Going the extra mile when refurbishing Estates

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hfearly

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 11, 2012
822
2
Canada
In my constant strife for perfection, I've recently started to take estate refurbishing a good measure beyond the usual "basic cleanup" that I used to do. While those extra 20% seem to account for an extra 80% of effort, I still feel that it goes a long way. I want to share a bunch of extra steps that I have learned over time, but which in my opinion make a considerable difference in smoking enjoyment of an estate.
1) Opening the draw
While a lot of pipe smokers out there take the point that you should leave a pipe the way the maker intended it, I have found consistently that opening up the draw does often greatly increase the enjoyment of the tobaccos I favor (VAs, VA/Pers, Flakes). While sometimes there is no considerable change to the better, I have never found it to make a pipe a worse smoker than it was before. My favorite draw turns out to be 4mm.
2) Opening the button, and cutting a "V" funnel
It drives me nuts when I can't easily get a pipe cleaner through a stem. Most of the time, the button is too narrow. If a test with a "Long's Extra Absorbent" pipe cleaner fails, I get out a needle file and open the button. Also, some of the stems/buttons are cut as a square inside the stem. When I blow through the stem and hear a high pitched noise, or a whistle that's a sure sign. Great engineering goes a long way to a dry smoke: at the sharp edges inside the stem air turbulence forms, which causes the moisture of the smoke to condensate and coat the inside of the stem with droplets which in turn will make the pipe smoke wet and cause gurgle. So I use a triangular needle file to cut a long smooth "V" funnel in the inside. The broad end of the "V" should start at the button and gradually get thinner until about halfway into the stem.
3) Polishing the inside of the stem
Again, the smoother the inside of a stem, the drier your smoking experience will be. I have learned this trick from a pipe artisan who takes great pride in flawless interior engineering of his stems. What I do is take a shoe string, and coat it in green jeweler's buffing compound (chrome oxide) over the hole length and pull it back and forth through the stem until the inside is mirror-like.
4) Lifting the heel to the draw hole
The best smoking pipes I own have a draw hole that enters the tobacco bowl from below the heel. Sometimes, especially with bent shapes, the draw hole is a good chunk above the heel, so that there is a little "well" below the draw hole. A perfect trap for condensate, causes gurgle, increases drying time as to not get a pipe to turn sour, and is often the cause of gurgle. I almost always correct this by lifting the heel up with pipe mud (a mixture of white cigar ash and a few drops of bourbon). In my experience lifting the heel up just over the draw hole and then carefully drilling the draw hole free gives the best results.
5) Back to the roots
Especially with estate pipes, I don't want to taste whatever the previous owner smoked, ever. Usually I go for a certain shape and size such as to re-appropriate the pipe for one of my favorite tobacco blends and any external "signal" is distracting in the best case, and downright ruins the taste in the worst case. To start from scratch as best as I can, I usually ream the cake down to the bare wood, then sand the interior with 220 grit, 320 grit, 400 grit and 600 grit sandpaper. This is followed by multiple alcohol/salt treatments until the salt comes out as white as I put it in. However, I have found that with many estate pipes this procedure leaves the inside quite vulnerable, and on the other hand with many older estate pipes the inside of the bowl is often already scratched, contains hairline cracks, or a previous owner did a horrible reaming job. I was able to get a pipe maker friends' recipe for the black protective coating that you can find in many of the modern pipes. It's a mixture of 1 tsp of active carbon (you can buy it for cheap from pet stores - look in the aquarium filtering section), 1 tsp of sour cream (15% fat) and 1/2 tsp of buttermilk. First mix the sour cream and the butter milk until you get a gel-like consistency, then grind up the active charcoal with a mortar and pestle until it's very, very fine and thoroughly mix it into the buttermilk/sour cream. Apply with a soft brush to the inside of the bowl, let dry for 2 hours, then smooth out with your finger. Let dry for another 24 hours and sand the inside with 1000 grit sandpaper. The result is a perfect interior coat like you'd have a brand new pipe - and yes, that also means you will have to go through a normal "break in" ;-)
6) Re-aligning badly drilled draft holes
On a number of pipes that I've worked on (curiously seems to be more prevalent on the 'newer' made pipes), the engineering is wonky and a lot of times the drilled draft holes don't line up. I.e., you try to pass a pipe cleaner through and it gets stuck somewhere where the tenon joins the mortise. To me this is the worst possible engineering flaw, as it tends to lead to the whole range of ill effects from extra condensation to wonky draw and cleaning problems. Re-drilling and alining the draw holes has done wonders to pipes that I had already written off and banned to the back of the pipe rack. For example, one of the pipes I had bought when I just started pipe smoking was a 60$ P.T.M. Amadeus from Greece. In the early beginnings I blamed my inexperience in preparation, packing, smoking and inferior tobacco mixtures for the hellish experience of constant gurgle a minute after lighting and loads of tobacco juice in my mouth. I became more experienced, bought better pipes, had a better smoking technique and knew how to dry my tobacco to the perfect moisture. Still, whenever I revisited the PTM, I only had to look at it and it started to get dripping wet. (If only I had that effect on women!). While spending more time with pipes, I eventually understood more about the internals of pipes and looking at that PTM I discovered that the engineering was way off. After an evening with needle files and drill bits, re-aligning the draft holes this pipe has turned into one of my best smokers, no kidding! What at that time seemed like a very small change - maybe 2-3mms of re-drilling, made a massive impact on smoking enjoyment.
In any case, I'm curious what everyone else does to "go the extra mile". Do you have any stories and experiences to share to turn a good smoking pipe into a great smoking pipe? I want to hear it all! :)
Cheers,
Nic

