needle files

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Zeno Marx

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I have a stem that needs some smoothing out on the inside. Can anyone recommend a needle file they use on their pipes? What size would you recommend? I'm seeing a lot of needle file sets, but they all look too big, but maybe that is poor photographing.

*I've never needed to do this before, and I assume this won't be a regular thing now. I'm fine with something off ebay or wherever. Inexpensive is good for this likely one-off situation.
 
Why not take a small piece of abrasive paper and roll it around a toothpick or something to make it a cylinder shape…and use that. Other than that I’d look at a 5 1/2” needle file…medium to coarse cut. Something like this:

 
Why not take a small piece of abrasive paper and roll it around a toothpick or something to make it a cylinder shape…and use that. Other than that I’d look at a 5 1/2” needle file…medium to coarse cut. Something like this:


Right on. thanks.
 
If you have a variety of drill bits find one that is just big enough. You can twirl it with your fingers or a pin vise while moving the bit in and out.
 
I should have included in my first post that I think watching a JMouton video about airways is affecting how I'm seeing this whole deal. In the past, I would have probably tried any number of things I had laying around the house, but I like this pipe a lot, despite it being a tongue-bite punisher from the day I got it*, so I've wanted to approach this differently. I wasn't going to buff the airway glass smooth like Mouton does, but I wanted to attempt to give it a more thoughtful and careful fixing.

*I'm very familiar with this maker and prefer them because of the tighter airway than many seem to prefer these days. I think someone else haphazardly tried to open the airway, or someone at the factory didn't finish their work. I can a see a step in the airway when I hold it up to the light, as if the drilling didn't pass all the way through, stopping about 1/2" before the lip. So, imagine the airway at 3.5mm, but just before the lip, it's at 3mm. I have a hunch because the smoke is being funneled and concentrated further, that this is the reason this pipe is so prone to tongue bite, no matter how carefully I smoke it. I'm hoping. I don't want to sell it, but I'm not going to keep it if this doesn't help matters.

I just checked his youtube channel, and said video is no longer there.
 
Vermontfreehand also has the drillbits to drill out airways also under the tooling section.

The stepdown may have been left in there to ensure enough thickness in the bite zone.
 
Vermontfreehand also has the drillbits to drill out airways also under the tooling section.

The stepdown may have been left in there to ensure enough thickness in the bite zone.
Thanks again. With that in mind, I'll have to give it a good study when I get home.
 
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