Shop pipes. Flaws in the bowl

[Rbraniganpipes]

I have had the unfortunate luck of drilling two pipes lately that had flaws in the bowl that went all the way through the wall of the pipe. Do I have some shop pipes here, or just a scraps of wood?
I am assuming that smoking these pipes will eventually create a burnout through the pits, but I didn't know if anyone could explain the hazards of smoking a pipe with a pit in the bowl, or if it was even worth attempting. I really liked the shape I was working on, and was hoping that I could at least salvage a shop pipe out of it.

[sandahlpipe]

This depends entirely on how big those pits are. Epoxy and a bowl coat will work for a shop pipe, but I wouldn't ever recommend selling a pipe with a flaw in the chamber because of the risk of burnout. Having said that, I've got a few shop pipes with small pits in them that have been going strong for a couple years now. Usually, though, when I encounter a flaw in the chamber, I just set it aside and move on to the next.

[Rbraniganpipes]

Jeremiah,

I wasn't sure if epoxy would work to fill the hole, and stand up to the heat. The pit is probably 3-4 mm long and less than 1mm wide, but goes through the wall of the pipe. I definitely wouldn't sell anything with a pit in it. I have had dumb luck with the last two pipes I drilled, both having pits in the bowl. I have set them aside, but I did want to try and smoke the one with the pit that goes all the way through it if it was possible to do so. I guess ill try the epoxy and bowl coat idea.

Any tips on bowl coat mixture amounts? I have experimented with them in the past and can't seem to get them correct. I have the gelatin and activated charcoal at my disposal, but can't come up with an adequate mixture that doesn't congeal in the bottom of the bowl after i smoke it, and comes off.

[sandahlpipe]

Jeremiah,

I wasn't sure if epoxy would work to fill the hole, and stand up to the heat. The pit is probably 3-4 mm long and less than 1mm wide, but goes through the wall of the pipe. I definitely wouldn't sell anything with a pit in it. I have had dumb luck with the last two pipes I drilled, both having pits in the bowl. I have set them aside, but I did want to try and smoke the one with the pit that goes all the way through it if it was possible to do so. I guess ill try the epoxy and bowl coat idea.

Any tips on bowl coat mixture amounts? I have experimented with them in the past and can't seem to get them correct. I have the gelatin and activated charcoal at my disposal, but can't come up with an adequate mixture that doesn't congeal in the bottom of the bowl after i smoke it, and comes off.

Epoxy will fill the hole for sure, but you'll have to test the properties of the specific type of epoxy. Some epoxies are more heat resistant than others. Some may give off bad or poisonous odors when heated. As for bowl coating, I don't use gelatin, so I can't help you there. I mix my bowl coatings by what looks right. If the consistency isn't right, I add more of one ingredient until I get what I'm looking for.

You can also make pipe mud from cigar ash and a very small bit of water till it's the consistency of paste. I've used that to fill the bottom of the bowl from an over-drilled chamber for my shop pipes and it works fine and gives you a distinct cigar flavor for the first few bowls. Again, this is only for shop pipes. Still, if the hole is big enough that it lets water through it, I'd just put it in my bucket of shame. I don't want to be my own guinea pig for epoxy fills that go into the chamber.

[Rbraniganpipes]

Any risk in smoking it as it is, without filling it?

[Rbraniganpipes]

I am also assuming that everyone has their own secret recipe for bowl coatings. I read a lot of different things on the forum, and can never come up with a specific recipe, just a list of possible ingredients, and then the idea of trial and error. Part of learning the trade I guess....

[sandahlpipe]

If you smoke a pipe without filling it, it's just going to burn out faster than if you filled it. I don't think it'll hurt you, though.

For bowl coatings, there are two methods I'm aware of. Gelatin and charcoal and waterglass with charcoal. Other additives, such as honey, pumice, sugar, and such are also things I've heard of. I've also heard of buttermilk, but I've also heard of some organic coatings being a breeding ground for mold and can stink quite badly after a while. Try what you want, or just sand the bowl smooth. Or try to figure out how to oil cure. The idea behind coatings is to protect against burnout and to give a consistent flavor despite different batches of briar. I think most of us learn these things by trial and error.

