Questions About Driftwood or Suede Finishes

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jeffro

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 18, 2017
163
28
I am very curious on how the weathered look that Roger Wallenstein calls "driftwood"

and Walt Cannoy calls "suede blast" is done.

Does anyone have a idea on how the finish is achieved?
P1010288.JPG

Walt-Cannoy-Suedeblast-Bamboo-Cumberland-Rhodesian-Handmade-Artisan-Briar-Pipe_29901.jpg


 

daveinlax

Charter Member
May 5, 2009
1,989
2,651
WISCONSIN
Just guessing but the top looks a light sand wash or steam and a wire brush and the bottom looks like a laser???? 8O

 

B18

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 27, 2015
261
150
I would say super fine blast material or they maybe an soft acid.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,565
27,066
Carmel Valley, CA
Blast? Yes, if the particles can be directed into specific patterns. But can they? I mean in a maker's shop, not NASA or a big company.

 
M

mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast

Guest
I'm pretty sure Cannoy's are sandblasted and that it's a trade secret that involves a certain blasting technique he developed along with a certain blasting material he uses?

 

clickklick

Lifer
May 5, 2014
1,700
212
So one would have you think! Want proof?!
Seen his Morta suede blast? Does it look any different from his Briar suede blast?
There has been much discussion amongst pipe makers about it.

 

beefeater33

Lifer
Apr 14, 2014
4,063
6,118
Central Ohio
^^ Just going by what the man himself states.............. I just listened to the PM interview, and he states repeatedly that its a blast. I just looked at the mortas, they do look different, as one would expect.............. :puffy:

 

georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
5,491
13,920
I'm not sure why there's disagreement about whether the finish is a blast or not:
http://waltcannoy.com/flakes-of-briar-suede-blasting-a-cannoy-pipe/

 

sumusfumus

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 20, 2017
596
545
New York City
As a surface treatment, I wonder how durable that blasted "suede" finish would be if the pipe is knocked around or worse, dropped onto a hard surface? Bet those delicate, blasted interstices will crush and chip out if the pipe is roughly treated. An unwanted chip in that finish will stick out like a sore thumb, and who will be able to repair/disguise these surface defects, since this suede finish is the result of some "secret" process? Also, how long before those delicate, shallow, "lines" fill up with dark, sticky tars, tobacco residue, finger dirt, oils, wax, polish, etc,...especially around those areas that are close to the top of the bowl?
Frank

NYC

 

georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
5,491
13,920
Frank --
Huh? You must not smoke wearing surgical gloves, blast your pipe every few minutes with a can of compressed air, use ash and carbon free tobacco, or have a sterile, self-cleaning, silicone-cushioned smoking table and ashtray like the rest of us...
How embarrassing. (You weren't even aware what a slob you've been until now, were you?)

 

zack24

Lifer
May 11, 2013
1,726
2
I wonder how durable that blasted "suede" finish would be if the pipe is knocked around or worse, dropped onto a hard surface? Bet those delicate, blasted interstices will crush and chip out if the pipe is roughly treated
I saw some feedback online from someone who owned one addressing those issues...and it apparently holds up very well...
On how it's done...I would tend to suspect an extremely fine glass bead at low pressure with a microblaster. For normal media blasting, I use a 170-320 glass bead at 90-105 lbs pressure through my big cabinet. I can also use that in my micro blasting cabinet for working on detailing grain......There's a reason that very few pipemakers choose to go there...I suspect it's 10 hours of blasting or more to produce that finish...and sitting hunched over a blasting cabinet for that long is not much fun....

 
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