Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Pipe

Maps of pipe networks

a womble is an active kind of sloth — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:19:21 -0800

Pipe-filter: Where can I find maps of pipe networks in US cities? I'm doing some research on exploring patterns that result from the physical infrastructure of US cities. I'm curious if anyone knows of any sources of data that show where water and waste-water pipes are located (preferably in shapefile format).The specific city does not matter.

I have explored ESRI's free data; Googling, geodata.gov, and other random sites which have not resulted in any information. I realize this is not common information, but thought it was worth asking the venerable hive-mind for suggestions.

Where can I find a soap bubble blowing pipe that looks like a realistic wooden smoking pipe?

leptin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:03:52 -0800

Where can I find a soap bubble blowing pipe that looks like a realistic wooden smoking pipe? All the ones I see online are made of brightly colored plastic. Alternatively, is it possible to modify a real smoking pipe for blowing soap bubbles? Thank you very much for your help!

Really, no more cloves?

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:14:08 -0800

So... The US has banned clove cigarettes. This is the only type I smoke because I dislike the taste and feel of smoking a tobacco-only cigarette. What options to I have? Please, no advice about quitting. I am an adult smoker who is aware that smoking is harmful, and I've set for myself a time at which I will quit. The FDA meddling in my decisions is not the time I had selected.

Things I've considered...
~ It seems that pipe tobacco may still be ok - does clove pipe tobacco exist?
~ Blending my own pipe tobacco with (organic?) cloves
~ Purchasing from an online retailer (outside the US) and sending money orders to the government to cover the taxes I would have incurred, had I been able to purchase the cloves in my area.
~ Driving to Canada or Mexico.
~ Asking friends that live in other countries to send them to me (from Europe, Asia or Africa)
~ Purchasing them on an American Indian reservation (I haven't been able to decipher whether or not the law prevents them from being sold there)

I live in a major US city within a day's drive from either Mexico or Canada. I can be contacted at nocloves@gmail.com for follow up questions or information you'd rather not post here.

Thank you!

What happened to the water pressure?

bunny hugger — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:26:47 -0800

Sudden drop in water pressure since repairman was here the other day. Is there a simple trick for fixing it? Repairman was here and replaced the pipe that holds the shower head. Since then, our pressure is crappy. Any simple ideas for fixing it myself, rather than call the repairman again?

Where can I buy a kiseru in the Osaka area?

twblalock — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:00:54 -0800

Where can I buy a kiseru in the Osaka area tomorrow? (A kiseru is a traditional Japanese smoking pipe.) I have looked at all kinds of shops and haven't found any. I'd rather not order online. Some people back home want them as souvenirs. I am staying in Osaka, so I am within easy range of Kobe, Kyoto, Nara, etc.

Ummm...you put your weed in there.

hal_c_on — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:23:26 -0800

What the frack is a roor? So I was given THESE THINGS that say ROOR on it.

What the hell is it...and more importantly...how does it work?

I know these are used for ingesting marijuana. Is it a regular bong, or some kind of fancy device that isn't referred to as a bong or water pipe. I'm not really a fan of that...but I am kinda interested in:

1. How can I clean this so it looks clean and new?...and then how do I sell it? Is craigslist a good bet since ebay doesn't really like to sell "BONGS". I've looked up laws and what I've found is that I can't sell it to anybody under 18, and I MUST clean it before I sell it otherwise its actual drug paraphernalia.

2. I'm PROBABLY not going to buy a pack of cigarettes, take out the tobacco and smoke it...or even take a cuban cigar that I have, crumple it and smoke that...but what if I wanted to. How do I use this to smoke tobacco? I know there are several parts and they connect in a specific way, how do they attach together and work? I wanted to attach them...but since I don't know much about this, I figured I'd keep it separate until I know how to not break it.

3. Also, just in case you were wondering, I won this at poker. They dude claimed that it was worth over $700 (although it was deemed to be worth a $100 bet at the table). How much is it worth? How much did he likely buy it for?

