Pipe rim cleaning

[Zeno Marx]

I've had good luck with Murphy's Oil Soap.  I use a paper "Shop Rag"--sort of like an extra-strong paper towel--or an old toothbrush on the tough ones.  On extremely bad cases, I sometimes start with small brass wire brush until I get it down to a manageable layer and then switch to a toothbrush.

That's a good one. I think I read on this board, or saw a pictorial on a blog, of a heavily caked rim, and they turned the pipe over and let the rim sit in a very shallow pool of Murphy's until it was easily rubbed clean. Now that I'm typing this, I think I may have tried it myself with good result.

 

[Brewdude]

Today I tried out the suggestion on another thread of using strong black coffee on the rim to remove deposits.

Gotta say it worked like a charm. A little bit of elbow grease, and now my heavily stained pipes now have a new look.

Thanks for the suggestion. Think it might have been banjo.


8) 



Cheers,

RR

 

[RDPipes]

I've never tried black coffee, usually reserve it for drinking but, I've always had good luck with Murphy's oil soap or just good ole spit and a Q-tip.

 

[juanmedusa]

Today I tried out the suggestion on another thread of using strong black coffee on the rim to remove deposits.

Gotta say it worked like a charm. A little bit of elbow grease, and now my heavily stained pipes now have a new look.

Thanks for the suggestion. Think it might have been banjo.


8) 



Cheers,

RR

I was involved in that other thread too. Double checked, yup banjo. Thanks for confirmation on that technique. When one guy tells you a new technique you're curious. When it's two, I'm eager to try it.

 

[Bugsahearn]

I'll have to try the coffee too. I still don't understand how veteran smokers light their pipe with getting a little burn on the rim. I see a lot of well smoked estate pipes where the rim is immaculate. What's the technique?

 

[riff raff]

Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) is fatally toxic is you ingest too much of it.  I would not use it on my pipes.

RobD

Fortunately, it has a very high rate of evaporation, so you won't have it on the pipe for long. Most "rubbing alcohol" is ethyl based. I use isopropyl alcohol (91%).

 

[juanmedusa]

I've used Simple Green cleanser in the past. I read it somewhere as a product to try for cleaning pipes. It worked pretty well.

EDIT: Wow, I already said that. Oh well.

 

[RDPipes]

Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) is fatally toxic is you ingest too much of it.  I would not use it on my pipes.

RobD

Fortunately, it has a very high rate of evaporation, so you won't have it on the pipe for long.  Most "rubbing alcohol" is ethyl based.  I use isopropyl alcohol (91%).

I agree, I use 99% ISO to do my monthly cleaning of the draft and stem and have been using it for as long as I've been smoking a pipe with NO affects in taste or health, even use it for the occasional retort of extra filthy estates. The higher percentage of ISO the less water hence a quicker evaporation rate. I would NOT use the regular Drugstore 71% ISO for cleaning pipes cause it's just too low in alcohol and too high in water content but, fine for rubbing or sterilizing wounds and such and wouldn't use anything lower then 90%.

 

[RDPipes]

I've used Simple Green cleanser in the past. I read it somewhere as a product to try for cleaning pipes. It worked pretty well.

EDIT: Wow, I already said that. Oh well.

John, you better be careful with Simple Green, it'll take the finish off painted items as well as a pipe.
It's a degreaser and I use it for that purpose only unless I water it down but, never on a pipe sir.
That's just my opinion for what it's worth. Murphy's Oil is made for wood finishes and won't hurt your pipes if used as directed.

 

[juanmedusa]

I've used Simple Green cleanser in the past. I read it somewhere as a product to try for cleaning pipes. It worked pretty well.

EDIT: Wow, I already said that. Oh well.

John, you better be careful with Simple Green, it'll take the finish off painted items as well as a pipe.
It's a degreaser and I use it for that purpose only unless I water it down but, never on a pipe sir.
That's just my opinion for what it's worth. Murphy's Oil is made for wood finishes and won't hurt your pipes if used as directed.

I normally do mix it with a bit of water. And I haven't had bad luck with it yet but I'm probably doing less pipes than many of you so take that for what it's worth. I'm open to try Murphy's next time I'm in the market for cleaning supplies.

 

[Richard Burley]

I'll have to try the coffee too. I still don't understand how veteran smokers light their pipe with getting a little burn on the rim. I see a lot of well smoked estate pipes where the rim is immaculate. What's the technique?

More trouble than it's worth, in my opinion. I like the crud on the rim, as long as it's my own crud, and not some previous owner's in the case of an estate. Looks cool to my depraved tastes. I sometimes will clean a pipe rim every time hell freezes over.

 

[user 2031]

I'll have to try the coffee too. I still don't understand how veteran smokers light their pipe with getting a little burn on the rim. I see a lot of well smoked estate pipes where the rim is immaculate. What's the technique?

More trouble than it's worth, in my opinion. I like the crud on the rim, as long as it's my own crud, and not some previous owner's in the case of an estate. Looks cool to my depraved tastes. I sometimes will clean a pipe rim every time hell freezes over.

Me too, Richard.

 

[Brewdude]

I'll have to try the coffee too. I still don't understand how veteran smokers light their pipe with getting a little burn on the rim. I see a lot of well smoked estate pipes where the rim is immaculate. What's the technique?

Bugsy, this isn't about rim burn. It's about the deposits left on the rim from smoking.

I don't burn my rims while lighting. The residue must certainly be due to the deposits left with an often smoked pipe. At least that's my theory. It seems that all my most often smoked pipes have this condition more or less!



Cheers,

RR

 

[SpeedyPete]

Read an article somewhere in the last six months that black coffee was good for cleaning rims.  For what its worth

Would that be with or without sugar?