Some buyers swear by bowl coatings. Others won't buy pipes with bowl coatings. Others yet sand off the bowl coatings. And because it's been a point of conflict, pipe makers are usually a bit shy to share too much specific information. I've seen people on various forums discuss passionately why organic bowl coatings are going to kill them or think that they're going to asphyxiate if they smoke a pipe with a waterglass coating. But if you do some solid research about your materials (and specifically the state they are in when they are on a finished pipe) the risks are quite negligible, but the PR of the pipe maker is...well...the issue. The same thing can be said of finishing processes and materials.

So do some good research on your materials and keep trying stuff out. It's a long process and we all have to go through it to master the craft.

[Rbraniganpipes]

Thanks Jeremiah! I appreciate the knowledge and honesty. I enjoy the continued necessity for knowledge in this craft. It seems like as soon as I have a process figured out, there are 5 different ways to do it easier and faster. if it weren't for this forum, I wouldn't know half of what I have learned so far. I enjoy the trial and error art to pipe making, but hate to "try out" different bowl coatings on pipes that have been finished. I have left most of mine smooth and natural because of that.

[sandahlpipe]

Nothing wrong with just sanding it smooth. I used to do that on all my pipes till I had a customer say that the smoke seemed more bland in a pipe. Then I started coating to keep them consistent.

[kamkiel]

I recently started playing with bowl coats, and I used what was easily available to me: activated charcoal, water, honey. The real pain was not finding finely ground activated charcoal. I ground it myself with a mortar and pestle, a rolling pin, and a sifter for flour.

I feel the bowl coat works really good. I wiped up the remaining stuff with a tissue and held a lighter to it. Not that holding flame to a wet bowl coat soaked tissue is proof of anything, it was just fun.

Kiel

[kamkiel]

Oh yeah, I would finish up pipes that have flaws regardless. If you are planning on starting to make your own stems, these pipes would also be good candidates for that stage in the learning process. Smoke it yourself and call it quality control, or research and development, or a shop pipe. My point is, you will learn something by finishing the pipe out regardless of the flaws.

Kiel

[LatakiaLover]

The real pain was not finding finely ground activated charcoal. I ground it myself with a mortar and pestle, a rolling pin, and a sifter for flour.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004 ... den&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Filter-AeroPress- ... e-total-20

[kamkiel]

The real pain was not finding finely ground activated charcoal. I ground it myself with a mortar and pestle, a rolling pin, and a sifter for flour.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004 ... den&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Filter-AeroPress- ... e-total-20

Thanks!

[oklahoma red]

Generally speaking, the food supplement charcoal powders are the finest grind.
I've had good luck with this one: http://pforlife.com/charcoal-powder-ult ... conut.html which is derived from coconut husks.
If you wish to add pumice look for a cosmetic grade.

[Ratimus]

If you're careful you can make charcoal powder by toasting a pan of briar dust with a propane torch. Blacken, stir, repeat.

[Massis]

or look for shops that sell brewing supplies. Activated charcoal is used to clean and decolour homebrews, at least that's where I got mine. 2kgs for €15 orso, plenty to coat several thousands of pipes I think.

[Rbraniganpipes]

What are the odds that 4 blocks in a row all have inclusions in the bowl?
I couldn't believe it... I have had the unfortunate luck of drilling 4 blocks and finding inclusions.
Anyone else have that kind of luck when they started out? Or currently?

[sandahlpipe]

I had a streak of 6 once...it happens sometimes.

[Sasquatch]

What are the odds that 4 blocks in a row all have inclusions in the bowl?
I couldn't believe it... I have had the unfortunate luck of drilling 4 blocks and finding inclusions.
Anyone else have that kind of luck when they started out? Or currently?

Depends on where the wood is from. Nowadays, for me, I occassionally lose a pipe to this. 1 in 30 max. I don't think about it. Other briar vendors.... yeah, you can lost a lot of pipes. So, upgrade your supply line.

[Rbraniganpipes]

Does it have anything to do with the grade of briar i am using, or the type, Algerian, Itailan, or Grecian, or is it just the luck of the draw?