I wish I could give you more info, I'm not much of a pipemaker...basically you hold the bowl, cover the carb and put the tool in the bowl, or vice versa, then blow out the mouthpiece.
Yes, tearing open is using a cold punty to tag the hot glass of the closed mouthpiece until it opens up. You don't need residual moisture though I can see how that would be helpful. I use the tear method for the few pipes I make, and yes it's frustrating and yes sometimes I end up cracking more than tearing off if I'm not careful. Once it's open the slightest bit though you can work it the rest of the way in the flame.
and most old-school pipers tear open, I believe though the sophieta method is gaining some ground as furnace tools are being adapted to flameworking. At least among the tool whores of the trade.
__________________
Chris Scala
Fortune Cookie say, "When things go wrong, don't go with them!"
Current Glass-Melting Apparatus:
GTT Lynx powered by 2 5 LPM Oxycons and
a sexy Barracuda running pure tanked Oxy
|