Pipe retort
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- Posts: 6
- Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 10:35 am
I am new to pipe smoking and pipe restoration I just put together a retort and am wondering how many times should you do it to clean a pipe what color should you see when it's good enough? I've done 5 tubes of alcahol and still is looking very dark. Any help would be greatly appreciated
- Kevin Keith
- Grand Poobah
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- Location: Texas
Hey there Heavy, I've never used a retort so I don't know. I bet someone here will know though. Welcome to PSF by the way.
FJB
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Short answer:
Lots of tubes. I call it quits when the alcohol stays a light Amber after 2 cycles.
It's been a while since I've had to use the retort on anything. Mechanical cleaning gets me to "really clean" and sweet, which is all I need for the pipes I smoke and pass along.
How many cycles depends on how well you cleaned the pipe.
Scrub it out with bristled pipe cleaners, ream, clean and salt soak. Ream the airway with the right size drill bit, or one slightly smaller.
Then you can retort as a final step to make it squeaky clean sterile.
If you start with the retort right off the bat, it will take gallons of alcohol before it runs clear and you will be hunched over a candle for hours giving yourself a headache.
Lots of tubes. I call it quits when the alcohol stays a light Amber after 2 cycles.
It's been a while since I've had to use the retort on anything. Mechanical cleaning gets me to "really clean" and sweet, which is all I need for the pipes I smoke and pass along.
How many cycles depends on how well you cleaned the pipe.
Scrub it out with bristled pipe cleaners, ream, clean and salt soak. Ream the airway with the right size drill bit, or one slightly smaller.
Then you can retort as a final step to make it squeaky clean sterile.
If you start with the retort right off the bat, it will take gallons of alcohol before it runs clear and you will be hunched over a candle for hours giving yourself a headache.
Underwater Basketweaver.
Baskets of basket pipes.
Baskets of basket pipes.
- MikeDennison
- Certified Codger
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- Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 7:18 pm
Ok ... What thuh heck is a retort?
"I realized I had the gift of seeming to know more than I actually did." -A.J. Cronin-
Test tube with a bit of alcohol connected to your pipe with a small section of rubber tube.
Boil alcohol in test tube over candle.
Alcohol vapor condenses in the pipe and takes tars with it when it dribbles back out
Underwater Basketweaver.
Baskets of basket pipes.
Baskets of basket pipes.
- MikeDennison
- Certified Codger
- Posts: 7623
- Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 7:18 pm
That is all kinds of cool. I'll have to try that some time.
"I realized I had the gift of seeming to know more than I actually did." -A.J. Cronin-
I agree with everything Woods said. I've done of retort restorations and that's the way I do it also. Doesn't hurt to run one tube full at the start to soften up the klag, then go to the bristle cleaners and Q-tips for the rest of it , then the retort to finish. If you clean the pipe every smoke, you won't need the retort At all for periodic maintenance, just a swabbing with a couple of alcohol wet cleaners once I a while. Unless of course you've smoked Captain Black Grape in it, then, well probably.
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Thank you for the input. I just acquired some estate pipes that have not been smoked for a coons age and need some resto so I can start using them I can tell this was one that the gentleman smoked a lot and did little to clean. Also just want to make sure its sanitary before I use it.