PIPE CLEANING RETORT SYSTEM

[sgillett]

Hello All.

I've been a member of this forum for a short while & have enjoyed reading the posts.

Has anybody had any experience using a retort system to clean a pipe? From what I've read, it sounds like this is the most thorough way to clean an old pipe. It also seems like it could get dangerous if you don't do it correctly.

Here's a couple of links:

http://www.seattlepipeclub.org/sherlock ... oilOut.gif

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW

Take care, Steve

[ToddJohnson]

I believe this is the same system Jim Benjamin still uses. I am also told that Jim is now on his second shop since his first one burned to the ground. Perhaps that story is apocryphal, but I don't think so. I'll probably stick to bristled pipe cleaners.

Todd

[ArtGuy]

I have one that I have used a couple times. You need to be carefull and I certainly would not do it inside a shop, garage, or basement but it really is not that hairy of a process....... However, it does in fact involve boiling an ounce or so of alchohol so........

[sagiter]

Having already removed myt children from one burning home (supposedly an electrical fire in the wall but I still swear it was halogen related) I'm going to steer clear of any system that requires the heating and expansion of alcohol.

Neil

[jeff]

I'm working on a new gasoline fueled one just like this if ya'll are interested.


JG

[sgillett]

Thanks for all the replies. They were fun & interesting to read.

Steve

[Nick]

EEEKK!! That sounds like somthing the wife wouldn't approve of.

[ArtGuy]

mmmmmmmmmmmmm gasssoleeeeeen aaaaaaagggghhhh

[bscofield]

sounds like you guys are planning to clean your pipe the way Rambo cleaned his gunshot wound in the movie where he's in the desert. Remember? he opens up some bullets and pours the gun powder into the wound then lights in on fire. If I remember correctly the SE guys had a blast of flame showing from the front AND the back of him, like the flame went right through.

"Clean your pipes in 2 seconds. Must wear protective fire retardent suit at all times while using this pipe cleaner."

[Dixie_piper]

Oh great, I find this AFTER I order one :O
According to the guy selling these on ebay, the "system" is set up in such a way to prevent fire/explosion/crispy pipe makers.
He claims that BEFORE the alcohol were to reach the combustion point, the connector would pop loose, resulting in only a messy work station...
That being said, my concerns lie in what will happen when (not if, murphy's law) the thing pops loose after the combustion point, it'd be a bigger mess at the very least.
I'm trying it out to see if my ill thoughts are mere hog wash, and if not, I'm well insured so at least my ol' lady will benefit from it

[staffwalker]

Don't think it would bother me too much, had a neighbor once who was experimenting with homemade napalm, which involved boiling gasoline on a cook stove while slowly adding Ivory Soap chips. Don't ask what he was planning to do with the napalm--it was the 60s after all--don't believe I ever asked him. I did ask who he wanted me to notify in case of extremely large fireball. bob gilbert

[Dixie_piper]

We had a bad experience with homemade C4. Took longer to make than expected, my genius friend (aka, the big nazi bastard) left it on the window sill in an old tree house when we left out for school, turns out we were really close to being finished with it, the whole TREE that the treehouse was in, came crashing down around noon. Thankfully his dad took the blame for the "boom" saying he was playing with primer cord.
Needless to say, we had some explaining to do... and a tree to dispose of.
So, I suppose an ounce of alcohol wouldn't be TOO dangerous. I'll just be sure to try it in my own clubhouse

[DMI]

I use a retort on a weekly basis and have never had a problem-so far, I stand at the kitchen sink and use a cooks blowtorch for heat.

The only problem I have had is that the rubber seal deteriorates after a 100 or so pipes and needs to be replaced, silicone or rubber teats from baby bottles are easily available though.

David.

[Skip]

We have used this system since 74.
One word of caution, make shure that the air passage is open in the pipe.

Skip

[Dixie_piper]

I just broke my retort in for the first time, WOW! I used it on a pipe that I had cleaned previously with the good ol' S/A treatment and bristled pipe cleaners VERY tediously, expecting very little results... wrong! The first run came through BLACK, I'm on the thitd now and just reached the almond/amber color. The heel is what's most suprising, I've been apprehensive to ream it because of age and uncertain of true chamber shape. But now it is almost completely cleaned.
A second word of caution; make SURE that cotton ball is tight (but still not on the heel) because I experienced some seepage onto the stummel.
Oh, and if the pipe being cleaned has a stinger it gets HOT, so keep an eye on that to prevent damging the pipe or your fingers!
Now, I'm off to piddle with meh $35 drill press....

[DMI]

Try and keep the cotton wool at the top of the chamber, with practice you can flush the airway and bottom of the chamber without getting alcohol onto the wool.

[Dixie_piper]

That's what I'm shooting for. The instructions say to boil all the alcohol out of the test tube, but that seems damn near impossible with a candle flame to do safely without busting the glass. I have some better grade test tubes on the way as well, mine was cracked at the rim. I believe it happened after shipment though.
I am curious why they suggest pure beeswax candles? I use the plain jane lil 3" emergency candles and it seems to work fine. Probably to make it seem more complex than it really is
I also see your point about the "engineering" of ho it's attached to the stem being a quite simple nipple off a baby's bottle.
Still a great system either way

[wdteipen]

I have a couple retorts that I bought off of ebay and really like the job they do. I use a cork in the tobacco chamber to help prevent seepage and use a heat gun instead of an open flame. I get really good results. I have his older version with the bent test tube and like it better. The one I got recently was just a straight test tube. A word of caution with acrylic stems: alcohol puts microscopic fissures in acrylic and if it gets too hot will melt the bit of your stem. I learned that the hard way.

[Dixie_piper]

Thanks! Lot of useful info there. I've considered something like your cork method, but feared too much pressure build up. Good to know about the acrylic stems as well. I may try a lower heat source as well later on, or just a greater distance from the flame. Today I lacked patience and just wanted to see if it really worked.

[smokindawg]

I know this is an older post........ Guess I should read more.

I have a retort that I've used quite a bit. I actually use a hand held propane torch to heat mine. (No fireballs yet) It works great.

I made a cork set-up for the bowl of mine, as I kept getting alcohol on the outside of the bowl. I use a rubber cork in different sizes. I drilled a hole thru each and then put about 3 inches of plastic tubing on a connector and pushed that thru the hole I drilled in the cork. Then when I heat the alcohol and it is pushed into the chamber I can see it moving up the tube in the cork and then I remove the heat.

I've cleaned well over 100 pipes using this set-up and it works great.

I have had to replace the connection that mounts the retort to the stem and used surgical tubing, which is much more durable so far.