Daily Archives: May 31, 2012

My choices in Pipe Reamers – a review

6 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

In the process of refurbishing estate pipes, a thing that I enjoy doing, I use two pipe reamers almost every time I begin the work. Both of them have different strengths or advantages that I have come to count on in the process of using them. They work on the thickest and hardest cake that I have found in these old work horse pipes. I have written of the advantages and weaknesses of both in the review that follows.  

The first of these is readily available on EBay as Kleen Reem pipe reamers. There is also a similar reamer available going under the label of the Senior Reamer which can be purchased at most of the online pipe vendors. The reamer I have is pictured below. It is an adjustable three blade hardened steel reamer. The top is the adjustment knob and as it is turned it opens the blades wider or narrower. The utility of this reamer is that it is able to be adjusted to multiple bowl sizes. The blades remain vertical so that the bowl does not taper. It works very well for cylindrical shaped bowls. The hardened steel does a great job cutting back the carbon of the cake and can be adjusted to allow for different cake depths. The one draw back of this reamer is that it does not do a great job on the heel of the bowl in rounded or U shaped bowls. It is perfect for the conical bowl or V shaped bowl that tapers to a point. In the U shaped bowls I have to finish the reaming by using the second tool below or a piece of sand paper wrapped on a dowel.

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The case that the reamer came in is functional and strong. In the bottom edge of the case there is a banded group of cut pipe cleaners.

A brilliant part of this tool is found under the adjustment knob on the top. The knob can be turned to unscrew it from the main unit. Once it is removed it reveals a drill bit attached to the knob that is designed to clean out the airway in the shank. It can be twisted into the shank to reopened clogged and restricted airways without damaging the pipe. I use the drill bit by itself the first few times through the shank to remove the grime and tars. I then follow up with the pipe cleaners inserted and wrapped up the bit then dipped in alcohol to remove the loosened grime from the shank of the pipe. I have replaced the original ones that came with the kit many times with cut pieces of regular or fluffy pipe cleaners. The diagram below shows the bit inserted in the shank. It also shows the winding of the pipe cleaners on the drill bit that I referred to above.

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The picture below shows the reamer as diagrammed with the instruction manual that came with the Kleen Reem kit. The numerals on the diagram are explained in the instructions on the right side of the picture. I use the reamer as a regular part of the cleaning routine I have established for working on estate pipes.

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I would recommend either the Senior Reamer or the Kleen Reem Reamer for all those who clean and work on their own pipe and those who do refurbishing of estate pipes. When you purchase it know that you will need another tool or have to use sandpaper and dowel to maintain the heel of the bowl.

The second reamer that is in my refurbishing tool kit is called a Pipnet Reamer. I found this reamer when the one above left me with work to do at the bottom of the bowl. I was searching for a tool that did a better job in that part of the bowl. This reamer has also been packaged and sold in North America under the Castleford name. From my experience while these two versions of the reamer look the same, the Castleford set is not as well made as the Pipnet set. I will comment on that later in this article. Both sets come in a cardboard storage case and include a foam insert with cut spaces for the “T” handle and four heads of different diameters. To use the reamer the heads (tenons) are inserted into a square slot (mortise) on the bottom of the handle and then can be turned into the bowls for a thorough reaming. The picture below shows the Pipnet set that I have. I have reboxed it in an old wooden box that my kids had around. I found that it is a perfect fit and keeps the parts together.

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The greatest asset of this tool in my opinion is that the interchangeable heads make it possible to work with a variety of bowl sizes and with various cake thicknesses. On older heavily caked bowls the reaming can be done in stages until it is the cake thickness matches the desired depth chosen by the refurbisher. This also makes it very easy to ream the cake all the way back to the wood or to leave any amount of cake you chooses. The size and shape of the combined handle and heads make it easy to keep the tool vertical in the bowl and avoid over reaming or ruining the roundness of the bowl by reaming at an angle.

Often when I am refurbishing older pipes I use both reamers mentioned in this article to complete the reaming to my satisfaction. I start reaming with the Pipnet and end with the KleenReem or the reverse depending on the bowl shape. I find that the design of the tool allows me to have a good grip on the handle as I turn the blades to cut the cake. I begin with the smallest head and work my way up to the size that brings the bowl to a place where I then use the KleenReem to finish the work.

Each cutting head of the Pipnet tool has four blades inserted into a hard plastic head. They are basically hardened steel “U” shapes that meet at the bottom of the head and go up the length of the head. The cutting head, though obviously designed for “U” shaped bowls, also can be used in conical bowls. Again the reaming process should begin with the smallest head that fits into the bottom of the bowl and then working up the varying sizes of heads until the bowl is completely reamed. The design and shape of the heads is visible in the picture of the Castleford Set below.

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In terms of durability I have used the Pipnet set for five years without any damage to the handle or heads. I was concerned when the tool arrived that the stress on the handle head connection (tenon/mortise) when turning it into the bowl would be problematic. When twisted or turned I can feel the give or strain in the plastic junction. In the 5 years I have used the Pipnet set I have not had any problems with this concern. Last year I was given a Castleford set to use as a backup. It looked like it was the same tool at a glance. I broke the handle mortise connection after the first couple of uses. In comparing the two sets I can see that the Pipnet set is made of a heavier/thicker plastic in the handle connection than the Castleford. That is probably the reason that it has outlasted the Castleford.

I purchased my Pipnet on EBay and continue to see sets show up there regularly. It is also available through various pipe and tobacco shops on the web. One or both of these reamers will serve the refurbisher well in the quest for a clean, restored pipe. Take into consideration the strengths and limitations of both and make your choices from an informed position. Enjoy your restoration work.

