Barling's Make Clean-Up and Restoration

[jpmcwjr]

Mike, thanks! Typed in 49013 and it came right up. Twenty bucks.

 

[mso489]

Fascinating thread. Lots of suspense. I'd be tempted to just get a top-notch pipe repairman to do a new stem, but that might be cheating. It could be a saddle stem. Wasn't that in the catalog picture of that pipe? I'd do a tortoise shell, but that's not original at all. Is that amazing birdseye grain on that pipe? If so, bravo. The real drama is seeing if it will make its way into the rotation or get sold off. After all this, I'd be powerfully tempted to keep it, but after all the hours, maybe not. You don't get a Barling for $4.50 every day.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Enjoyed this thread. I wouldn't have had a clue where to even start with this job.

 

[scloyd]

Enjoyed this thread. I wouldn't have had a clue where to even start with this job.

That's why I gave it to Mike. I know he enjoys cleaning up pipes. I enjoy the hunt for pipes at antique shops, not cleaning them.

I have this one, also purchased at the same shop for $4.50. It's a no name with a Sterling band. I'll give it away to anyone who wants to clean/restore it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

OMG!! There's a ghostly face in the stummel!

 

[mikethompson]

Fascinating thread

Enjoyed this thread

Thank you gentlemen!

@scloyd don't you tempt me! I still have that Wally Frank on the bench!

@jpmcwjr glad you found the correct product. Word to the wise, make sure you don't get any on the thread of the tube, otherwise when you put the cap on, its on for good. I mistakenly got a small amount on and now I need vice grips to open/close it!

Given the interest in the stem, I've smoothed down the hole best I can, and applied another layer of POR15. It is much smoother now. To apply, I used a small piece of plastic. Not much POR15 is used at all.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Looking good! Can't wait to see the final finish.

And I reckon 4 ounces of the stuff would do many dozens of repairs.

 

[scloyd]

OMG!! There's a ghostly face in the stummel!

I noticed that too.

 

[ashdigger]

It's starting to look like the "broken piece" in the mortise isn't actually that.

More likely a spacer that someone made to remove the gap between the bottom of the mortise and the end of the tenon...

OR

(and no, I'm not kidding)... what's there is ossified gunk. Nearly glass hard "petrified" yuck, created by someone who smoked the pipe hard and frequently cleaned it (he thought) with frequent alcohol-soaked pipe cleaners. And never, ever took the pipe apart.

The gap acts as a combination alcohol wringer and crud trap, and the crud particles in suspension plate out as the alcohol evaporates. Repeat X 1000 and you end up with something damn near as hard as acrylic (but significantly more brittle).

I've seen it maybe two dozen times over the years.

The fix is easy (if that's what it is in your case): a slip-fit drill bit gently hand-turned into the mortise until the crap stops coming out and wood shows at the end of the tunnel.

I worked a pipe the other day and my drill bit filled with dinosaur age tobacco tar. It was like a cement plug.

 

[mikethompson]

Not sanded smooth, but sanded flush.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Looks like the button still needs some building up in a couple spots.

 

[mikethompson]

Looks like the button still needs some building up in a couple spots.

The angles and lights make it difficult to photograph. I could probably keep playing with it to get it 'perfect', but I don't know if eventually I will keep the pipe or get a new stem made for it.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Looking forward to seeing the progress!

 

[mikethompson]

Now this is what oxidation looks like!

 

[scloyd]

I like white stems.

 

[mawnansmiff]

@georged Not sure if you saw this pic from the other thread. Here's a close up I took before I sent the pipe to Mike.
View attachment 124757
Whatever it is...it's in there good.

Mike, I once had a pipe that had something stuck in it just like yours....it took me an age to get it out and it turned out to be a thick brass washer/spacer some bonehead had stuck in there

Regards,

Jay.

 

[monty55]

I'm really enjoying this thread. Nice job! Looking forward to more pics and the end result!

 

[orlandofurioso]

Now this is what oxidation looks like!

View attachment 130552View attachment 130553

How did you manage to extract this gunk ? Oxiclean ?

 

[jpmcwjr]

How did you manage to extract this gunk ? Oxiclean ?

What gunk?
That is a painted stem, no? So that's not oxidation.

 

[turtlehead]

this is making me want to make the effort with some estate pipes I bought on ebay.