Barling Resto

[loki993]

So I picked up a nice pre trans Barling at an antique show this past weekend and it definitely needs the full treatment. Here are some pics for you:

some nicks and scratched, sorry kinda blurry:

and now the bowl, here is where the fun starts:

As you can see its pretty bad, but not a lot of cake. I dont know if whoever had it before tried to scrape it or what. I don't know. Ill get it to a point that satisfies me and leave it at that. Its only the top though.
And now the bit, this will need some work as well:

So if I didn't want to soak this in bleach, I know it works but I don't like the idea of bleaching something Im putting in my mouth, is there another way to clean disinfect and loosen the gunk?
What about everclear? I know it will oxidize the stem but I should be able to polish that out. Would it damage or soften the stem at all?

 

[crpntr1]

Oxiclean...there's a thread somewhere about it.

 

[matchstickman]

You know, I really really love it when you guys give me the opportunity for shameless self promotion. It's why I wake up every day.
Pipe Stem Restoration: No Power Tools Required

 

[barkar]

Oxyclean...I just used it recently and it works great.

 

[crpntr1]

+1 pipenovelist...that's the one I was referring to

 

[matchstickman]

I should probably change one thing in that article though. I have recently found that cleaning the interior of the stem with alcohol before you do any soaks, scrubbing or polishing is the way to go. Getting Everclear on the outside of the stem will start to strip the finish, but once you soak and start scrubbing, you are essentially refinishing the stem anyway. So clean with alcohol first, then try all the other steps listed in order: oxyclean soak, magic eraser, micromesh, Obisidian Oil. This is the only method I will use and it produces great results. I'm gonna start a thread later today showing off some of my most recent work with this method.

 

[loki993]

Ok thats cool, but I see the oxiclean turns the stem white too, which is totally fine I can clean it up. I just wonder whats the difference between the oxiclean and everclear then?

 

[waznyf]

+1 pipenovelist

 

[bentmike]

I've been feeling the urge for a nice classic English pipe -your pics are not helping to quell my PAD. That's a neat Barling. It should clean up nice. I don't know if it's the proper thing to do or not but if it was mine I'd put a chamfer or radius on the inside of the rim to get rid of that ugly butcher job and even out the rim.
Be sure to show us your after pics!

 

[matchstickman]

Ok thats cool, but I see the oxiclean turns the stem white too, which is totally fine I can clean it up. I just wonder whats the difference between the oxiclean and everclear then?

The oxyclean might not necessarily turn your stem white. That happened to the demo stem used for the article because it was in horrendous shape. It depends on how badly your stem is oxidized. I've some some stems that come out looking black still. Someimes it is a little bit brown. Sometimes it is green, white, etc. It really all depends on how long it has been sitting. You can use Everclear on a pipe cleaner to clean the inside of the stem and remove all the tars and old flavors that have been sitting in the pipe. Everclear will cause some browning of the stem as it strips the finish, but if you clean with Everclear before you soak and use the Magic Eraser, it is basically the same as refinishing the stem anyway, so you have nothing to worry about. I've worked on stems that were way worse than the one on your Barling, and they usually don't take me too long to make clean again. Hope this helps!

 

[loki993]

I've been feeling the urge for a nice classic English pipe -your pics are not helping to quell my PAD. That's a neat Barling. It should clean up nice. I don't know if it's the proper thing to do or not but if it was mine I'd put a chamfer or radius on the inside of the rim to get rid of that ugly butcher job and even out the rim.
Be sure to show us your after pics!

Sorry, it was a good price for me so the decision was easy lol.
Yeah I still haven't decided what I'm going to do about the rim, but your right it is pretty ugly. I may just leave it until the OCD gets the better of me.
I will for sure. I want to get it nice and shined up too. I need to bring that grain out.

