Hi Everybody,
I have found on the bent pipes that I make (quarter/half and upwards) that the pipe cleaner does not go in easily. I always create a little ramp at the bottom of the airhole so that a slight twist of the cleaner will allow it to get in. I sold two pipes to friends of mine who expressed a minor complaint that the pipe cleaner did not go in as easily as it would on a stright pipe. I ran pipe cleaners through many of my professionaly made pipes and found a similar pattern, that it takes a little effort but can be done. Is there anything else I can do with the drilling that I am not already doing to make this easier. Or is just the nature of the beast with bent pipes. My belief is that it is the nature of the beast. Any reassurance or advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Tim
Getting pipe cleaners through bent pipes
The only thing I would suggest would be to work more on the ramp, so that the cleaner passes more easily.
For my pipes, I ramp the smoke hole until a new cleaner, inserted in the button, will pass easliy by pushing it from its opposite end. If it won't do this, then I work on the ramp a bit more until it does.
Rad
For my pipes, I ramp the smoke hole until a new cleaner, inserted in the button, will pass easliy by pushing it from its opposite end. If it won't do this, then I work on the ramp a bit more until it does.
Rad
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KurtHuhn
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Bent pipes, depending on the bend, are notorious for being unable to pass a cleaner without a slight wiggle. However, there are things you can do to make the problem all but disappear:
- Make sure that your tenon bottoms out in the mortis. The face of your tenon should be *very* close to bottom. A thousandth or two of separation won't matter, but anything beyond that is really asking for trouble. This is also useful for avoiding turbulence in the smoke channel, but that's another subject.
- Ensure that the airway is dead smack center of the bottom of the mortis. If it's not, the cleaner will hang up on you.
- The airway in the shank has to be the same size (though some will argue larger) than the airway in the stem. If the shank airway is a smaller diameter then the stem airway, it could get stuck - especially if the tenon doesn't mate up with the bottom of the mortis.
- In extreme cases, you may have to ramp the airway to get the cleaner to pass cleanly.
- Use a decent sized airway. 1/8" is very small, and will bind up a lot of cleaners in the bend. 5/32" is much better, and rarely will grab at a cleaner at the bend.
That's pretty much it. If you do all of the above, stuck cleaners should be a thing of the past. Every once in a while you'll get a pipe that, for whatever reason, confounds every attempt to make is cleanly pass a cleaner - but assuming the rest of the pipe is engineered well, the smoker will probably never have to mess with it while smoking.
- Make sure that your tenon bottoms out in the mortis. The face of your tenon should be *very* close to bottom. A thousandth or two of separation won't matter, but anything beyond that is really asking for trouble. This is also useful for avoiding turbulence in the smoke channel, but that's another subject.
- Ensure that the airway is dead smack center of the bottom of the mortis. If it's not, the cleaner will hang up on you.
- The airway in the shank has to be the same size (though some will argue larger) than the airway in the stem. If the shank airway is a smaller diameter then the stem airway, it could get stuck - especially if the tenon doesn't mate up with the bottom of the mortis.
- In extreme cases, you may have to ramp the airway to get the cleaner to pass cleanly.
- Use a decent sized airway. 1/8" is very small, and will bind up a lot of cleaners in the bend. 5/32" is much better, and rarely will grab at a cleaner at the bend.
That's pretty much it. If you do all of the above, stuck cleaners should be a thing of the past. Every once in a while you'll get a pipe that, for whatever reason, confounds every attempt to make is cleanly pass a cleaner - but assuming the rest of the pipe is engineered well, the smoker will probably never have to mess with it while smoking.
I have always examined the pipes made by Claudio Cavicchi for examples. Here is what I observe.
No matter which pipe I look at, they all pass a pipe cleaner. On a rare occasion I test a full bent that requires a little twist to enter the smoking chamber.
If the direction of the shank heads directly toward the bottom of the bowl no ramp will be needed. Many times the shank will be directed below or behind the bowl and depending on the degree of curvature it might need a ramp. Claudio avoids ramps by simply not making shapes that require them.
A larger air passage draws better and allows for the cleaner to pass easily. I use the same size as he does which is 4mm. It is slightly larger than 5/32.
The reason that I use his pipes as examples is simple. We sell 250-300 every year and the results speak for them selves.
No matter which pipe I look at, they all pass a pipe cleaner. On a rare occasion I test a full bent that requires a little twist to enter the smoking chamber.
If the direction of the shank heads directly toward the bottom of the bowl no ramp will be needed. Many times the shank will be directed below or behind the bowl and depending on the degree of curvature it might need a ramp. Claudio avoids ramps by simply not making shapes that require them.
A larger air passage draws better and allows for the cleaner to pass easily. I use the same size as he does which is 4mm. It is slightly larger than 5/32.
The reason that I use his pipes as examples is simple. We sell 250-300 every year and the results speak for them selves.
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LexKY_Pipe
- Posts: 875
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:00 pm
- Location: Lexington, Kentucky USA