Sliding tile game from 70s?

rleamon — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:56:59 -0800

Help me find a table-top sliding tile game from the 70s involving connecting "pipes." In 1974 I was in sixth grade, and got a gift of a game that was addictive and great fun at school. A square frame held a grid of movable sliding tiles (that were blue plastic, if I recall rightly) and each tile had a white pipe shape on it that was straight or bent in one of several directions. You competed against another player to slide the tiles in such a way as to make an uninterrupted pipeline from one point on the edge of the frame to another; these points were possibly determined by a roll of dice or something similar. Because there were only two open tile spots (one for each player) you had to do a lot of planning to get the pipe tile you needed to the appropriate spot. It was like a sliding tile puzzle, and very fast-paced and fun. Thanks!

I'd like a yahoo pipe badge to display properly

Baud — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 08:09:59 -0800

I'd like a yahoo pipe badge to display properly (and vertically) in Internet Explorer Firefox not being (yet) the most-used browser in the world, I recently discovered how painful it is to display properly a yahoo pipe badge.

this page displays something very flat that needs to be scrolled.

How can I display it on the full height of the page ?

Thanks in advance !

How to paste or pipe input to a Java command line program?

anaelith — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:59:31 -0800

I have written a simple little Java program which runs on the command line, displays a text menu, and takes user input. I would like to feed it a very large amount of test input--as though an actual user were sitting there typing in commands all day. I am using Windows, but have access to the basic *nix utilities such as cat. "cat file.txt | java Program" doesn't work, nor does starting the program and using the context menu to paste in several lines of data. The menu looks like this:

enter a value: e add: a
subtract: s multiply: m
reverse sign: r clear: c
quit: q
->

(only more formatted). After entering an option letter followed by the enter key, it prompts you for a value (value: ). I'd ultimately like to calculate 1000! as a test problem, so input would be like this:

e
1000
m
999
m
998
m
997
...

I need a water pipe!

nadawi — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:59:12 -0800

Where is the best place online to buy glass water pipes? i'm not looking for $400 party items or wicked mushrooms. i just want a simple, fairly short (8-10in) water pipe. I do like this but i know nothing of rollies.com.

so please help me, dear metafilter - where can a girl get a simplistic, no hassle water pipe sent to her via the internet? i'm in oklahoma, if it matters.

Help my fittings line up

jclovebrew — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:12:46 -0800

How does one get various threaded pipe fittings and plumbing parts to line up properly? So I'm in the process of upgrading my home brewery to something semi-automated and easy to use. One little annoyance I have is with threaded pipe fittings like elbows or ball valves - is there any way to control which way they face when they're finally screwed in? For example, look at this picture. See how the handles to his valves all face nicely toward the user? If I attempted this, I'm sure I would end up with the handles facing every which way. How does one control this? Is it even possible with threaded fittings (maybe by layering in more or less teflon tape), or is the key to just solder everything together? P.S., is it ever appropriate to solder a threaded connection?

How organic is Natural American Spirit tobacco?

fjardt — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:18:06 -0800

How organic is Natural American Spirit tobacco? I sometimes like to smoke pipe tobacco, but i am interested in something free of the nasties (paradoxical talking about tobacco? i think not).

Natural American Spirit tobacco claims to be "100% additive-free tobacco", but it is since 2002 owned by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, which also owns Camel, Kool, Winston, Salem, Doral, Eclipse, Export A and Pall Mall.

So how natural could the Natural American Spirit tobacco be? Wikipedia says "There is a lot of controversy surrounding this brand, both for its use of a 'native american' logo, and for its claims to be natural."

Are there any alternatives?

Show me the money!

Gungho — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:24:25 -0800

OK so my grandfather bought the proverbial 'swamp land in Florida'... He died 20+ years ago. The property was recently sold at auction for 5 figures by/to a developer. AFAIK it was sold for back taxes which were less than the sale amount. A company contacted us and said there may be money, but of course they would want a cut. I have found several documents online that record the sale. How do I go about getting the remaining funds without involving them?

