waxing a rusticated or sandblasted pipe

john019 · Nov 16, 2018

Question is, how to get a nice shine on a rusticated or sandblasted pipe without getting the white residue in the indentions? I have used Halcyon II, and it works at first, but after a day or two, the shine fades and it goes back to a dull, matte finish.
Next question, I did wax a couple with the buffing wheel and carnauba before I got the Halcyon II. How do I get the white residue out of the indentions?
Any help will be greatly appreciated!

mso489 · Nov 16, 2018

john', on my own pipes, I use little if any polish or wax. This does not maintain a like-new shine, but if I polish a pipe with a soft cloth, or slightly abrasive cloth like a new bandana and then a softer one, this maintains a handsome clean appearance. Otherwise you create a residue, which then involves heavy buffing and/or buffing wheel, which wears the finish. It's a matter of taste, and some would rather submit their pipes to wear to keep them looking just off the pipe shop wall, but I like the look of some wear, and still maintain a polished appearance.

workman · Nov 16, 2018

I think it was Cortez (the forum member, not the conquistadore) who made me aware that hairdryers are useful for pipe maintenance. I have a buffing wheel, so I apply wax, soften it with a hairdryer and buff.

jpmcwjr · Nov 16, 2018

You can use a hair dryer as workman says, with a soft terry cloth to absorb the melting wax. Also hot water can do the trick, same towel. Paper towels may work, too.

puffy · Nov 16, 2018

I no longer wax my pipes.To me it makes them slippery and easier to drop.(old stiff fingers) Back when I did wax them I found that a tooth brush worked reasonably well.

sasquatch · Nov 16, 2018

Toothbrush for sure. But the truth is, most commercial sandblasts and rustic pipes aren't waxed at all, they bear a hard finish from the factory (ranging from shellac to urethane).

john019 · Nov 17, 2018

So a light coat of shellac would be ok?

john019 · Nov 17, 2018

Ad I will try the hair dryer trick. Thanks for the input everyone!

jpmcwjr · Nov 17, 2018

Clean it first, and don't warm up the shellac just yet. How bout some photos??
And if you do shellac, most folks cut it severely.

sasquatch · Nov 17, 2018

A light coat of shellac would be fine, but honestly, just attack the thing with a toothbrush first and see if it doesn't clean right up. Most of 'em do.

mso489 · Nov 17, 2018

Re-reading this thread, I realized to my amusement, with my "too many" pipes, if I polished and buffed them each every time, they would look like they'd never been smoked at all, so there's that.

danielplainview · Nov 17, 2018

A nylon wheel like this will clean and shine rustic and blasted finishes.

image forum upload

john019 · Nov 17, 2018

So here are some pictures of the pipe that I am working on. I've tried the toothbrush route, and like I said earlier, it looks good for about a day, but then fades back to a matte finish. The nylon brush idea I think I am going to try before I use shellac. I didn't know if the shellac would make the pipe too hot.
MSO489, I thought that was the point, to smoke the fire out of them, but make it look like they belong in a gallery.

Here are some before and after pictures:

,

john019 · Nov 17, 2018

I know in the photos of the finished pipe, it looks like it has a semi-gloss finish, but it is pretty flat in real life.

Chasing Embers · Nov 17, 2018

Wow, the difference is day and night! Personally I would just rub the stummel down with both sides of a jeweler's cloth.

john019 · Nov 17, 2018

Thanks. That was a few hours of elbow grease and cusing. Mostly on getting the replacement stem to work.

drwatson · Nov 18, 2018

What I do with mine is just buff like normal if you have wax and a wheel, the go over with heat gun (softly) and rub with your polishing cloth...White is gone and showroom new.

blendtobac · Nov 19, 2018

One simple solution is a silicone-impregnated cloth. Just a quick wipe when you're done will put a light shine on it. The only thing is that you have to use it each time, but it takes seconds to wipe the pipe down.
Russ

cigrmaster · Nov 19, 2018

On the few occasions I do shine a pipe, I use my Dunhill polishing cloth. It works fine on blasted or smooth pipes.

waxing a rusticated or sandblasted pipe

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