Reamers
- Houtenziel
- Codger in Training
- Posts: 3773
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:58 pm
Just got the Castleford reamer in the mail today and gave it a spin(no pun intended) on a few pipes. I think I now understand why a lot of folks end up with a Buttner, Senior, and Castleford set. The Castleford, by design, has a set reaming shape which is great if you have pipes with that exact chamber shape. But.. if you have Grabows which tend to be cylindrical in the first two thirds and then taper in near the bottom, it can gouge the cake pretty badly at the shoulder of the taper.
“To educate a person in the mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
― Theodore Roosevelt
Pipe restorers say that they have several types of reamers because no one reamer or reamer kit will suit all bowl shapes.houtenziel wrote: ↑Sat Oct 27, 2018 6:19 pm Just got the Castleford reamer in the mail today and gave it a spin(no pun intended) on a few pipes. I think I now understand why a lot of folks end up with a Buttner, Senior, and Castleford set. The Castleford, by design, has a set reaming shape which is great if you have pipes with that exact chamber shape. But.. if you have Grabows which tend to be cylindrical in the first two thirds and then taper in near the bottom, it can gouge the cake pretty badly at the shoulder of the taper.
To have a universal reaming kit like a castleford type, it would need dozens of changeable bits.
Wow. When I started was using a small corner of paper towel to wipe the bowl after each smoke, no cake build up at all. Since I stopped that, once in a great while I will scrape a little build-up. I have one of those little handy reamers, but don't anticipate using it any time soon.
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insufferable filter guy
insufferable filter guy
I haven't needed one yet. Not sure why, but I don't really get cake build up. My cleaning isn't overly thorough, usually clean after 1-3 bowls, I use q-tips in the bowl, remove the ash and gunk, and spread the soot around the bowl to coat it.
- simplepipes
- Codger in Training
- Posts: 3168
- Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2018 8:57 pm
- Location: MO
Rolled tubes of sandpaper of various grits . . . too many pipes ruined by inexperienced use of reamers.
-sp
-sp
My vote has not been bought . . . I paid for my Undergraduate and Graduate Degrees . . .
- Middle Earth
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2081
- Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2018 6:03 pm
- Location: Middle Earth
I use a Cook reamer or a rounded knife if necessary. Use a bent pipe cleaner after each smoke. Keeps the cake at a minimum. Avoid reaming if possible.
I thought that a somewhat heavy cake was desirable in a pipe. At what point does one need to be reamed? On occasion I use a bit of paper towel or maybe Q-Tips to wipe out the bowl.
American by birth, Southern by the grace of God!
ROLL TIDE ROLL!!
ROLL TIDE ROLL!!
- Houtenziel
- Codger in Training
- Posts: 3773
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:58 pm
It's really up to you what is too much. The guideline I hear tossed around is between the thickness of a dime or nickel. I personally don't like a lot of cake, and just keep the thinnest layer of carbon possible to protect the briar.
“To educate a person in the mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
― Theodore Roosevelt
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- Member in Good Standing
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- Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2018 8:13 am
- Location: Kentucky
I've used an old Chicago drill press inherited from my grandfather to bore out cakes in some of my estate pipe finds, leaving about a dime's thickness. I know... sounds extreme... but the cake was rock solid and, frankly, I don't know how they ever smoked their last bowl in it! Some of the pipes I got in bulk lots literally had less than a 1/8" opening running from the top of the bowl to the airhole. LOL I really should have taken before pics of them.
Longshanks
"He who shall, so shall he... wait, who?"
"He who shall, so shall he... wait, who?"