The oxyclean might not necessarily turn your stem white. That happened to the demo stem used for the article because it was in horrendous shape. It depends on how badly your stem is oxidized. I've some some stems that come out looking black still. Someimes it is a little bit brown. Sometimes it is green, white, etc. It really all depends on how long it has been sitting. You can use Everclear on a pipe cleaner to clean the inside of the stem and remove all the tars and old flavors that have been sitting in the pipe. Everclear will cause some browning of the stem as it strips the finish, but if you clean with Everclear before you soak and use the Magic Eraser, it is basically the same as refinishing the stem anyway, so you have nothing to worry about. I've worked on stems that were way worse than the one on your Barling, and they usually don't take me too long to make clean again. Hope this helps!

Yeah it does. I need to pick some oxyclean up. Them I need to find the sandpaper. I went into Home Depot and the highest grit they had was 800, I was a bit stunned honestly.

 

[ssjones]

High grade sandpaper is only available at Autoparts stores. I use 1000>1500>2000 than move to micromesh.
That stem looks like an easy restore, no deep marks at all, just oxidation.
To be honest, I've been skipping the oxyclean soak with my pipes, I just don't think it's worth the time/effort.
That bowl should be stripped, and restained. That will be a nice pipe, the uneven bowl will give it some character!
I don't know much about Barlings, couldn't tell a pre or post transition piece apart from one another. Is the cross stem logo a drilled or stamped piece? (I assume stamped, so be careful to preserve that).

 

[lab1dobie]

I've used Oxyclean and Magic Eraser and that works great. Soak the mouthpiece in Oxyclean and water for about an hour. You'll see the oxidation float out. Then you'll have to scrub the mouthpiece with the Magic Eraser to get the residual oxidation off. When your done, finish off with some Obsidean Polish or Brebbia Stem Polish.

 

[photoman13]

I have found that the stem won't turn white using Oxiclean if you only soak it for an hour.

 

[kyletheaviator]

You know, I really really love it when you guys give me the opportunity for shameless self promotion. It's why I wake up every day.

When I read the things you post, naturally I hear them in the voice of Stan from American Dad (because of the avatar). It makes everything 10x more hilarious! :rofl:

 

[matchstickman]

When I read the things you post, naturally I hear them in the voice of Stan from American Dad (because of the avatar). It makes everything 10x more hilarious!

Kyle, just because you said that, I am now going to review every forum post from here on out and recite it in the voice of Stan Smith. You, sir, have just made my day. :mrgreen:

 

[loki993]

High grade sandpaper is only available at Autoparts stores. I use 1000>1500>2000 than move to micromesh.
That stem looks like an easy restore, no deep marks at all, just oxidation.
To be honest, I've been skipping the oxyclean soak with my pipes, I just don't think it's worth the time/effort.
That bowl should be stripped, and restained. That will be a nice pipe, the uneven bowl will give it some character!
I don't know much about Barlings, couldn't tell a pre or post transition piece apart from one another. Is the cross stem logo a drilled or stamped piece? (I assume stamped, so be careful to preserve that).

Yeah, Ill have to look around here to try and find some micromesh. I am going to strip and redo the entire bowl. Im also thinking about going with a slightly different color. I want a lot of contrast between the grain and the rest of the pipe.
The stem is easy, just a little gunk and oxidation and a tiny bit of chatter. I don't think I'm going to oxiclean it either. I'm going to get the gunk out with some pipe cleaners and alcohol and give it a rubbing with toothpaste. Thatll shine it up.
As for the logo it is stamped. I'm trying to think of a way to restore that, or maybe just leave it. I remember guys on some of the AR15 forums that used nail polish, IRRC, to fill in the safe and fire stamps in their receivers. I don't see why that wouldn't work with the stem. I think they use acetone to remove excess though and I'm not sure how the stem would react to that.
Anyway some updated pics:
Bowls all cleaned up:

Shank, this was the hard part actually there as a ton of built up gunk in there, its blurry I know but thats the best I could get. It was basically black in there before with a ton of dried up cotton and tobacco:

 

[mluyckx]

Nice job :clap:

 

[ssjones]

Nice job, you really should think about completely stripping it and sanding the top smooth and chamfer as suggested. Than, restain it a nice rich color. Good work on the stem. I like twisting a bristle cleaner over itself, just thin enough to get in the draft hole with some Everclear. That really cleans it out well, after the soak.