Pete 20S Deluxe w/Offset Draft Hole Advise

[Hawker]

I have a Peterson 20S Deluxe estate pipe i aquired with an offset draft hole (ver's off to the right). I'm having trouble getting an even burn with this pipe as the right side wants to burn more rapidly. I've tried packing the right side a bit tighter and so far had the best luck poking a hole with my Czech tool pick more on the left side.

Just wondering how some of the more experienced Brothers deal with this situation. I was thinking of reaming the left side of the draft hole a bit with my dremel tool to increase flow on that side but wanted to check with a few of you first as i don't want to make the pipe any worse or ruin it.
If it matters i'm smoking it with Boswell's Xmas Cookie and haven't tried it without the brass condenser/stinger yet.

 

[monbla256]

What you are describing might not have anything to do with the position of the draft hole. My experience over the years of smoking with a variety of pipes is that each one smokes differently and I have adjusted my smoking of the various 'bacs with each one accordingly. From your pic of the bowl interior it appears you are getting a complete burn to the bottom regardless of the "offset" hole so I would not take and do any hole modification just yet. Try it w/out the "stinger" for at least 2/3 bowls with this 'bac, then try another 'bac for 2/3 bowls and re-asses the situation. An example I can give you is that of two IDENTICAL 4148 DC Charatan pots I have, both Special series, that smoke flakes like a dream, but each burns the same 'bac differently, one what I would call a "center burn" and the other a sort of "all across" so I pack and tamp both differently and get great smokes from BOTH. I feel there is way to much emphisis on getting similar smoking from all ones pipes and even though most of us buy and smoke production made pipes to expect each and every one of a firms models to be the same really is a sort of falshood IMHO. I've found that one has to take the time to find out just "how" each pipe you own smokes on an individual basis and this takes time and LOT'S of differnt 'bacs

 

[Richard Burley]

I'm not doubting your word, but it doesn't seem as though it would make any difference, unless the hole is off way more than the photo indicates. If the hole position mattered, it would seem that the tobacco in a normally drilled pipe would only burn on the smoker side of the bowl, see what I'm sayin'?--that is, UNLESS there is some weird Coriolis effect going on, in which case I would smoke half the bowl in the northern hemisphere and the other half in the southern. Glad to help.

 

[Puff Daddy]

I agree with monbla, that offset is minimal, it's probably something else. My own take is that 1) System pipes are problematic in the first place (the notion of a condensation well to keep moisture from entering the stem is an interesting theory but it is really just a crutch for lack of a well drilled engineered airway), 2) The stingers are not neccesary and just contribute to 3) An issue where there is a smaller entrance hole at the stinger end and P lip mouth end than in the center of the P lip stem. I've removed the stingers and opened slightly the P lip end of system mouthpieces and they smoked better (as the button end hole and shank end hole now more closely match the internal diameter of the stem causing less turbulence and better airflow).

I don't reccommend doing this though, as it ultimately creates an ugly P lip and ruins the pipe for resale. The quickest, most sensible fixes are 1) remove that stinger and smoke a few bowls. If it works better, great. If it doesn't, then 2) call Peterson and order a fishtail mouthpiece for that pipe. Their fishtail mouthpieces have greatly improved airflow dynamics over the P lip.

 

[Hawker]

Thanks Monbla i'll try that this week smoking it every other day.

 

[Hawker]

I'm not doubting your word, but it doesn't seem as though it would make any difference, unless the hole is off way more than the photo indicates. If the hole position mattered, it would seem that the tobacco in a normally drilled pipe would only burn on the smoker side of the bowl, see what I'm sayin'?--that is, UNLESS there is some weird Coriolis effect going on, in which case I would smoke half the bowl in the northern hemisphere and the other half in the southern. Glad to help.

Your probly right, i have another pipe with the draft hole more offset than this one & it smokes fine.

 

[Hawker]

I agree with monbla, that offset is minimal, it's probably something else. My own take is that 1) System pipes are problematic in the first place (the notion of a condensation well to keep moisture from entering the stem is an interesting theory but it is really just a crutch for lack of a well drilled engineered airway), 2) The stingers are not neccesary and just contribute to 3) An issue where there is a smaller entrance hole at the stinger end and P lip mouth end than in the center of the P lip stem. I've removed the stingers and opened slightly the P lip end of system mouthpieces and they smoked better (as the button end hole and shank end hole now more closely match the internal diameter of the stem causing less turbulence and better airflow).

Hawker Reply: Makes sense, find the same problem with hydrates when flowing a well, always have problems where there is a restriction/choke pressure drop.

I don't reccommend doing this though, as it ultimately creates an ugly P lip and ruins the pipe for resale. The quickest, most sensible fixes are 1) remove that stinger and smoke a few bowls. If it works better, great. If it doesn't, then 2) call Peterson and order a fishtail mouthpiece for that pipe. Their fishtail mouthpieces have greatly improved airflow dynamics over the P lip.

Thanks for the advise.

 

[blr1911]

I agree with monbla, that offset is minimal, it's probably something else. My own take is that 1) System pipes are problematic in the first place (the notion of a condensation well to keep moisture from entering the stem is an interesting theory but it is really just a crutch for lack of a well drilled engineered airway), 2) The stingers are not neccesary and just contribute to 3) An issue where there is a smaller entrance hole at the stinger end and P lip mouth end than in the center of the P lip stem. I've removed the stingers and opened slightly the P lip end of system mouthpieces and they smoked better (as the button end hole and shank end hole now more closely match the internal diameter of the stem causing less turbulence and better airflow).

I don't reccommend doing this though, as it ultimately creates an ugly P lip and ruins the pipe for resale. The quickest, most sensible fixes are 1) remove that stinger and smoke a few bowls. If it works better, great. If it doesn't, then 2) call Peterson and order a fishtail mouthpiece for that pipe. Their fishtail mouthpieces have greatly improved airflow dynamics over the P lip.

I can't disagree with this, and you'll not find a bigger "System" fan than me. My best Deluxe pipes are the ones where the stinger has additional holes in it. I cross drill all of them I get now. It greatly improves airflow.


Love that 20 BTW!!!!

 

[Kyle Weiss]

PD and Blabla put the bombshell of relevant information here already...I will add that offset draft hole is nothing--I have a no-name pipe with probably another 3-4 mm farther to the side with that one, and it's one of my best smokers.

Finally, the grain on that pipe is stunning.

8)

 

[Hawker]

In the last few days i have put a couple of bowls thru it using a firmer 3 stage pack without the brass condensor/stinger and both tobacco's i've tried one aro & one english have both had a nice even burn. Will play around with it with & without the stinger just for shit's & giggles to see if it was more they way i was packing before (Frank method) or the stinger making the diference. Thanks for help guys.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

A pipe that nice truly deserves some figuring out...glad you're gettin' there.

 

[Hobo Hoot]

You've already solved the problem by the sound of it, but for future reference it is pretty easy to relocate a draught hole by up to 1-2mm in a non-destructive manner. Simply smoke half-bowls until you have built up a thickish cake in the bottom of the bowl (only half-bowl to try and avoid splitting). You can then modify the cake to create an altered pathway to the draft hole. I originally discovered this method during restoration of heavily caked estate pipes - works a charm! You can then obviously smoke the pipe as usual.