How to wax to get the shine?

moonman · Apr 18, 2014

I have been very satisfied with my stripping, sanding and staining technique. I am also finding out that not every pipe is a good candidate for stripping and re staining. Case in point, a Barling Standard I recently bought had a very dark stain...must have been at least six small fills on the outside of the bowl when I stripped it but I am learning what to look for now. Ended up staining it a light brown and blending to cover the fills. All in all I'm happy with it plus it's a good smoker.
But the one thing I still need to work on is the wax buffing. The white diamond prep looks good and I am careful not to load up the wheel with to much Carnuaba wax but I cannot get the high gloss shine I want. I thought I wasn't polishing enough but that proved fruitless.

The pipe is has a shine but has a slight dull appearance. What is the secret to getting that high gloss shine in the waxing process.

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

pruss · Apr 18, 2014

How fast is your wheel?
-- Pat

mso489 · Apr 18, 2014

I'm not a pipe repair or restoration guy, so my two cents is about one cent worth, but I think there's a price

going after a gleaming look. You want enough wax on there to ward off moisture and accept a brightening

buff after every smoke (or as often as you have time to do it). But I think adding too much finish or wax,

though it makes the pipes bright and new looking, can also have the effect of attracting dust and build-up

of wax. A regular rub-down with a slightly abrasive rag, like a bandana with a little stiffener still in the

fabric, is probably mostly what you want to give the best smoke. Residue (also known as crud) that accumulates

over time is what ages a pipe the most.

moonman · Apr 18, 2014

Good point mso....think I have the right set up...1/3 hp, 1725 rpm....Beall wheels.

moonman · Apr 18, 2014

Pat...is it possible I am loading up the pipe with the white diamond and its not accepting the wax to shine? Just throwing things out there.

tuold · Apr 18, 2014

I always hand buff the pipe after using white diamond to make sure no residue is left.
I've found that a black undercoating of stain helps to hide fills. Some use a black Sharpie pen to darken fills before staining.

pruss · Apr 18, 2014

Hey moonman, your setup sounds fine. I think you could add a Dunhill pipe wipe and finish with hand polishing.
-- Pat

anglesey · Apr 18, 2014

I always find a new, soft wheel after a waxed wheel brings up the shine best. I'd third hand polishing though, spit and elbow grease.

moonman · Apr 18, 2014

All good sound advice....the pipe shines but it a warm shine...I like it...it looks like a warm comfortable estate pipe...was just curious about achieving a high gloss....Think I will invest in a Dunhill pipe wipe and try hand buffing after the WD to clean off any residue. I also noticed that my last pipe turned out much more shiny under the same process. Maybe the type of Briar also impacts the final result.

I have an octagon Ropp coming, I will change up the process on that one. I will keep working on it.

Thanks to all for your help.
Barling Standard

cortezattic · Apr 18, 2014

High gloss, absolutely glassy shines depend on very finely sanded wood. That's the only trick to it.

Carnauba wax, buff, and lightly wipe with an old flannel shirt.

moonman · Apr 18, 2014

Another good point Cortez.

durham270 · Apr 19, 2014

I'm not sure if this is the 'proper' method for waxing a pipe but here goes! After I apply a layer of Carnauba Wax to the pipe I take a blow dryer and apply the hot air thus melting the wax onto the outer brair. I let is rest for a few minutes until the wax is almost dry. Then I do a light rubbing to the pipe with a clean flannel rag removing some of the wax. That is when I then use the buffing wheel (no wax on the pad) on the pipe to buff and polish and shine her right up. The results? A nice glossy shiny finish. This works just the same on blasted or craggy finish as well.

pruss · Apr 19, 2014

Durham, I do the same thing with a heat gun for rusticated and craggy blasted pipes.
-- Pat

durham270 · Apr 19, 2014

Durham, I do the same thing with a heat gun for rusticated and craggy blasted pipes.

pruss, It works perfect, right? and you do not have any of those 'white specks' wax build up left behind on blasted or craggy finishes.

moonman · Apr 19, 2014

Great tip Durham, I will try that...thank you

pruss · Apr 19, 2014

pruss, It works perfect, right? and you do not have any of those 'white specks' wax build up left behind on blasted or craggy finishes.

Totally. Especially handy on plateau top,pipes and some of the heavily rusticated pipes.
Cortez is spit on too. Nothing beats a good sanding to bring out shine.
-- Pat

cynyr · Apr 24, 2014

Cortez is right. Sand that baby down until it shines before you go to the wheel. I use Micromesh all the way up to 12000, being careful near the stampings. Try it once, and you'll do it on all your pipes.

bullbriar · Apr 24, 2014

Make sure you use a dedicated buffing wheel for waxing and one for polishing...no cross contamination. Also, when you buff out the carnauba, use LIGHT, almost nonexistent pressure. The lighter the pressure, the higher he shine. Several thin coats of wax are beter than one thick one!
Good luck,

Bull

fnord · Apr 25, 2014

Guys:
I don't want to hijack this thread, but would you please tell me what kind of buffer I need to buy?
I Googled "1/3 hp, 1725 rpm" and it brought up several affordable Baldor, Dayton and Marathon motors. When I Googled "1/3 hp, 1725 rpm buffers" I went into sticker shock.
Would you please tell me what you're using? Right now I do everything by hand with Micromesh pads and a pot of Halcyon III.
There's got be a better mousetrap.
Thanks!
Fnord

zack24 · Apr 25, 2014

The fact that some pipes are buffing to a high shine and others are not tells me that you might have a pipe where someone wiped it with olive oil or something similar. On new pipes, the final steps of staining, buffing, and waxing is done wearing cotton gloves to prevent skin oils from screwing up the results- makes a big difference in the final shine...

what kind of buffer I need to buy?

1/3 or 1/2 hp motors are fine- look on Craigs list- maybe $20...I use 5 different ones so I don't have to change wheels...I do have a VF Drive motor on my wish list....

How to wax to get the shine?

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