 

hfearly

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 11, 2012
822
2
Canada
Briarblues: I agree :) Would never even think about altering for example a Blue Riband :) I was aiming less at the collectibles rather than those estates that are meant to be used.

 

morton

Part of the Furniture Now
May 3, 2012
648
2
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
hfearly, I have also done some of the things you mention in your original post. I agree with Mike from briarblues that modifying an original "collector" pipe might cause some alarm or consternation among purists but I buy 'em to smoke 'em and don't sell them, so I have no problem doing some of the things you are writing about. I have never polished the inside of the stem like you mentioned but have a couple of gurgling estate Charatans that may get that treatment now that you have given me the idea. Opening the draw, reaming (but not as in depth as you have mentioned), deep cleaning and opening the mouthpiece are things that I do as necessary. I use fireplace ash (from birchwood, actually) which I have sieved and add water to it. I'm interested as to why you use bourbon. Is it a flavor issue?

 

hfearly

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 11, 2012
822
2
Canada
Morton, I use alcohol instead of water because it evaporates faster. One problem though is that if you take a substance that dries too fast (I once tried 95% ethanol) the pipe mud will likely get cracks. Whatever I'm doing with pipe mud or protective bowl coating, I try to avoid cracks at all costs. Cracks, dings or holes in the coating can give burning tobacco ash/coal a good nesting place for burnouts. One of the main reasons I mix pipe mud or do protective coats on the inside of reamed estates is to fill out crevices and holes to prevent that very thing from happening.

 
Jul 15, 2011
2,363
31
Just out of curiosity, how do you go about opening up the draw of the pipe to 4mm? I have a few pipes that need this but have no idea how to go about doing it.

 

hfearly

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 11, 2012
822
2
Canada
I do exactly the same as Michael ;-) Using wood drill bits in increasing sizes and doing all the by hand. You can get a T handle for the drill bits that makes it easier. depending on your drill bit the new hole might be rough. You can smooth it by putting 400,600,800,1000 grit sandpaper on a chainsaw file (or any other thin metal rod) and give its a quick polish.

 

shawn

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 1, 2012
532
0
Hfearly, you Sir have have class. Well done with your answers.

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,317
11,068
Maryland
postimg.cc
A very interesting dialogue. I've opened up a few of my personal pipes to correct issues that did not make them good smokers. My most satisfying correction was with a '98 Aston Pebble Grain Rhodesian I bought for my 50th birthday. It was a very poor smoker and a constant reminder of a poorly made purchase. After opening it up, it smokes great, equal to my other well-drilled Ashtons. I saved this document on opening the draw on a pipe:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/74716036/Opening_Pipe_Draw.pdf
I can certainly appreciate Mike's comments on not harming the value of a collectors piece. In the case of my Ashton, that pipe won't leave my rack and now in addition to just admiring the pipe, I can enjoy it as a smoker.
I also have a few pipes that have benefited from making the draw hole into a "V" using a needle file. A David Jones poker was greatly improved by that technique. Unfortunately I dropped that pipe in October and send it back to David for a new stem. I'll have to rework that button.
I've used pipe mud before to lift a heel, but I'm not sure that I'm ready for a sour cream concoction!
I have a few stems that would benefit from polishing the draft hole, a few hang a cleaner on rough spots. I'll have to pick up some of that green jewelers rouge.

