Corn Cob Pipe Modification Part 2 - Pipe Mud 

I save the carbon powder when I ream my pipes and use that to make pipe mud. Been doing it for years and have never had a failure to adhere, no chipping and no "mud' falling out. Works great in cobs, briars or other forms of wooden pipes like olive, pear, apple or cherry..

Man I've just found your channel. This might sound weird but I not only found this video really informative but also relaxing to watch. Its a nice easy going explanation that was a pleasure to watch. Thank you.

Managed to get some mud at Aristocob. Good value. I noticed you raised the base of the bowl well above the breather hole. Good idea. I didn't do that with mine but am now going to fill them so they're the same as the one you showed here. One of the best video instruction/demonstrations on YT. Thank you.

Your attention to detail, explanation, and precision is amazing! Thank you for taking the time to create quality content! Subbed

Beautifully therapeutic viewing and giving me lots of ideas. I hope to grow my own corn this year for the express purpose of making my own corn cob pipes.

Very informative, better-than-average camera work, and unlike many videos... you have a soothing voice. Thanks. Just bought a Missouri corn cob freehand tonight. Something a little different than the cigars I've been smoking.

Great video! Matches860 brought me here. I recently bought a Charles Towne pipe from MM that I love, but I’ve been a little disappointed that the tobacco below the draft hole wasn’t burning. Now I know what to do. Thanks, I’m now a subscriber to your channel. Look forward to checking out your other videos.

Awesome vid and great drawings. The Romans's used ash in their cement recipe and that stuff is still there 1000 yrs plus.

I made this modification on two MM Pride cobs using Durhams Rock Hard Water Putty, which is a limestone plaster with a vegetable binder. It worked really well. I ran a 5/8" spade bit down the hole to ream out the shank. It poked through the bottom a little but I filled the whole thing back with the water putty. After letting it dry for two hours, the putty was still slightly damp but very workable. I drilled down the shank with a bit marked to find the center of the bowl, then drilled down from the top. Super easy and fun. I also plastered one of the cobs around the exterior with the water putty. I'm going to find a grinding wheel to see if I can smooth it out and give it a unique finish. Thanks for these great videos!

I have removed the inner stem and used Aristocob's (I don't smoke cigars so I don't have fine ash) pipe mud to do exactly this on three cob pipes. This video gave me an amazing insight on how to do it correctly the first time. I can only like the video once but I'd like to thank you many times over.

Well done ! Most thorough and informative video on this subject I've ever seen . Planning to begin corn cob pipe hobby in a few days . Thank you from new subscriber in N.J.

Well done. I've never dealt the need to remove the shank from inside the chamber, but if I were so inclined I me believe I would remove the shank from the cob and saw it off. If you heat the pipe with a hair drier or a heat gun the shank will slip right out. I like the pipe mud bottom. Great video, Scott

This was all great info. I worked on my MM little devil as I watched. I used a conical stone bit for my dremel to remove the stem material and it worked great! Now to smoke a cigar and save the ashes!

Great idea I need to try this.. my wife and I just finished our pipe room and we just started our YTPC channel thank you and Merry Christmas.

Only need to say 2 words: OUTSTANDING VIDEO !!!

idk why but watching this was so much fun

At 31:22 you mentioned that perfection is the enemy of "good enough"; however, "If you chase Perfection, you will likely catch Excellence." Nothing wrong with that!

Mike you doing great., thanks for what you do. Blessings from Gettysburg. Keep em burning

This is really interesting. My shank has never burned inside the bowl, having formed a nice, shiny shield of carbon. Perhaps that’s due to me pitching the dottle before smoking down to the shank. I also haven’t had tobacco falling down around the sides to the bottom, so I guess I’m lucky. Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge, though!

