Quickie about cleaning

[Quick_nick]

I spent the last 30 minutes searching the forum to get a little more info on the salt and alc. treatment. My question is do I have to block the stem at the bowl with something, and if so what do you use.

thanks, nick

[rx2010]

never done this, but I imagine removing the stem would be beneficial

[TOB9595]

I remove the stem, fold over a pipe cleaner and stuff it in the hole tween bowl and shank.
You can use anything...You just want to keep the salt and the liquor in the bowl.
Tom

[Spongy]

Originally Posted by rx2010

never done this, but I imagine removing the stem would be beneficial

not really. the stem holds the cleaner in place better and some stands that ppl put their pipes in while cleaning require the stems.
----

to answer the question, most ppl put a new pipe cleaner in the stem all the way down until you can barely see it poking out the draught hole.
that'll keep the salt from going into the draught hole and then having more cleaning after you're done cleaning.
if you have a pipe that you can't pass a cleaner through, then take off the stem, put the cleaner through to the bowl, then put the stem on and feed the cleaner through that at the same time, keeping the end of it just inside the hole opening.

the amount of alcohol i've read/heard/done myself is 10 drips on average. you may have a larger bowl, requiring more drips...

[TOB9595]

Hmmmm
Stem on, I'll have to think on that whilst I sleep

Gnight

[Vrbas]

Remove the stem, if alcohol bleeds out onto it, it will stain it a nasty green/yellow color

[Spongy]

Originally Posted by Vrbas

Remove the stem, if alcohol bleeds out onto it, it will stain it a nasty green/yellow color

curious where the alcohol would bleed onto the stem if it's in the pipe. if you leave the stem off, and don't put something in the draught hole, and then oversoak the bowlful of salt, the alcohol could run down the outside of the shank and mess up the wood staining, but that would take a lot of alcohol.

i put my stems IN alcohol to soak, they don't turn green.

if this has happened to you, what type of stem was it and what type of alcohol that way i can avoid doing this myself...

[Vrbas]

Originally Posted by Spongy

curious where the alcohol would bleed onto the stem if it's in the pipe. if you leave the stem off, and don't put something in the draught hole, and then oversoak the bowlful of salt, the alcohol could run down the outside of the shank and mess up the wood staining, but that would take a lot of alcohol.

i put my stems IN alcohol to soak, they don't turn green.

if this has happened to you, what type of stem was it and what type of alcohol that way i can avoid doing this myself...

The mouthpiece i mean. It happened to an estate pipe i was cleaning. Filled the bowl w/ salt and then poured alcohol over it and let soak. I went ahead and filled the bowl w/ alcohol so it eventually rose and needed to find an escape outlet... ran down the mouthpiece a little bit, not much but enough to notice it would hurt the finish.

And yeah, it could run out the pipe which would also ruin the finish of the pipe. PLUG IT UP!

[Trippmac]

When I clean mine, I take the stem off and place a cotton ball in the shank. The cotton ball will absorb some of the alcohol allowing the shank to be cleaned, but will also prevent any extra alcohol from flowing out of the shank. Just my 2 cents.

[DubintheDam]

The most common recommendation is to put in a pipe cleaner through the drill hole before you fill the bowl with salt....HOWEVER...this makes NO sense at all. WHY? Well most of the bitter gunk that build up in a pipe builds up in the shank chamber....so...you should not put a pipe cleaner in and you should also fill the shank chamber with salt and alcohol...This is my opinion...and has a few supporters on the web...for me it makes no sense to do the treatment on the bowl and then not in the shank....

[wharfrathoss]

i'm w/Dub on this one, w/a slight variation-i use cotton balls instead of salt, easier to remove, no crystals leftover in the pipe-i let it sit overnite, clean the shank, refill w/CB & alcohol & let sit for another 24-works well for me

[RJpuffs]

Originally Posted by wharfrathoss

i'm w/Dub on this one, w/a slight variation-i use cotton balls instead of salt, easier to remove, no crystals leftover in the pipe-i let it sit overnite, clean the shank, refill w/CB & alcohol & let sit for another 24-works well for me

One thing about cotton balls, they may leave lint behind - stuck to jagged cake bits. You may smell burnt racoon when you light up

And Dub is right about the shank. You can plug the airhole but NOT all the way into the bowl, halfway down will allow some salt/booze to catch the stinky stuff in the airway opening.

[drastic_quench]

I prefer this method:
http://www.glpease.com/Articles/Spot.html

[Spongy]

when i said i use a cleaner, it's after i've already cleaned everything but the bowl. i'm sure some tars/ghosting could easily be residing in the shank (especially a long shank)... when i do the salt treatment, it's normally at the end of a major cleaning, and my last step. hopefully i've cleaned the shank thoroughly enough already.

[Doc Holiday]

Originally Posted by drastic_quench

I prefer this method:
http://www.glpease.com/Articles/Spot.html

I have no doubt this works, but it seems like something I would want to hold back as my last resort after a little salt or cotton and alcohol had failed. Maybe I’m just being a little over cautious.