Steinert Pipes

[Darin Anderson]

I just purchased a new Steinert 1.5 blowpipe at the GAS Conference in PDX. I brought home and started using it and immediately when I gather or go into the gloryhole the pipe heats up to within a few inches of the handle--making it impossible to work with any amount of glass on the pipe. Our shop does not have a pipe cooler.

I contacted Steinert and they suggested taking the pipe apart and cleaning it out--they thought that maybe some "oil" was left in it during the process.

I did that--they pipe still seems to heat up farther than it should be. I have other pipes that I use the same way--and I don't have that issue.

This is my first new pipe--is this common? Do pipes need to be seasoned?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

D

[John Teeter]

Yes...pipes sometimes need to be "seasoned."

The "seasoning" is just burning the oil out. nothing magical about it.

how did you clean it?

you need to pour/wash the inside with something that will dissolve the oil...

the other thing to keep in mind is that pipes can collect condensation in them over night and then be hot the first time you use them for the day if that happens when the condensation boils off and heats up the pipe...blowing through the pipe with compressed air before you use it can often times dry out the pipe.

also if the pipe tube is carbon steel vs. stainless...it can transfer the heat more easily and the pipe will be hotter after a gather.

john

[Ken Peterson]

I like to use a pipe cooler. I would just build one for the shop. The problem goes:

-submerge pipe in water somehow?

It's a simple concept that I ignored for many years becuase the shop I worked at had no pipe cooler also. I'll probably pay for it one day.

oh.... and all that stuff John says I agree with also, but please build a pipe cooler. :)

[Larry Cazes]

Is this pipe made of Chromoly or Stainless Steel? I own chrome pipes and counterweighted punties from Spiral Arts and I have noticed that they heat up slower amd much less overall towards the mouthpiece than others that I have used that are made of stainless.

[Pete VanderLaan]

It is also possible that your pipe warmer is producing the moisture needed to "steam" the pipe. Remeber that water is a by product of combustion. That can be dealt with by putting a golf T in the mouthpiece.

I cannot imagine trying to work without a pipe cooler. Splurge. It's not hard to build.

[David Patchen]

No pipe cooler...are you crazy?

[Mark Floyd]

Try capping your mouthpiece while it's heating up, my teacher used to use a golf tee.

[Eben Horton]

the secret to a good pipe warmer is to have the rack hold the pipes at a downward angle so that the mouth pieces are at least 10 degrees off of level- if they are raised up above level, the heat will just wick up 'em.

I dont have a wipe cooler because i dont need one.. i guess i am crazy. :)

[Brian Gingras]

I don't have a pipe cooler either..then again, we have enough pipes that they cycle slow enough not to be to hot with each piece...an electric furnace also helps!

[Glenn Randle]

we have enough pipes that they cycle slow enough not to be to hot with each piece...


Hmmm........??? Free advice, that's worth every cent! Or, Priceless humor.;)

[Todd Nelson]

We don't have a pipe cooler either and very little space to put one. I never felt I needed one until we got our bigger furnaces. Now when we are getting down in the pot, it gets hot farther up. I saw a hot shop that had a garbage can for stripping, tailing off and they had built a trough with a handle and holes in the bottom. They would fill it with water and drizzle it over the pipes. Cheap and easy...I think my new spiral arts chrome moly pipe heat up more than my stainless standard workhorse..2cents worth!

[Scott Novota]

I have a nickelite pipe for the last 5 years that is still my favorite pipe ever. It heats up a little faster, but it handles as much weight as a heavy pipe and is light as a feather. It has also not bent at all in 5 years but that might be because I never let anyone else use it.


Scott.
.

[Brian Gingras]

Hmmm........??? Free advice, that's worth every cent! Or, Priceless humor.;)

a bit of both :)