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BornCountryBoy
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Registered: 05-2009
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Killing my Cake???

I am fairly new to pipes smoking, I had read somewhere NOT to leave any bits of Tobacco or debris in the bowl after the smoke (something about may turn sour) so I have been in the practice of taking a paper napkin and twisting it into the bowl right after each smoked bowl, well last night after my cleaning I was examining the residue on said paper napkin and the thought occured to me that I may be wiping out all or most of my cake that could be forming. The freshly wiped bowls look black in color, then after resting for a day or 2 the bottom 2/3 of bowl has a thin film less than the thickness of an egg shell that is flat brown or tan in color. all of my pipes have 20 bowls or less of use so I do not have any real experiance as to what good Cake might look like. Any sugestions? emoticon

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AKA "Handheld campfire stoker"
May/28/09, 8:15 am Send Email to BornCountryBoy   Send PM to BornCountryBoy
 
Jimbo44
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Re: Killing my Cake???

Cake should not exceed about 1 -1.5mm thick or it can crack the bowl as it expands and contracts differently from the briar; wiping it hard every bowl can prevent this forming.

Having said that, I think sometimes that cake formation is over-rated and I prefer only the thinnest cake and when I ream a briar I take it down virtually to the wood.
A thick cake can contain some really nasty memories and can become soft and friable.

Meers BTW should have no cake at all.

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Work is the curse of the smoking classes
May/28/09, 9:01 am Send Email to Jimbo44   Send PM to Jimbo44 ICQ AIM
 
tedthebear
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Re: Killing my Cake???

With <20 bowls, you are just getting started. As long as you aren't too vigorous with the paper towel, you're doing fine. Pipes will cake at different rates...some faster, some slower. It's a slow process, but you'll know when it starts getting too thick....anything over a dimes thickness.

FWIW, most of my briars have very little cake...I don't like the after-taste I get.

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The Bear

"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it."
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May/28/09, 9:42 am Send Email to tedthebear   Send PM to tedthebear
 
Johnnycake
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Re: Killing my Cake???

Guess i need to scrape my pipes. Haven't done it in a loooooong time and I've got some serious cake. emoticon

Johnny

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"If you can't send money, send tobacco." -George Washington to
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May/28/09, 9:18 pm Send Email to Johnnycake   Send PM to Johnnycake
 
Bullmoose
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Re: Killing my Cake???

Johnny, if I were you I wouldnt bother even scraping them. They are likely ruined by now. I suggest you just box them up and send 'em to me. I have a special "pipe burial ground" to put them in. I'll even say a few words over them for you. Just trynna help you out. Its a shame to let you hang onto those "ruined" pipes any longer! emoticon emoticon

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English: A language that lurks in dark alleys, beats up other languages, and rifles through their pockets for spare vocabulary.

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May/28/09, 9:36 pm Send Email to Bullmoose   Send PM to Bullmoose AIM MSN Yahoo
 
Johnnycake
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Re: Killing my Cake???

 emoticon

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"If you can't send money, send tobacco." -George Washington to
the Continental Congress, 1776
May/29/09, 9:13 am Send Email to Johnnycake   Send PM to Johnnycake
 
MasonM
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Re: Killing my Cake???

Sounds like you're doing fine. Let the cake build to about a 1/8" thickness and try to maintain that.

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Mason

And though it is much to be a nobleman, it is more to be a gentleman. - Anthony Trollope
Oct/22/09, 11:27 pm Send Email to MasonM   Send PM to MasonM
 


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