Excellent video…a long time ago I made a cobwarden and a twin bowl (yes two bowls!) before I even knew cob mods was a thing! Going to have to tinker some more…

HELLO MIKE. Thank you for the pipe cement video, LOU from north jersey. And thank you for all your valued information.

watched this playlist for the first 4 videos yesterday while my first cob was dehyrdrating and drilled me up a cob pipe today! smoked a full bowl of chamomile out of it, only hada relight the one time! thanks for all your instruction! i used a screen above the stem extension, pipemud in the future

I use a pipe screen and sit it just above the draft hole. Works fantastic because it stops bits of ash from getting in my mouth while still benefitting from those huge draft holes for an easy smoke. I change the screen once every 10 bowls... don't judge me!

I used the pipe mud from Aristocob. The amount of water they recommend yields a very thin mixture. Still happy with the results but it looks like your technique yields a more predictable final product. Thanks for posting.

I did this with a MM Huck Finn a year or so back and used a Forstner bit in my drill press to clear out the shank protruding into the bowl. It worked great and was fast. Some Mud from Scott at Aristocob was used to bring the bottom up to the level of the draft hole.

Thanks for the video. Great instructions indeed. I have removed the shank extension long time ago and wanted to fill it with some pipe mud since then, just did that and will leave it for a week to dry. Let's see how it turns out. Cheers.

Thank you, I’m in the process of doing that now!

Thank you posting. I've just tried this in my MM Morgan with black oak (hardwood) ash and am waiting until tomorrow (72 hrs.) to try out. Hopefully, all goes well.

This is great - never head of pipe mud before! I think I'll try fixing an estate pipe that used to have a meerschaum lined bowl, but now the draft hole is too high. I don't smoke cigars, but our pellet stove creates a very fine ash dust that might work.

Yes! This is the single most irritating aspect of the MM pipes! I was going to use fireplace mortar in a squeeze tube to do this same thing.

Excellent video. I appreciate the tips and especially the new knowledge I have of pipe mud. This will be invaluable to me. Thanks a bunch.

Thanks for the vid. My only issue with cobs is not being able to clean easily at the bottom of the chamber because of the shank, my cobs started to taste bad and no cleaning of the shank and stem helped so I resorted to pouring a tiny bit of alcohol and letting it sit. I haven't noticed any quality reduction or difference yet other than discoloring visually and it was better than tossing the cobs but I'd like to give this mod a try. Only issue I've had with cobs so far

Buy yourself a mesh cone shaped pipe screen, costs about 50 cents get a dozen or so - Push them to the bottom, it keeps tobacco off the bottom of the pipe and provides a much better draw - You can take them out and either wash them with plain water or throw away after a week and use a new one - Been doing it on my Cob Country Gentleman for years and they work great AND you never destroy the integrity of the original build - try it.

Hi Mike: Hope that you are feeling OK. I'm just catching up a bit on my YTPC video watching, and have really enjoyed your new series here, on the corn-cob modifications. I have never done this pipe mud process before, but it certainly seems easy enough, especially if it will improve the smoke. And, it's an excuse to smoke a cigar tomorrow. Thanks for this. Take Good Care, my friend. Ed

this sure was a great video to ease myself back into the community, I sure have missed all this fun and enjoyed it very much thanks for the better explanation i enjoy a good blue print-Robby

Thank you ver much for this excellent video! I am greatly disappointed in the apparent lack of quality by MM since this mod seems necessary for optimum performance... Again, thank you!

I really want to do this now!

easy way to remove the shank from the bowl, is put the pipe in microwave about 5 second...

I’ve used this technique before with great results. I’ve recently bought a pair of MM naturals. I’ve noticed on these pipes the distance between the bottom and shaft is much greater as well as much more glue than I’ve seen on the plastered cobs. I’m hoping the pipe mud trick will work being so much thicker than I’ve done before.

CainRodPiper sorry for my somewhat rude comment I didn’t realize people spent that much time on their corn cob pipes.I have several of them and like them all.

