Removing sandblast

unadoptedlamp · Jun 7, 2014

Hey all,
I've got a pretty nice Stanwell, handmade sandblasted pipe from Denmark. The grain looks pretty nice, as far as I can tell, but it's blasted, and I was thinking that maybe it would look better smooth.
Anyone have any experience with turning one of their sandblasted pipes into a smooth one? Assuming the briar is a good block without pits, is there anything that can go horribly wrong?
I was planning to use sandpaper and a lot of patience to carefully remove the roughness so that not too much wood is taken off in the process. Afterward I would probably just coat it with wax.
I'm interested to hear any advice from someone who has done this before!

sablebrush52 · Jun 7, 2014

Wouldn't it be simpler just to buy a smooth finished pipe?

sailorjeremy · Jun 7, 2014

Why would you want to ruin a perfectly good pipe? Just buy a smooth one.

cosmicfolklore · Jun 7, 2014

The pipe was probably selected to be sandblasted because of fill somewhere on it. However, sandblast is such an elaborate process compared to having just stained it, that I'm going to bet that there was a good reason it was blasted.

cortezattic · Jun 7, 2014

If some aspect of a pipe annoyed me, I would put it away for a time, or turn it over to someone else.

I wouldn't mutilate it. Like Cosmic said, the maker obviously decided that a blast would be the best

treatment for that pipe's finish.

northernneil · Jun 7, 2014

I think cosmic has nailed it. Smooth pipes will usually sell at a premium, so if the manufacturer could sell a smooth pipe for a higher dollar value, why sandblast it unless you have too?

cortezattic · Jun 7, 2014

why sandblast it unless you have too?

Well, I personally like the appearance of blasts, and with increasing age and arthritis, the rough surface helps me grip the pipe.

But as you say, most makers want to show off the grain of a great piece of wood.

papipeguy · Jun 7, 2014

Short answer is don't do it as you'll probably be disappointed with the end result. Stanwell sand blasts are great pipes. The above comments are very valid.

dmcmtk · Jun 7, 2014

I have to agree with all of the above.

zack24 · Jun 7, 2014

Sandblast consists of high areas where the briar was harder and low points where the softer briar was removed...By the time you sand it down to the level of the low points, you will have screwed up the shape and have walls that are too thin....
If you insist on making a sandblast pipe smooth, buy a six pack of good beer, get some wood putty, smear on a liberal coat and sand it down until smooth....It will look ugly as sin and probably emit toxic fumes from the filler, but you will at least have spent several hours enjoying some fine beer...

unadoptedlamp · Jun 7, 2014

Interesting responses, however, it looks like nobody here has attempted it. It also seems that there is some emotion tied in with someone suggesting the removal of a sandblast, which is charming...
Whenever I get around to it and actually finish removing the blast, I'll post some pictures of the result.
Again, if anyone has *actually* done this and has a related experience to share, it will be interesting to hear from you.

metarzan · Jun 7, 2014

If I were going to sand down a blasted into a smooth I would strip the finish off first to reveal the possibility of excessive fill or other imperfections that can't be hidden by a wax finish alone. Please post some before and after pics.

unadoptedlamp · Jun 7, 2014

Metarzan- That's a good tip that I hadn't considered. Wouldn't be too difficult to refinish the pipe. I've had a good look at it and it does look like it's in pretty good shape. The underlying grain in the blast looks interesting to me. I suspect there could be a combination of birds eye on one side and a flame on the other. It's a pipe from around the 60's, so who knows, maybe they were churning them out of the shop so fast at that time that they didn't even need to consider underlying defects.
I will find out. Here's some pictures of it before.

I'm going to attack it slowly to keep the shape. With a bit of patience, I think it's possible to remove the blast without ruining the pipe. What lays beneath is what it is. But maybe it seems more simple than it is.
p.s. For any of you folks who are cringing at the idea of removing the blast, you can save this poor innocent pipe, but you only have one day to wire the funds into my account. I'll sell it for $750.

sablebrush52 · Jun 7, 2014

From a manufacturing point, Cosmic has it correct. A fine block of briar with exceptional grain and little to no flaws doesn't get chosen to be sandblasted. Sandblasting allows makers to use cosmetically inferior wood and turn it into something interesting.
As experiments go, if this ends up as a lump of wood and a pile of sawdust, the OP won't have lost much money.

antbauers · Jun 7, 2014

I have done this using the same technique you mentioned.

The pipe needed some fills and other cosmetic repairs. I wanted to try something other than blending in the spots to the sandblast so I just sanded it smooth. The bad part was the blast was deep in some parts and I didn't want to keep sanding so I filled those spots in. I'm not sure if it's the lighting but it looks like the shank of your pipe might have this problem.

I don't have pictures of the pipe but it turned out nice. Like others have said, the pipe I worked on was sandblasted for a reason. The grain was not ugly, just boring.

Good luck! Make sure you keep us updated on your project.

tuold · Jun 7, 2014

Yes, this should be interesting to follow. Either the itinerant pipe craftsman will triumph with a new masterpiece in the form of a transformed pipe or the dust of failure will be swept up from the shop floor and discarded.
Please post pictures of the finished project!

dread · Jun 7, 2014

Yes, I guess you could but that's an awesome sandblast. Boo.

zekest · Jun 8, 2014

Posts like this remind me of that:
Hey, I have a pretty nice Dunhill billiard, but I was wondering how it would look as a pot. Has anyone ever used a hack saw to remove a half inch of the bowl?

ejames · Jun 8, 2014

Sell it and buy a smooth.

hawke · Jun 8, 2014

Well, while all the comments about why it was sandblasted to start with are highly probably in my reasoning, I still like unadoptedlamp's persistence and stubborn hardheadedness. Hahaha Ive taken off on projects I knew would ruin the item yet it turned into two eBooks, and a repair business thats netted me some nice spare cash to buy more toys with. Everything is a learning process and can be turned into good somehow. Taking risks is the essence of life itself.

So, unadoptedlamp, ...Carry on Soldier. And please share your pics later, good or bad so we can all learn.

Removing sandblast

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