A Brigham I Was Gifted. Before And After

[agnosticpipe]

Here's another act of generosity from a forum member. Awhile ago I got an old Brigham one dot, restored it, and posted a pic here. It was my first Brigham, and I was very surprised at how much I liked smoking it. The filter system on the pipe works better than any I've tried before, and I usually don't like filters. It's like smoking with no filter as far as the draw is concerned. It's a great smoking pipe, I smoke it quite a bit, and it's the one in my avatar.
Later on I get a message from pruss (Pat) offering me one he had that he didn't have time to restore, particularly because he's got a full plate right now with a new baby about due. It was a nice four dot billiard, that did need some work, but was totally savable. I was happy to have another project, and a Brigham at that!
I was going to take a pic of the pipe when I got it to show the condition, but was about halfway through the restoration, before I realized that I had forgotten to take the pics. But I decided to take one anyway just to show how dull it was even at that point. The bowl had uneven staining, and there was bad bite marks on the top and bottom of the stem. After I started to work on the stem, it turned out that the dent on the top of the stem was so damaged it turned into a hole, but filled in fine. I ended up staining the rusticated part dark brown like my other one as I liked it's look so much.
Anyway, here's the results. Many thanks again to Pat for the pipe and the hours of entertainment it provided. Already smoked my first bowl, and it's as good as my other one! Lovin this site, the great people here, and well, the Brigham too. Happy puffin guys and gals.... ::
Before:

After:

 

[weezell]

WOW! Super job on the restore. I've been eyeballin some Bringhams but haven't pulled the trigger on one...

 

[torque]

VERY nice job The redone rim and shank end really "pops" against the darker rustication. That contrast really draws the eye and gives it a very classy look.

 

[pruss]

Well done! What a transformation!
I'm glad to see another classic burner kept out of the bin, and back in rotation. Congrats on some fine work there, pal.
Did you use black superglue on the stem? If so, how did you keep the draught hole open?
Happy puffing, my friend.
-- Pat

 

[papipeguy]

Outstanding transformation. I'm always astounded by the talent on this forum. Keep up the great work.

 

[agnosticpipe]

Hey pruss, I have never bought black super glue, but I probably should as it would be easier and do a better job even though it's a little pricy. So far I've been using regular or gel control super glue mixed with some black powder I make from wood charcoal from my fire pit. It seems to work ok, but I think the black super glue would be better, or I should at least get something really black like lampblack to mix in the glue. I guess I keep putting off getting something else because I'm not terribly unhappy with the results I'm getting now. The glue mix is black enough unless you look with magnification.
As for the draught hole, yeah, another goofy work around. I took some brass shim stock and cut into narrow pieces and folded it over enough times to be thick enough to fit in the slot in the button. With some heavy shears, I cut one end down to make it narrower to fit in a little further. Then cover it with a light coat of grease or oil so the glue won't stick, and push it in the draught hole. I've used the same piece for a number of stem repairs. There's probably better things, but this works good, so I'll just keep on using it for now.
I just keep on having fun doing this, because I an old retired fart with time and the will to tinker.

Thanks for all the positive feedback everyone, and Pat thanks again for the pipe!

 

[danielplainview]

You made the right choice on the two tone. It looks so much better. Nice resto work.

 

[pruss]

@agnosticpipe I'm working on a pipe right now that's going to require a fill. I am going to use black superglue, do you think I can get away with using solder to plug the draught hole or would I be better off filling and re-drilling?
-- Pat

 

[oldredbeard]

you can use paper folded thick enough, and cover around it with scotch tape. the supper glue wont stick to the tape.
Nice restoration sir, and the stain job is just perfect on that pipe. You made it look great.

 

[agnosticpipe]

Pruss: I've never filled and re-drilled the hole. Fine if you can drill it straight enough to meet the hole in the stem. I agree with oldredbeard, I like to put something in the stem that the glue won't stick to as it seems to be less work and less risky. I do need to get some black super glue though, as I really enjoy restoring old pipes, and I think it'll work best.

 

[rangerearthpig]

I'd give anything to be a fly on the wall, and watch one of you "pipe restoring gods" work your magic. Some day soon, I hope to acquire the tools and knowledge to do some complete restorations. You guys who do it really put out some amazing work. Beautiful job!

 

[johnnyreb]

Nice job with pleasing to the eye color contrast!

 

[agnosticpipe]

Hah, ranger, if you were a fly on the wall you might see something you wish you could un-see! As far as I'm concerned, I'm far from being a "pipe restoring god", and more of a Santa's helper trying to fix some broken toys. But hey, wouldn't do it if weren't fun! Soon you too will be retired and tinkering with stuff.

Thanks for the compliments though, makes me feel like I've got some value yet. You with me on this pruss? I know you and others are having fun too, right?

 

[pruss]

You with me on this pruss? I know you and others are having fun too, right?

Totally. I spent some time in the shop today trying to reclaim an old Royal Comoy's Canadian. It has a bastard of a birthmark where someone rested a cigarette against it in an ashtray. So I tried to stabilize the burn with superglue, chucked the stem in an oxyclean bath, and the sanded the whole thing with 600# after reaming it... You know. Fun!
Seriously though, it sounds like a crapload of work, but the reward is worth the effort.
-- Pat

 

[fnord]

Killer resto job, Agnosticpipe. The contrast is beautiful and a four dot Brigham would be the prize pig in anybody's pen.
Pruss is as fine a gentlemen any of us will ever meet on a forum made up of wonderful pipers. Pat is pure class and one of the truly good guys.
AP, PM sent.
Fnord

 

[newbroom]

It took me about one year of retirement to find pipes and pipe tobacco to be a gratifying pursuit. I hadn't smoked a pipe since my early 20's, and never had smoked one properly, or rather to advantage.
A hobby that includes so many facets and colors and textures and aromas and tastes and even art!

The art of restoration as shown in this thread and others inspires THIS boomer to attempt his own.

 

[torque]

Question for you guys doing the superglue patches. Do you use this method on other materials besides Vulcanite? I have one I'm working on right now that would be a prime candidate for this method. It has HEAVY indentions right next to the button on both the top and bottom. It isn't bitten through, got lucky on that, but I don't believe a heat source is going to raise them. The stem isn't Vulcanite or Acrylic, but seems to be some other type of hard rubber. Just not sure how other materials react to the black superglue treatment.

 

[pruss]

@Torque can you upload a picture of the stem you want to fill? There are many different iterations of vulcanite/ebonite (rubber materials) that were used on pipes; some are super soft and others are very hard. Some oxidize super quickly, while others can be displayed in a window and only have discoloration to deal with. It's a similar story with acrylics/plastics. I've never tried to use superglue on acrylic, but I think it would work fine on any rubber stem. I'd look to more experienced restorers than I for input on a plastic stem.
-- Pat
PS - fnord, you're too kind pal.

 

[durham270]

What a super nice job. You brought new life to an already awesome pipe. Congratulations on a job well done!

 

[mso489]

Wow, it's a whole new day with that pipe. Looks better than new. Love the restored and enhanced contrasting

finishes. It takes it from a trusty old plodder pipe to a real show-off piece.