I am giving it another try on restoring shine to my stems (god I heard on the radio show that a shine and ream costs around $25 in the States, it's getting so frustrating right now that I would be willing to make an effort and pay for my best pipes if that were an option).
What's different this time? Firstly I managed to get my hands on oxyclean like people in the US use - previously I used sodium bicarbonate. Also I bought an adaptor for my electric screw driver, so it can fit a round felt and cotton wheel, so I can polish.
Method: I bathed the stems in oxyclean for a couple of hours. Some recommend over night but I was inpatient. Then I cleaned the stems with water, and removed the white stuff on one of the stems (the other did not present this issue) with the abrasive part of a dish sponge. I worked my way with micro mesh starting from 1500 grit up to 12000 grit - 2-3 minutes on each pad. After that I have applied with a rag this german "briar polish" that says "removes soiling and gives shine". (here I am not sure that this is meant for stems as well, or just for the bowl). Finally I have polished using the electric screwdriver for about 10-15 minutes.
The result is fine, better that what I have managed in the past with my previous method and available tools, but it still doesn't look like "on TV". I am missing that high thick lair of shine.
Some people suggested in the past that carnauba wax is the way to go with stems. I have found out that some niche local hardware store has carnauba wax sticks in my town, but I would imagine that in order to load the felt and cotton disks I need a higher power tool than your house handy screwdriver. Higher power means heat ... so I am afraid I may burn my stems.
Any advice is appreciated !
What's different this time? Firstly I managed to get my hands on oxyclean like people in the US use - previously I used sodium bicarbonate. Also I bought an adaptor for my electric screw driver, so it can fit a round felt and cotton wheel, so I can polish.
Method: I bathed the stems in oxyclean for a couple of hours. Some recommend over night but I was inpatient. Then I cleaned the stems with water, and removed the white stuff on one of the stems (the other did not present this issue) with the abrasive part of a dish sponge. I worked my way with micro mesh starting from 1500 grit up to 12000 grit - 2-3 minutes on each pad. After that I have applied with a rag this german "briar polish" that says "removes soiling and gives shine". (here I am not sure that this is meant for stems as well, or just for the bowl). Finally I have polished using the electric screwdriver for about 10-15 minutes.
The result is fine, better that what I have managed in the past with my previous method and available tools, but it still doesn't look like "on TV". I am missing that high thick lair of shine.
Some people suggested in the past that carnauba wax is the way to go with stems. I have found out that some niche local hardware store has carnauba wax sticks in my town, but I would imagine that in order to load the felt and cotton disks I need a higher power tool than your house handy screwdriver. Higher power means heat ... so I am afraid I may burn my stems.
Any advice is appreciated !