 

russp

Lurker
Jul 16, 2012
20
0
Check this one out fellas!
Old Nording Grade A Freehand chamber crack before repairs
http://pipesmagazine.com/members/russp/album/picture/5092
After Repairs:
http://pipesmagazine.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/album/5413/untitled-3-600x450.jpg
Pic 2 New briar new burl veneer
http://pipesmagazine.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/album/5413/untitled-1-600x324.jpg
New briar in places and burl veneer, Cherry chamber tapered from 7/8" to 5/8" at the bottom. Side walls are about 1/4". Plateau shaved off. Original ferrule is under the veneer. Used JB Weld. Handles 600 degrees. No glue anywhere near tobacco. No thin briar anywhere. Pipe is the original full size freejand type, about 5" in length. Might go for another 50 years!
Check my album if the pics don't load.
Happy Thanksgiving!

 

hfearly

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 11, 2012
822
2
Canada
You use it for polishing, you don't sniff it. Since I run an alcohol saturated pipe cleaner through the stem after every step for cleanup I have no fear of chromium oxide. And for gods sake you are smoking a tobacco - and worry about polishing compound? Sorry to break the news but the products of the tobacco combustion process especially when it's some goofy aromatic saturated with chemicals isn't exactly healthy either...

 

hfearly

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 11, 2012
822
2
Canada
Okay Mr. Samcoffeeman. There is no need to blow this way out of proportion. In fact, I'll be a good citizen and backup my argument below with concrete references. Please keep in mind that my formal education is not in inorganic chemistry. However, I felt compelled to do my research on the subject as to shed light on possible detrimental effects of stem polishing. Here is what I found:
First, the polishing compound consists of CR(III) oxide, with the chemical formula Cr2O3. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromium%28III%29_oxide). The toxic stuff you were referring to, hexavalent chromium, which is CR(IV) in a +6 oxidation state - and also not to be confused with CR(IV) oxide which has formula CrO3.
Second, a 2010 study found measurable hexavalent chromium in the tap water of 31 of the cities sampled, with Norman, Oklahoma, at the top of list; 25 cities had levels that exceeded California's proposed limit. (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jGZd1TG128r23nJKVixnkLSQGObA). Just to put into proportion what you'd ingest by drinking water is a multitude of whatever traces might convert to hexavalent chromium when whatever tiny little bit is left in the smoking canal IF you'd polish with chromium oxide hydrate, which you don't because you polish with CR3 oxide (see next point).
Third the material hazard datasheet you are quoting from (http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fapps.risd.edu%2Fenvirohealth_msds%2FMetcalfStore%2FElementisChromiumOxideHydrate.PDF&ei=HdKzUOjaJqmcyQHZkIDoAw&usg=AFQjCNEnz62YfmVFh875bvjB5MGnYCc1hw&sig2=l2L_60IoMb4GjktyvJC2LQ) talks about CHROMIUM OXIDE DIHYDRATE, with the chemical formula Cr2O3H2O. This is in fact a different material than Chromium (III) Oxide, (the polishing compound) of chemical formula Cr2O3.
Fourth, Cr(III) by itself (not the CR3 oxide!) is a natural trace element, which is considered an essential nutrient. (http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~baholmen/docs/ENVE290W/National%20Chromium%20Files%20From%20Luke/Cr(VI)%20Handbook/L1608_C06.pdf)

In fact, the government of Delaware recommends eating CR(III) in small doses as healthy. Furthermore, there is no evidence that CR(III) causes cancer or that inhalation is toxic. (http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CFoQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdhss.delaware.gov%2Fdph%2Ffiles%2Fchromiumfaq.pdf&ei=n9CzUNv8Ac6CyAGC1IGYDA&usg=AFQjCNEB-G_gQriRDNQ67u-tt3f-nTazGQ&sig2=pOrFkDxzTBIKuB5Vn0Y5jg&cad=rja)
In a nutshell:
Cr(III) aka. Chromium in a +3 oxidation state = the healthy stuff.

Cr(IV) aka. Chromium in a +6 oxidation state = the very harmful (carcinogen) stuff.

CrO3 aka. Cr(IV) oxide = burns tissue. Used in medicine to cauterize wounds. Also makes Ethanol explode. Fun!

Cr203 aka. Cr(III) oxide = used for polishing. No classifiable carcinogenic effects for humans or animals.