List of supplies for refurbishing

9 Replies

Blog by Steve Laug

I have had quite a number of emails over the past years asking for a list of tools and supplies that I use for pipe refurbishing. I have made a list and broken it down into 4 parts – two dealing with the bowl and two dealing with the stem. The first in each category is what I call field dressing the pipe. It involves the initial breaking down of the pipe and stripping and cleaning it. The second in each category is the finishing.

Refurbishing stems:

1. For the stems – field dressing

– Oxyclean for soaking oxidized stems. I use it to soften the oxidation rather than remove it. It works great. It does not remove oxidation as some have suggested but it does soften it so it is more easily removed.

– a pint jar or container with a lid that can be used for soaking stems (I use an empty Oxyclean container for the alcohol bath and another for the Oxyclean wash.)

– Sanding pads – coarse, medium and fine pads – these are 2″x3″ and about an inch thick. I find that they are firm but flexible. The edges work great against the button.

– 400 and 600 grit wet dry sand paper

– Pipe cleaners – both bristle and fluffy

– Dental pick for getting the corners of the button, the slot and the tenon

– Pliers for removing stinger apparatus

– Small microwave bowl or heat gun to lift bite marks and dents from the stem

– Retort system – available on eBay or from Shield on Smokers Forums http://www.smokersforums.co.uk/

2. For the stems – Finishing

– Sanding pads (see above), 240 grit sand paper and 400, 600 wet dry sand paper and Micromesh pads in 1500, 1800, 2400, 3200, 4000, 6000 grits.

– Buffer with pads – Tripoli, then White Diamond and then Carnauba. These are used after the sanding process. I don’t use a Dremel for this as it can cause ripples in the Vulcanite stem.

– I just started using Obsidian Pipestem Oil on the stems and it is fantastic. I rub it into the stem, let it sit for 30 minutes, polish and repeat.

– I then wax the stem with either Carnuaba Wax, Renaissance Wax or Paragon Wax. The first I apply with a buffing wheel the latter two can be applied by hand. When the latter are used apply them, let them dry and then buff with a soft cotton cloth.

– Soft cloths for hand buffing

– Bright light to identify scratches in the bowls and in the stems

 Refurbishing Bowls:

1. For the bowl – Field dressing

– Jewelers Loop to examine the hallmarks and stamping on the pipe before sanding

– Reamer (I use a Pipnet Reamer that is available from Synjeco. It is also made by Castleford. It is a ‘T’ handle with four different blade heads that fit in the bowl. Very easy to use and maintain roundness of the chamber. I also use a KleenReem or Senior Reamer as well. I have a review and comparison of the two on the blog.)

– Soft bristle tooth brush for scrubbing with the oil soap

– Brass bristle tire brush for use in scrubbing on plateau and in rustication

– 2×3 inch sanding pads of different grits (Coarse, Medium and Fine). I found these at a paint shop/hardware store as they are used in drywall patching and painting. Home Depot carries them as well. These are used to remove the tars and lava on the top of the bowls.

– Murphy’s Oil Soap

– Several soft rags for wiping and application of soap

– 100s of pipe cleaners – fluffy, bristle and thin

– Q-tips cotton swabs – I use these to clean out the mortise area of the shank as well as the sump in system pipes.

– Cotton boles that are used with the retort and also in using them for stuffing the bowl and adding isopropyl alcohol to draw out the tars a oils of old tobacco from the bowl.

– Silver polish for bands – both a liquid/paste application and a polishing cloth that is available through jewelry shops.

– A pint jar/container with a lid for the alcohol bath

– 99% isopropyl alcohol

2. For the bowl – Finishing

– 400 and 600 grit sand paper

– Micromesh pads in 1500,1800, 2400, 3200, 4000 and 6000 grit available online at Lee Valley Tools and other wood working suppliers.

– A knife that can be heated and a cloth that can be wet to use to steam dents from the bowls. You can use a knife – I heat the blade on my gas stove and then use a wet cloth on the dent and apply the hot knife to the dent and the steam lifts the dent. You can also use an iron to do the same with a damp cloth.

– Stains – I use Feibings Shoe dye – aniline based stains that are far cheaper than labeled wood stains. I use Medium and Dark Brown, Oxblood or Cordovan, and Black almost all the time but it is available in other colours as well. Those three match most of the older English and American pipes that I rework.

– Matches or lighter for flaming the stain once it applied

– Rubber gloves for applying stain unless you don’t mind wearing it for a while

– Q-tip cotton swabs or pipe cleaners bent in half for applying the stains

– Soft rags for wiping off stains and applying them

– You can get a polishing kit from Lee Valley that includes three buffer pads, and arbor and attachments for a bench grinder. That is what I have. It also comes with a bar of Tripoli, White Diamond and Carnauba wax in the kit. It will last a long time. I think it is about $70 or less for the kit.

– I also have a jar of Halcyon wax for use on blasts and rusticated. It is applied by hand and buffed off with a soft cloth. They also have Paragon wax for smooths. It is available on eBay for sale or you can Google it to get it – it comes from Fine Pipes.com

You can add other tools to the kit as you want to. I also have a specially cut screw driver for rusticating bowls, a tenon expander, a wood screw that I use to remove broken tenons, a battery terminal brush that fits the bowls, a plumbers 3/4″ wire brush for bowl reaming etc. Necessity is the mother of invention in the process of refurbishing. I am always looking for new tools and ideas.