Gurgle

[Behike54]

I am not sure what is going on here. I do not slober and I sip all my smokes.

When I smoke my Nording (which is use for Lat-bombs) it is not long after firing up, that I hear a slight gurgle. I will set it down or slow down. I don't know whether it's the pipe, the tobacco being too moist (GLP Blackpoint, and I have heard GLP needs time to dry), my technique, or what?

The weirdest part is, I am afraid someone is going to hear it and run me out of Dodge for being a rookie!

Ok, I got problems, I admit it. There is a part of me that thinks I should have "it" all figured out after 9 weeks. Ok, at least gurgling like an infant.

What's a BoB to do?


I know, I know......I'm INSANE. :x

 

[glpease]

I am not sure what is going on here. I do not slober and I sip all my smokes.

When I smoke my Nording (which is use for Lat-bombs) it is not long after firing up, that I hear a slight gurgle. I will set it down or slow down. I don't know whether it's the pipe, the tobacco being too moist (GLP Blackpoint, and I have heard GLP needs time to dry), my technique, or what?

The weirdest part is, I am afraid someone is going to hear it and run me out of Dodge for being a rookie!

Ok, I got problems, I admit it. There is a part of me that thinks I should have "it" all figured out after 9 weeks. Ok, at least gurgling like an infant.

What's a BoB to do?


I know, I know......I'm INSANE. :x

In my experience, gurgle is usually caused by an issue in the pipe's airway. Pull the stem off, and examine the draught hole in the shank. Then, check to see if the inlet to the tenon is at least the same diameter. If it's smaller in the tenon, and especially if there's a significant gap between the mortise floor and the end of the tenon, the pipe will be prone to gurgle.

All tobaccos produce moisture when they're burned, even if you dry them to tinder. That's just the nature of combustion. If there's a chamber in the shank, that moisture can condensate there as the smoke cools from expansion. A smaller airway in the stem increases the velocity at the tenon, which will tend to pull up moisture droplets, and gurgle can result.

If you like playing with tools, you can use a tapered drill bit or needle files to open the tenon a little. i've found this most often to fix a noisy pipe. Sometimes, more work is needed, but usually, that's all it takes.

 

[monbla256]

All of what Mr. Pease has said is correct. But even now, after over 40 years of smoking, there are many times a "non-gurgling" pipe and tobacco gurggles. I don't really pay it any mind, just run a cleaner in and continue on. The tobacco might be just a bit moist, I might have not packed it quite correctly, it's humid outside etc, etc. I'm not required to be "perfect" in this endever and am not and it does not bother me if I am not. RELAX and learn to go with the flow and ENJOY ( that's why pipe cleaners are so cheap )

 

[dshpipes]

Ditto to both of the above. If you need any tips on how to open up your Nording, shoot me a PM. I've started opening up some cheapies and have had great success.

 

[Behike54]

Ditto to both of the above. If you need any tips on how to open up your Nording, shoot me a PM. I've started opening up some cheapies and have had great success.

Thanks, David!

I am about as mechanically inclined as a 3-year old!

 

[williamcharles]

I've got a french pipe that gurgled like a bath tub. I opened the airway in the shank and opened the stem up too and that pipe stopped gurgling, smokes dry and almost smokes itself. You can let it dangle and just breathe and your smoking. I did the same thing to a little Oom Paul I've got and am very happy with the results.

 

[dshpipes]

Ditto to both of the above. If you need any tips on how to open up your Nording, shoot me a PM. I've started opening up some cheapies and have had great success.

Thanks, David!

I am about as mechanically inclined as a 3-year old!

Believe it or not, before I made my first pipe, I had absolutely no inkling how to work with tools. Seriously. I'm still pretty deeply in the dark.

When I worked at Syracuse Stage and I needed to make something in the prop shop, I was the guy that was usually asked to stop doing something because they feared for my health.

Opening a pipe is much easier than you might expect and requires very few tools, and no power tools.

 

[monbla256]

Just be carefull with a Peterson "System" pipe!

 

[MisterE]

The opening of the tennon trick Greg mentioned really can do a lot to eliminate the gurgle. I had a perfectly good tasting Sasieni 4 Dot Billiard that just bubbled away after every few puffs. I opened the tennon approximately 1mm using a tapered file. Voilá, problem solved! From a water pipe to virtually gurgle free with just a few turns.

 

[Behike54]

Ok, two good things.

1) for now, as in temporary solution, the pipe cleaner bit works great.

2) The tenon DOES seem small. I will think about what to use and go from there.

Thanks again.

Jack

 

[jefe1037]

after i eliminate the "user error" issues that monbla mentioned, should the next step be to open up the tenon? is this a common mod for cheaper pipes (sub 50ish) that one has to do after purchase?

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Geez, everyone's got this one covered pretty well...I'll just add cooler temperatures and ambient moisture can exacerbate the issue of a gurgling pipe, on top of moister tobacco and perhaps user error...

...for that matter, I tend to be a "wet smoker" and salivating a bit when I partake of the pipe. It's kind of gross, I know; I don't like it either. That makes certain pipes get gurgly pretty fast. The opening of the tenon hole a tad isn't a trick I've done, but I can say my 9mm filter pipes smoked without the filter seem to stay gurgle-free. Seems like sound advice to me!

8)