A Shiny Stem

[ssjones]

Couple of comments:
Micromesh:

-The Hobby Lobby sells an identical pad set, under a different name, "Alpha" abrasives.

https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Model-Kits/Paint-Brushes/Micro-Finishing-Cloth-Abrasive-Pads/p/108354

- will get you to a good shine, but not a buffer quality shine
Dremel:

- won't damage IF you use the correct wheels & abrasive. White Diamond and a light cotton buff.

- The above also won't remove any oxidation (or minimal), you have to wet sand that off first.

- Dremels aren't very powerful, so they won't yield a shine like a proper bench-mount motor and pad system will.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Madox07: Modellingtools.co.uk, You'll gonna fine there micromesh pad set and their shipping to continental Eu is reasonable

ssjones: Very true about dremel, I try avoid using this tool despite the fact I have different wheels possible,in my book Bench-mount buffer is way better option.

 

[mcitinner1]

A Dremel tool in the hands of anyone without a lot of experience, is a mistake, in my mind. Plus it's a poor tool for the job at hand IMO.

 

[joeman]

Once the oxidation is removed (there shall always be several opinions as to how to remove it), Micromesh is a great option...dremel (with proper wheel/compound/speed setting/practice) is a great option...bench buffer (with proper wheel/compound/speed setting/practice) is a great option. I disagree that a dremel is a poor tool for the job. Prior to moving onto other methods, I wore out a dozen or more 2" cotton wheels doing a final shine on countless pipes. Following the proper de-oxidation and prep work, a dremel can be an excellent tool...once you know what you're doing.

 

[ssjones]

Sandpaper, in the wrong hand, can be just as damaging as a dremel or buffer.

 

[joeman]

Sandpaper, in the wrong hand, can be just as damaging as a dremel or buffer.

Absolutely. True of most tools!

 

[piffyr]

I haven't had a stem that oxidized yet, but I get your point.

Actually, if you've dealt with oxidized stems at all, then you probably have. The photo I posted above just shows the effects of oxidation on the surface of a stem under magnification. Here's the same stem in its entirety...

The oxidation at the button end is pretty bad (there's some surface grime as well), but the rest of the stem is pretty average. If you were to remove the grime and look at it under magnification you'd see the same "parched earth" texture over the entire stem because chemical bonds of the material have started to break down at the surface.
The photos on the left side show the polished stem and you can see a slight haze around the reg stamping on the bottom. That's because those tiny cracks around the stamping are diffusing the light reflection. Just enough of the material has been removed from the rest of the stem to get down to a smooth surface and a bright reflection. Otherwise, you'd see that same haze on the stem no matter how much you waxed it.

At this stage, it seems I may have to buy a dremel tool.

I've done a lot of work with a Dremel. I'm comfortable with the tool and confident in saying that I know what I'm doing with it, but I would never use one for stem polishing or oxidation removal. Too small and way too many RPMs. Sure, you can damage a stem with just about any abrasive method if you're not careful but most of them give you at least a chance at recovery if you're paying attention. With Dremel power, your Time To Irrecoverable Disaster is reduced to a blink.

 

[joeman]

I would agree that a dremel is absolutely not for removing oxidation, but in the right hands, a dremel can do a fine job polishing stems, once the proper prep work is done. The dremel needs to provide a good enough variable speed control to do it right however, you've got to use a large enough polishing wheel, and it takes some practice. I don't use a dremel any longer for polishing, but I didn't change my process because I wasn't getting good results. Once I had the right speed, wheel and technique, I polished a ton of stems that way.
I'm not arguing that just anyone should choose the dremel as their tool for polishing stems. But I can't discourage it either, since I've seen it used very well by many who refurbish pipes, and it as my polishing method for a few years. Some gents want to implement a power tool, but have no bench, and in some cases, not the funds to hook up a proper buffer setup.
The caution and warnings are warranted, but I'd not discourage it from someone with the right setup and desire to try.

 

[ssjones]

I've not seen a stem cleaned with a dremel do a respectable job on a stem, they simply aren't powerful enough. With a cotton wheel and white diamond, I seriously doubt any damage could be done either.

