Air Flow - a real open air flow

ckr · Post by **ckr** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:46 am

The other day a I was surfing and came across this article.

http://www.naspc.org/airflow.htm

Since, it has been stuck in my mind. The article has requested commentary from pipe makers but there were none to be found. So I guess I am kind of bringing the mountain to Mohammad.

I have got one of the ones I started over the holidays to finish up and I figure this weekend I would just make one with two stems. One the usual tapered bore and slot and one a 5/32 straight. Would be interesting if some others might be willing to do the same.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:52 am

Random used to make such pipes with uniform draft holes. As I recall, a good number of people liked them.

Jim Cooke makes his slots so that the area at the end of the slot is the same are as the draft hole. However I am skeptical that he is able to keep that uniform afea throughout the whole length of the slot.

ckr · Post by **ckr** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 8:51 am

With Random though, there were other very contraversial issues in addition to the straight bore airway. The pipe smoking community is pretty much entranched in tradition. Even though vulcanite oxidizes it seems the preferred material, I think pipes owners feel rewarded for bringing their stems back the same as we derive pleasure fron executing a nice pipe. I used to feel that way when I was doing it with rubbing compound and hand buffing.

I also have a couple of GBD twin-bores from when a shop closed down in the late 80's (still unsmoked) but when the shop closed it had a 50% sale and most of the pipes went. The twin-bores i picked up were days later at 70% off, it just kind of shows where things fall in the preference of pipe smokers in general.

Random had also done something called a shotgun, I am not sure if that was a twin-bore.

I know the preference is for thinnnnn bits but personally a clunky bit does not bother me at all. I am in the heavy chomper crowd and thin bits can only be held on the left side as the other is missing a molar! LOL

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:43 am

His shotgun airway was just a uniform drill the whole way through. And you're right about the contreversy, but good old Random brought that all on himself. He is like the Ted Kazinski of the pipe world. Personally, I loved his ideas, but his shapes never appealed to me. I'd still like to get a one piece pipe if the right one comes around.

The main bemefit of an open draw, aside from the total ease of pulling air though it, is that there would be less chance for turbulence, and thereby less condensation in the pipe. Of course there are three other points in the pipe that will cause turbulence, bowl/draft hole contraction, the 90+ degree change in direction at the bowl/drafthole junction and the potential gap at the mortise tenon.

staffwalker · Post by **staffwalker** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 12:47 am

Hi, I would be very interested how you determine what size to drill your draft holes. I'm new to this game, carved my first pipe over the labor day weekend. So far I have carved 14 and should finish number 15 tonight. When I started I had no idea what size bit to use to drill the draft hole. I decided on 5/32 (4mm) and was amazed at how well the first pipe smoked, free and easy draw, it remained dry with no slurping. I have continued to use a 5/32, the next thirteen pipes smoked as good as the first one. I assumed it must be the briar although I have gotten briar from four sources. Then I bought a new pipe and discovered it might just be the draft creating the good smoke

I bought an Italian pipe, mid grade, $150 range, the maker shall remain nameless but one all of you know with an excellent rep. When I fired it up it smoked terrible, hard to keep lit, hard to draw, surped and created liquid. After that first bowl I pulled it apart and measured the draft at a tight 1/8. I opened it up to 5/32, fired it back up and it was not even the same pipe. It now produced a perfect easy smoke. It has continued to produce dry bowl after dry bowl.

A few minutes ago I was looking at a Canadian maker's pipes online. Approximately 75% of his were drilled to 5/32 and the remainer were drilled to 9/16th. I could see no correlation between size of draft hole and size of pipe or width and depth of tobacco chamber.

So how do you guys determine the size of the draft? Do you do them all the same? If not how do you decide? What factors do you use?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

bob gilbert

staffwalker · Post by **staffwalker** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 12:53 am

Oops! The Canadian maker's sizes should have been 5/32 and 9/64th not 9/16th.

bob gilbert

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:40 am

Hi Bob,

I drill all of my draft holes at 5/32. Occasionally a customer will request 11/64, and I will comply with that request.

Rad

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 9:40 pm

Like Rad, I drill most to 5/32", with an occasional 11/64". I have been known to drill bamboo-shanked pipes with 9/64", only because it seems to work so well.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 2:54 pm

Brian once told me he had some formula in his head that matched the size of the bowl the the size of the draft hole. I don't really think it was a real mathematical formula, but more of something else. I'm sure he'd be much more able to explain it than I, having only heard him talk about it for a few minutes. I do know this though, Brian's pipes smoke like a dream. Whatever he's doing puts his pipes among my best smokers. Ugly devils, but what would you expect from a guy that looks like he does....

Did I just say that outloud? D'OOH!