Real pipe jedi💪🏾👌🏾😎 excellent video bro

A bit of wax or vegetable oil on the butt end of the drill bit and you could leave the bit in till the ash mud has cured. Then it would slide right out

Well, after using the wood ash and letting it cure for several days, I don't think it's "cement hard" but it does seem to be holding up. I didnt chip away at the stem, (as in your video) choosing to cover it instead. I wouldn't want to dig too hard on it, but it does seem to be fine......for now.

Slightly deeper mixing vessel and you'd keep that nice rug free of spillage.

Great video, and seems like an easier process than I was initially thinking. It might even be my level of easy ;) Definitely going to be trying this out as soon as I take some time to make some pipe mud ingredients, I already have the water.

Brilliant stuff mate

I have added to much water and yes it does dry but it takes a few weeks. It still serves the same purpose though. I normally don't shave the stem I double up a pipe cleaner and run it in the stem then bend it up to keep the draft hole open during drying. Once its dry pull out the pipe cleaner and clean up the hole. I have don this for 25 years but always looking for better ideas.

I have used pipe mud to mend small heat cracks in estate pipes with great success but I tried filling the bottom of a briar pipe with pipe mud recently but it just didn't stick. After 1 use the entire plug fell out after some scrapping and banging at the end of my smoking session. I think you have to treat your mudded pipe with a little more care and it may work.

Great Video! Got to do this on my cobs as well as some of my estate pipes that have been smoked almost through. Thank you.

Very well done video! 👏

Nice info. I felt like I was watching golf on the tube

Great video, Mike!! Very helpful!! Thank you!!

Just getting into smoking great video shame your not in the United Kingdom, I'd love a modefied pipe

Bob Ross is back! lol Great tips thanks.

Great vid... I just did my first cob!

I use the carbon "cake" from my pipe reamings. I grind them a little finer than they are when my reamer does its job then use distilled water. I have eight cobs and have "mudded" all of them almost 20 years ago. Still smoking great and none of the mud has fallen out of the cobs or briars that I've used it in. You sure did a great job on that CG. How did it smoke?

Thank you…..

I appreciate your vid, Sir. Super detailed. Thanks. I'll do the same with my MM.

Nice video first, but I have a question for you. Couldn't you leave the stem thing in the bowl and fill in around it to where you would like? I would think it would save you time effort and mud. Let me know your thoughts .

Hello, once again my friend. Question about pipe mud. I used pipe tobacco ash because I cant afford to buy cigars. Any way after the mud had failed in two of my pipes, I became concerned that the calcium level of pipe tobacco ash is to low , causing the mud to be porus and not to harden properly . I was thinking about adding a small amount of egg shell powder which I made from egg shells and a coffe grinder then filtered through a nylon stocking. I believe this will help harden the mud as well as shorten the drying/curing time. what Do you think ? The next question then is how much calcium to add to how much ash? This is what makes pipes so fun . Here's to our journy. Thank you for your thoughts. Cheers

Excellent presentation.

Good excuse to light up a cigar from the humi!

I know this is an older video, but in regards to why pipe mud hardens, I have an educated guess. Finely sifted wood ash has significant amounts of cement like chemicals in it, so much so that it is often used as an additive in concrete mixes. I wouldn't be surprised if tobacco shared enough of these compounds that it also formed its own cement.

Once the shank is removed and the work is done, what's used to seal the shank back to the chamber?

So I did this process with cigar ash, and the bit, and actually looks pretty good! I’m on the second day of curing, but my question is, will it tolerate mild scraping to loosen unsmoked tobacco? Thanks

great video good explanation!!