Ce2O3H2O aka. Chromium Oxide DiHydrate = the stuff you quoted which may turn upon heating into toxic Cr(IV).
Also, when you run a shoestring with this stuff through the stem for polishing the residue of Cr(III) oxide in the stem is negligible. If you are still concerned about any residual traces of the harmless stuff, clean out by running a fluffy pipe cleaner through. Further, Cr(III) oxide needs temperatures above 2500 Deg Celsius before it reacts with other elements. Now smoke at that temperature through your stem will cause some serious tongue burn ;-)
Bottom line: I feel safer licking on plastic polished with Cr3 oxide, than I feel smoking a pipe.

 

gray4lines

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 6, 2012
679
2
KY
I.e., you try to pass a pipe cleaner through and it gets stuck somewhere where the tenon joins the mortise. To me this is the worst possible engineering flaw, as it tends to lead to the whole range of ill effects from extra condensation to wonky draw and cleaning problems.
My Butz-Choquin ($57 first pipe) has this exact problem... I thought it didn't matter except for cleaning (I can only get a pipe cleaner all the way through 5% of the time if I bend it just right).
This pipe is, in fact, quick to start gurgling and heats up way faster than it should.

I may look at fixing this after reading a whole bunch on re-drilling pipes (I'd be scared to death to touch it with what i [don't] know now). Thanks for the heads up.

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,317
11,068
Maryland
postimg.cc
Wow, thanks for the chemical info Nic. I sort of though that, but had no chemical expertise to back it up. We're already polishing stems with tripoli and white rouges, which no one is adverse using on the exterior of a stem.
Paper - I use 3M wet paper in 800/1500/2000 grits, available at any autoparts store

Micromesh: I pretty much only use the final four highest grades (4000,6000,8000, 12000 grades)
Reamer: I use either the Castleford set (4 difference size heads) or the Senor reamers.
That's pretty much it for handtools. The remaining needs are buffing supplies.

 

hfearly

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 11, 2012
822
2
Canada
My toolkit for working on estates consists of
Reaming:

Castleford Reamer set from 4Noggins
Cleaning, Sanitizing:

Bleach: Domestos from Grocery Store

Oxyclean from Grocery Store

Salt (iodized) from Grocery Store

Isopropyl Alcohol (70%-99%) from Drug Store

Toothbrushes : medium, soft, hard from Grocery Store

Dental Pick from Drug Store

Nail Polish (Acetone) from Drug Store

Magic Erasers from Grocery Store
Sanding, Polishing:

Needle Files from Hardware Store

220-1200 Sandpaper from Hardware Store (car section has sandpaper up to 3000 grit!)

Micromesh pads 1200-12,000 grit from Lee Valley Tools

Silvo jeweler polish from Hardware Store

Colgate whitening toothpaste from Grocery Store

0 to 0000 Steel Wool from Hardware Store

Fingernail files 200,400,600 grit from Drug Store
Disposable Utensils:

Vaseline from Drug Store

Q-tips from Drug Store

Cotton Balls from Drug Store

Polish and Microfibre cloths from Hardware Store, Car Section

Paper Towels

Pipe Cleaners: Bristle, fluffy, extra fluffy, long from 4Noggins

Rubber Gloves from Grocery Store
Power Tools:

Heat Gun from Lee Valley Tools

Buffing machine with polish, Tripoli Brown=800 grit, White Diamond = 1200 grit from Hardware Store

Beall Buffing System from Lee Valley Tools

Dremel
Repair:

Super glue (gel, heat resistant) from Hardware Store

Acrylic White paint from Arts Supply

Artist brushes varying sizes and softness from Arts Supply

Activated Carbon from Pet Store

Wood Drill bits in varying imperial and metric sizes
Misc Tools:

Mortar and Pestle from Kitchen Supply store

Old kitchen knife from my kitchen
Finishing:

Stains: Oxblood, Red Brown, Dark Brown, Black, Tan, Yellow from Tandy Leather (Fiebing's Dyes)

Vinegaroon (Iron Acetate) = 0000 Steel Wool dissolved in 7% distilled white vinegar

Tannin (Tannic Acid) from the Homebrew Store

Pure Carnauba Wax from Lee Valley Tools

Shellac Flakes dissolved in Denatured Alcohol from Arts Supply Store

Rustication Nail tool (knowhow from pipedia, parts from Hardware Store)

 

gmwolford

Lifer
Jul 26, 2012
1,355
5
WV, USA
This is a great thread! I've been meaning to thank everyone that's contributed to it and haven't made time so: Thank all you good folks for sharing this great info!'! Many things to consider trying out to do a better job and have a better end result. Hope the info keeps flowing. :clap:

 
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