Pipe command output, but keep the error code

ChrisR — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 14:55:15 -0800

How do I get the correct return code from a unix command line application after I've piped it through another command that succeeded? In detail, here's the situation writ small:

# mycmd_that_fails | postprocesor_that_succeeds

# echo $?

0

And, what I'd like to see is:

# mycmd_that_fails | postprocesor_that_succeeds

# echo $?

1

The obvious solution was to capture the output of mycmd_that_fails into a file and then pipe it through the postprocesor_that_succeeds, but since my command is a build script it's nice to see the progress as it runs. I'd rather have the postprocessor operate on the command as it runs than after the fact.

Does anyone know how to accomplish this?

Bend pipe into a 'U'?

kamelhoecker — Tue, 01 May 2007 08:49:11 -0800

I want to bend a metal pipe into a nice U-shape. Is this possible to do myself? If not, what type of company would be able to do this for me? The pipe would be 1-2 inches in diameter. Steel or what is used in boiler systems. I assume i could rig something up with a hydraulic jack, but i worry about the pipe pinching and folding and not giving me the nice gentle U-bend.

(I also wonder if the pipe will shatter and blast metal fragments into my eye or something.)

I only want to bend 2 pipes, so i'm not sure if it would be possible to go to a company or professional. I tried welders, but they couldn't help. Any other suggestions? (I'm in Toronto, btw.)

Why Don't I Rent Anymore?

toddst — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 18:15:12 -0800

A pipe in the basement is dripping. It goes to the boiler. What can I do to make it stop? Do I need a plumber? (Pictures inside) Here is a picture of the part that is dripping. The water seems to be coming from this piece. Here is a picture of the entire apparatus. Thanks! As a new homeowner, any info is appreciated.

How to insulate an exposed pipe for safety but not heat loss?

hsoltz — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 12:56:09 -0800

An exposed pipe runs from floor to ceiling in my bathroom. What can I wrap around this extremely hot pipe so that it remains a source of heat but isn't a threat to bare skin? I live on the first floor of a rented apartment, so I can't make any structural changes, nor do I have control over when the heat is on or off. The pipe is terrific at putting out heat and warming the bathroom, but it's so hot that the slightest bump into it results in a burn. What can I wrap around the pipe that will protect people from brushing against it while still allowing it to give off some heat?

Bonus points if the solution isn't terribly ugly. Thanks.

How to deal with the Water co. on liabilities? Attorney recommendation?

MD06 — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 11:01:47 -0800

A water main leak was repaired in front of our house. Our facets spewed muddy water. Now possibly contaminated dirt is settled in the water pipes. Health and mechanical/structural risk of dirt and debris settled in water pipes? If, and how to remove? Where for water sample test? How to deal with the Water co. on liabilities? Attorney recommendation? We have not had reliable, clear, sanitized water since a water main repair. This emergency water main repair took place directly in front of our house at late night. House is located on a dead-end street with no fire hydrant outlet to flush out the main pipe after construction work. Our water pipe is the nearest outlet from the site of repair.

The construction crew made no apparent efforts to prevent/stop dirt and debris from running into our house wide water plumbing. Muddy water spewed out of our sink and tub facets. When we called for water co. service, our sink and tub facets were used as outlets in attempts to flush out the water. "Rare but it happens" was the explanation, and "run the water until clear" was the advice. Some facets now run nearly clear, but some cold water pipes are clogged. Time to time, even a facet that ran clear water will run murky, I assume from dirt that is settled on the pipes. Unclogging specific spots probably is a simple task for a plumber.

My focus is to eliminate any health risk from the contaminants, and to eliminate current and future risk to the household wide plumbing and to any associated appliances like the water heater.