Hahaha i like this. I have newer seen the real pipe mud. Now i feel like modifiying a corn cob pipe myself. I wil have to find plaster of paris -->> for the pipe mortar. And perhaps ad a litle bit of sigar ash. But i wanna ask you why you don't have to put salt in with the pipe mud?? Issn't salt helping with the hardening proces and speed up drying proces?? And why didn't you paint the inner walls of the bowl with thin pipe mud? It is good to put a bit of carbon on the walls right? My first pipe was a corn cob and it was awfull. Something was burning and i ruin the pipe and had an epic burn out. Wish i had kept the pipe in my collection but it stank up the room. I took the bowl off and used the stem to save anouther pipe for a good solid year and then i bought a my first pipe with had a flacky lacker so i had to trade in the pipe for anouther pipe that i still own. Turns out that i hate filters so i did not smoke it anymore. Now i wanna fill in the filter space with a wooden filter and i really need to ream the pipe out. Iv'e got the biggest cake in that pipe i have ever seen LOL. So i need to buy a pipe reamer. This hobby is so funny. Greetings,, Kitty

Hi, I found your vidz to be really helpful, thanks for making them. Here I have a cob with a small hole right through the bottom of the bowl. Could I use pipe mud made with cigar ash to repair it? Good excuse to dig a cigar out ;-)

I am 68 years old and retired. I have more time than money, so I've wanted to do this to my MM Country Gentlemen. I thought it would be better to get rid of the gaps between the stim and the bowl. I thought I'd first try by filling the gaps with Cigar Mud, but you telling me that the projected stem will burn out anyway, so why not remove it at the beginning.has me thinking......since I have the time.

Thanks for the video! I have come across an old Missouri Meerschaum pipe (Hardwood) that the stem has fallen out of. This presents me with an awesome opportunity to try your method of modifying an MM pipe. I was wondering however, what would be the best adhesive to use to reattach the stem to the bowl? I'm hoping to find something that is safe to use on a pipe (health wise) and will with stand what pipes go through (heat, moisture etc.). Again thanks for the video and useful info!

i will try this on my Eaton

This is literally the same pipe I've have got in me mouth right as I'm commenting

You can take the shank out by putting it in the microwave for about 10 seconds.

Great video. How often do you do this??

Question: why not put the draft hole dead center at the bottom of the mud like in briar or other pipes? I'm new/intermediate and wondering if that would help it burn more evenly.

Sweet!

I need to try this, I'm totally interested in this procedure

I find the video thank you for posting :D

to get the stem of microwave it for 10 sec then pull it out

If there is no "pipe mud" available, what's the next best thing. Here in Oz there is apparently nothing available like that.

If you microwave the shank and bowl for about 10 seconds or so the stem comes loose or atleast I've been told

OMG! Am i the only one who sees a face in the little cup at the end? Looks like Einstein

I'm not a cigar smoker. I attempted to find aristocob but it appears to be closed? Any other places that sell this?

I just thought that fire brick cement would do the job also.

U know I've seen this mod on several diff utube ECT. Than why wouldn't they just creat their pipe this way

I can understand doing this but the drawback is it puts the drawhole on the side of the pipe and the tobacco may burn unevenly just wait until some cake builds up on the bottom of the bowl

.........long winded explanation , thanks , but like cobs just the way they are ! 😆

What is that little tool you use to mix the mud?

What is the very best pipe mud ?

I was wondering if you can make me one like that. I'll be gladly pay you for one.

Want those carvers but $120. Wow. Sure they great though

Can you use the ash from the pipe

Which Flexicut tools are you using?

Just use clay?

Suggestion: have you seen Dagger remove a Cobb stem..very easy,; they snap out..no tools needed. Pipe mud .. good idea...get mine from Scott @ Aristocob.com

Why not just have a hole in the middle? Just take ur spatula and twist it down until you hit the drill bit. Wait until it dries then clean up the hole

Good video, but why are you whispering?

Would cigarette ash work in lieu of cigar ash? As far as making your own pipe mud is concerned.

Subed!

Just stick a rod of appropriate diameter in the shank fill with pipe mud (layers and let dry and add more seems work best) when you get to layer that covers rod use a tiny flathead screwdriver etc to scrape away a draft hole in the still wet mud dead center of the bowl bottom. Let it dry pull stick out. 👍 Ya ain't gotta get tools and shit These are CORN COB PIPES the first of which were no doubt cobbled together with what was on ya back in the day. They wasn't carrying woodworking tools bro. This ain't rocket science 🙄😒