Why Cigar ash for 'mud'

[brianr]

Having just used pipe mud for the first time (and waiting for it to cure), I am curious why it should be made with cigar ash.

Does the nature of the ash between pipe. cigar, and cigarette tobacco vary so much in its mudding characteristics?

What gives rise to the difference, the tobacco leaf or the curing process?

Brian

 

[MisterE]

Cigar ash is very, very fine as opposed to pipe tobacco ash which often has chunks of tobacco in it. Pipe mud needs to be clay-like to work effectively and any solid pieces in the mixture will cause it to crumble. Cigarette ash might work okay, but I've never tried that.

 

[williamcharles]

I grind black pipe ash (carbon) and then add some of the white ash. The mix dries very hard and I've never had a failure as sometimes happens with cigar ash. I like it better.

 

[RDPipes]

I too, crush my cake (carbon) I ream from my pipes (that I save) into dust with a pestle and mortar and then through a fine screen. Hardens up like a rock and I've sadly had to use it several times on estate pipes. Smoking the pipe once it dries (hour or two) seems to help cure it also. Never had any crumble or crack and fall out. Just got to get the right mixture of spit and carbon, not too wet but, not too dry. And I wet the inside of the bowl slightly to promote adhesion. If it's too wet it will crack when it cures.

 

[Rob_In_MO]

For cyring out loud, smoke an occasional cigar you guys. 8) 



:lol!: 

 

[RDPipes]

For cyring out loud, smoke an occasional cigar you guys.  8) 



:lol!: 

At the prices a good cigar brings nowadays I can buy a whole tin of something real good.
Besides, I have a hard enough time looking intelligent to the misses as it is, I don't think a large brown torpedo shaped thing hanging out of my moth will improve that.

 

[Fr_Tom]

At the prices a good cigar brings nowadays I can buy a whole tin of something real good.

This is pretty much where I am these days. HOWEVER one of my RC priest friends came by for a little tech consulting and free trade Honduran coffee today. He left me with three cigars, so I will have an opportunity to generate some cigar ash soon. I don't have much call for pipe mud, but maybe I should save it?

 

[rothnh]

I'd save the cigar ash, Fr. Tom.

Everyone has their favorite pipe mud and probably more than a couple have been posted here on BoB, but here's a pipe mud recipe from a friend (H.Fearly) that works very well:

Preparation:
- Get activated charcoal in the form of digestive pills from the drug store
- Grind up the contents of 4 capsules with mortal and pestle into very fine powder
- Smoke a cigar, save the white ash

Recipe:
- Mix 2 scoops (Czech pipe tool spoon) cigar ash with 4 scoops of activated charcoal pulverized
- Add 2 drops of water
- Add 2 drops of medium grade maple syrup
- Mix until you get a "slimy" mixture

You gotta work fast then because it dries out pretty quickly. Let dry 24 hours following application.

This is the most durable/hard pipe mud I've managed to make so far. Bonus: when it's heated while smoking, the maple sugar crystallizes and "seals" the mud up. You get almost like a glass-like, rock hard charcoal surface.

I would add that it's best to allow your pipe to dry completely before giving it this pipe mud treatment.

 

[pipe dreamer]

Both will work, better to crush up the pipe ash..The syrup method is good or ,if your fast you can use liquid glass.