The Dunhill Project: The Second One Restored - PIC Heavy

Yeah, I finally finished the second pipe, and it was a challenge. I wasn't even sure it was a Dunhill until I got it, and even then I wasn't familiar with the shape. But I guess it's a heavily abused Cherrywood shape. Hard telling why the owner decided the change the shape and make a mess of it, but all I could do about the shape was try to even it out a bit. I didn't want to sand the bottom too much and make it too thin under the bowl. So I guess it's more of a Poker now. The shank was a real mess, it had a crack that was somewhat repaired with a piece of metal that had a lip on it, and was a little too big. So they just filled in with glue, and then it had the stupid black tape wound around it too. So there wasn't much nomenclature left to begin with, but from what I could see, it looks to have been made in 1960, but I'm not too sure. After scraping all the tape I could get off, and heating the metal ring, it pulled off easily. But what a mess underneath it. Lots of work to get the shank and stem lined up right, clean the insides and outside, replace the missing white dot, reform the stem to a more original shape, yada, yada, yada.... The only saving grace is there was some really nice grain under all the funk. I went with a browner stain rather than the usual reddish stain because I felt it showed off the grain better. I know that just gluing the crack in the shank is risky, but I'm not sure the pipe is worth having a band put on it, but if the repair doesn't hold, I might have to. Well two down, and two to go.

If you don't know what the four original pipes looked like, check out the first pipe under the Dunhill Project.
Before:










After:

Thanks for the comments guys! I've smoked it a couple of times and although it's a good smoking pipe, I'm not crazy about the end product. Nice piece of briar, but it just looks funky, like someones home made pipe. No classic lines is what I guess I'm trying to say.

Any suggestions as to what would make it look more like a Dunhill or at least less like a freehand pipe? Top it flat on top? :?:

jpmcwjr: I usually use super glue, sometimes the regular if I wan't it to run into a small crack, or sometimes the gel if I don't want it getting all over the place. Before it dries and sets, I take a little briar dust (briar dust from sanding or sawing on other briar pipe) and sprinkle it into the glue, then I usually clamp it using MODERATE pressure in a small vise or a small hose clamp to bring the crack together a little if possible. Warning! Using too much pressure runs the risk of cracking the shank in another place. Take a Q-tip and wipe inside the shank to wipe up any glue that might have squeezed through. You might have to touch up the finish on the outside of the shank by the crack. Also, make sure your tenon on the stem is now not too tight. Forcing a tight tenon in will probably open the crack. Use some 600 grit sand paper to take down the tenon a small amount at a time until it goes in and out easily but is not too loose. Smoking it will tend to tighten the tenon fit up a little, and don't remove the stem unless the pipe needs a good cleaning.

Good luck, and remember this is not a professional fix, only something to allow you to keep smoking the pipe.
The bottom of the pipe was not symmetrical when I got it. I tried to even it out a little, but am not real happy with the results, so I may do a little more work on it later.