hole issue might be easier to help with if we had some pictures. 1000 words and all that...
-Jason