1. Is it possible, and if so, how would I remove contaminants/dirt/contaminants settled inside water pipes throughout the house?
2. What health risks do I face from dirt and debris trapped water in pipes? Ideas how to get a water sample test?
3. What structural/mechanical risks do I face fro having dirt and debris trapped/settled in water pipes?
4. How would I sanitize the entire house plumbing in contact with water? Who do I contact to get this done?
5. Ideas/advice on how to deal with the water co.? What evidence and how to document them, how to approach them, how to obtain specific construction related information and service records/reports from the water co., e.g. did they bother to flush out the pipe after the repair, how did they repair the main (to figure out how so much dirt and debris got into the pipes during construction.)
6. For safety. Attorney recommendations?

Man, what IS that smell?

selfnoise — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 16:19:17 -0800

I have a funky smell coming from a pipe in my apartment. What is it, and what can I do? The pipe is down in my basement (it's a split level). It has an exposed area that runs through a little closet I had been hanging clothes in. I'm pretty sure it's a waste water pipe... it's large and PVC white. I'll link to a picture below:

The Pipe

There is a sort of odd, sweet smell coming out of the pipe area. It's not really like sewage... more like toothpaste, or something like that. It pervades the closet and the little hallway area around it. I'm worried that it's going to get into my clothes, and that it might be a sign of something else. Anyone want to venture a guess as to what it is, and/or how I can get rid of it? I'm happy to provide more details... just ask.

how does one smoke a pipe?

Svea — Sat, 06 Aug 2005 15:08:04 -0800

How does one smoke a pipe? Just talking about proper pipes and proper tobacco - nothing wacky

What is this black pipe in the East River?

Plutor — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 05:04:37 -0800

In the East River (in New York City), just south of the Queensboro bridge, there's this black pipe-like thing floating in the water. It doesn't appear to be a solid piece, and it looked like it wasn't even water-tight. There are platforms with some weird-looking uprights on them every 20 feet or so. As far as I could tell, it didn't look like it was going to or from anything at all. What is it?

How do I take up pipe smoking?

cmonkey — Tue, 26 Apr 2005 17:41:10 -0800

I'd like to switch from smoking cigarettes to smoking a pipe... I've been a pack-a-day smoker for about a decade now, and I think that I'd like to move away from that particular habit to smoking a pipe, and I have a few questions about it:

1) What should I initially get at the tobacco shop? Do I just need to get a corncob pipe and their finest, cheapest tobacco?
2) Can I manage to have a nice smoke break at work with a pipe, or is it simply too much effort every hour?
3) How, exactly, do you smoke a pipe? I've heard that you shouldn't inhale the smoke, so how does that work? Will I annoy the crap out of the guy at the shop by asking for a demonstration?
4) How do you pack tobacco in the bowl? Do you have to constantly use a lighter to keep the tobacco lit?
5) Will I get my ass beaten by smoking a pipe in a bar?
6) Is it more expensive than smoking cigarettes?

Put That In Your Pipe and Smoke It...

jon_kill — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 09:22:28 -0800

A friend of mine is giving me a pipe tonight. A real pipe, for pipe tobacco. Can anyone suggest any accesory-accesories, such as preferred liquour, chair style, etc...

Tobacco Pouches

keswick — Fri, 02 Jul 2004 14:11:52 -0800

I'm taking up (tobacco) pipe smoking. (No lectures, please.) I was wondering if anyone else here enjoys a good smoke now and then? If so, what are your favorite blends? Pipes? What should I look for in a tobacco pouch-- leather, vinyl? Right now, my experience is limited to corncob pipes and vanilla tobacco, if that helps.

Adding a Shower

GriffX — Thu, 13 May 2004 14:53:27 -0800

Plumbing question - you have a bath tub, free standing, with no shower; no switch to change between the water coming of the faucet vs from a shower head, and no shower curtain or support for such. How much (and what) would the parts be to add shower functionality? Is this a job that you could do by yourself?