Copper Stem Cleaning?

[hippomania7]

I just bought one at home depot today and the inside is a little dirty. The problem is that I'd like to clean it. How would you reccommend doing this? I've heard different things, but would putting it in lemon juice be a good idea? or just plain old soap and water? Also, the one I bought is 2 feet long. I plan to saw it to about 10-12 inches. Anything special I should do, or just take a plain old saw to it?

[modisess]

isn't there a special tool you can use to cut copper? as for the cleaning bit... try using a brush on the inside and rinsing it with warm water.

[agentscot]

for cleaning you should use give it a nice bath in lemon juice. What I do is plug one end with my finger then pour some into the other side till it comes up about halfway. Then i plug the other side to and shake it around. After that, you need to run it through with baking soda water to neutralize the acid. Just dissolve a couple tablespoons of baking soda in about a pint of hot water and do just like you did with the lemon juice a couple of times. Make sure you don't run it through with just straight water afterward. Water will make it oxidize very fast. Just let it dry after the baking soda and that's it.

As for cutting, they do make pipe cutters that do a very nice job and leave a very smooth even cut. However, you'll pay more for the cutter than you did for the piping. The other option is to use a hacksaw. If you use a hacksaw, make sure you keep it perfectly perpendicular to the pipe, or else your cut will be really uneven. And when your done, there's going to be a lot of rough edges that you'll have to file down. And after you file, you should use some emery cloth to really get it smooth. If you don't already own a hacksaw, file, and emery paper, you should just buy a 9 dollar pipe cutter and be done with it.

[hippomania7]

for cleaning you should use give it a nice bath in lemon juice. What I do is plug one end with my finger then pour some into the other side till it comes up about halfway. Then i plug the other side to and shake it around. After that, you need to run it through with baking soda water to neutralize the acid. Just dissolve a couple tablespoons of baking soda in about a pint of hot water and do just like you did with the lemon juice a couple of times. Make sure you don't run it through with just straight water afterward. Water will make it oxidize very fast. Just let it dry after the baking soda and that's it.

As for cutting, they do make pipe cutters that do a very nice job and leave a very smooth even cut. However, you'll pay more for the cutter than you did for the piping. The other option is to use a hacksaw. If you use a hacksaw, make sure you keep it perfectly perpendicular to the pipe, or else your cut will be really uneven. And when your done, there's going to be a lot of rough edges that you'll have to file down. And after you file, you should use some emery cloth to really get it smooth. If you don't already own a hacksaw, file, and emery paper, you should just buy a 9 dollar pipe cutter and be done with it.

very helpful info. I will try this. Thanks!!
Also, the stem is 2 feet long and a half inch wide. Is that ratio of height and diameter out of whack or is it fine?

[SimplexCoda]

Well i would agree with the cleaning method. But i would say that you should for sure at least find someone with a pipe cutter to barrow. I suggest this over a hacksaw because if you use a saw, it will leave whats called burrs, or little sharp pokey outy things, where you cut it. But i do advise caution with the pipe cutter. It works by applying pressure to a sutting wheel. If you dont use it right, you will crimp or crack the pipe. But its an easy tool to use. YOu just put it over the pipe tighten the knob to just a slight bit beyond contact with the pipe, not tight, just with tension. Then you turn it around the pipe 3-4, times tighten the know 1-3 turns and then turn the tool around the pipe again, repeat until pipe is cut through.

[agentscot]

for cleaning you should use give it a nice bath in lemon juice. What I do is plug one end with my finger then pour some into the other side till it comes up about halfway. Then i plug the other side to and shake it around. After that, you need to run it through with baking soda water to neutralize the acid. Just dissolve a couple tablespoons of baking soda in about a pint of hot water and do just like you did with the lemon juice a couple of times. Make sure you don't run it through with just straight water afterward. Water will make it oxidize very fast. Just let it dry after the baking soda and that's it.

As for cutting, they do make pipe cutters that do a very nice job and leave a very smooth even cut. However, you'll pay more for the cutter than you did for the piping. The other option is to use a hacksaw. If you use a hacksaw, make sure you keep it perfectly perpendicular to the pipe, or else your cut will be really uneven. And when your done, there's going to be a lot of rough edges that you'll have to file down. And after you file, you should use some emery cloth to really get it smooth. If you don't already own a hacksaw, file, and emery paper, you should just buy a 9 dollar pipe cutter and be done with it.

very helpful info. I will try this. Thanks!!
Also, the stem is 2 feet long and a half inch wide. Is that ratio of height and diameter out of whack or is it fine?

that ratio is perfectly fine. my homemade hookah has a 2 foot stem made with half inch copper piping and it works beautifully. Edited August 26, 2008 by agentscot