I fixed a grizzly bear's butt pipe!

[m.c.]

The solution is simple - a clay lining, thanks to another thread where several guys shared information about clay pipes which interested me.

Procedures:
1. Get some kaolin which you can knead like dough.
2. Make a wood or rubber dowel with a profile giving your desired bowl chamber shape.
3. The dowel should be about 4 mm thinner than the existing chamber diametre of the bad tasting pipe; Or you can redrill that pipe into a larger chamber.
4. Ideally drill the chamber 2-4mm deeper. If the bottom is alreay very thin, don't do this.
5. Press the well kneaded kaolin into the chamber. Press real hard.
6. Drive and twist the dowel into the kaolin filled chamber. Keep to the centre. Go down until you reach the point where it is aligned with the draft hole. If you did not drill the chamber deeper, you have to go down till you reach wood bottom.
7. Retract the dowel (slowly twisting to avoid sucking out the clay).
8. Let dry for a week or two. You do not need to kiln it.
9. Smoke it. Be careful with you pipe tool not to hurt the clay lining.

It smokes excellent, and this clay pipe does not burn the hands! Just do not know whether the clay will change into something as hard as earthenware. (Can anybody tell me the English expression of this chemical process?)

[kbadkar]

?

[Nick]

Sounds interesting!