 

[piffyr]

I've had to rework stems that have had their surfaces warped and rippled from Dremel buffing. So, I have no problem discouraging their use for the task. If economics and space limitations are an issue, get some Micro-Mesh pads and a container of Paragon wax. They're cheaper, take up less space, and they'll give your stem a respectable shine.

 

[joeman]

I believe you Anthony, because in the wrong hands, it happens. And I have already concurred with the warnings, I agree. Have you also re-worked a stem or a briar bowl which was over-buffed with a bench buffer? I have. But I'm not here discouraging the use of a good tool which was mis-used by someone who needed more guidance. When someone ripples up a stem or buffs grain to its ruin (whether with a dremel or bench buffer wheel), they are asking the tool to do a lot more than it should. And Ssjones, I've seen lots of stems done more than respectably with a dremel.
Here's a rhetorical question, since you gents seem heck-bent on killing the dremel idea. How many stems have you buffed with a dremel? A few? Twenty? You either haven't done much of it for one reason or another, or you simply didn't develop a good process. I buffed stems for 3 years this way, and I'd go back to finish buffing with a dremel if I didn't have a good bench buffer. If I had neither, I'd gladly return to finishing with micromesh. I am not suggesting that the dremel is the best choice...I am saying that it is a good choice, in the right hands...from my own experience, as well as the experience of respectable pipe refurb guys I've known. If you'd like to keep the volley going and shoot down the dremel idea once again, you'll have the last word, I promise.

 

[piffyr]

Take the chip off of your shoulder, Joe. You seem to be taking this personally, which certainly wasn't my intention. If you look back you'll see that my first mention of the Dremel was in response to a quote from madox07. It was not in any way directed at you. If you find offense in the fact that I don't agree with you, then I think we're done here.

 

[ssjones]

Easy joeman! I started with a Dremel and bench-mounted electric drill before deciding neither was giving the desired result. If you put a grinder disc on a Dremel, you'll definitely do some damage. So, it's a combination of the tool and material(s) used, too many variables. But, a Dremel with the right pad/abrasive still doesn't yield a result like from a true bench-mount buffer. (they just aren't powerful enough)
Because of the small pad size, I can see where it would be easy to create ripples.

 

[literaryworkshop]

In my experience, you would have to sand to a VERY high grit in order to get a truly shiny stem--at least 2,000-3,000. I think a lot of commercially-made pipes are buffed on a wheel, first with Tripoli wax and then with white diamond. If you happen to have access to a couple buffing wheels, well and good. But if you did, you probably wouldn't be asking this question!
You can get pretty high grits of sandpaper at auto parts stores (used on auto body work), though I'm not sure if those would go high enough or not. Most of the really high grit sandpaper is wet/dry, and I would recommend using it wet. Otherwise it loads up immediately and becomes useless.
Sanding a stem down is tricky business. Try starting at about 320 grit. Once you start sanding, you have to carefully work through the grits in order to remove the scratches left by the previous grit. It may take more sanding than you think to remove all those scratches. And especially with the low grits, you can really screw up the shape of a stem in short order if you're not paying attention. (Don't ask me how I know that...) Still, if you're interested in this kind of restoration work, then it's worth figuring it out practicing until you get it right.

 

[mcitinner1]

Literary you are preaching to the choir, and I doubt if you read all of this thread. The whole spectrum of micro mesh pads includes grits of 4,000 / 6,000 / 8,000 / and 12,000. They start polishing at the 4,000 stage and wet sanding improves the finish markedly.

 

[ssjones]

The equivalency of Micromesh vs standard wet paper is about the same until the MM 6000 and up.

My paper regimen is:

Wet: 800>1500>2000 (I buy the 3M autobody papers at Walmart of Autozone, etc.)

This paper is cheap enough, versus the more pricey micromesh.

Micromesh: 8,000>12,000 (which yields scratches that aren't visible to the naked eye)

 

[joeman]

Anthony, SS, I'm sorry about that. Didn't mean to have a chip. I 'assumed' your comments which followed mine were in response to what I shared. My bad.