DIY Pipe Restoration Questions

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jayhawk422

Lurker
Aug 2, 2016
2
0
I am new to the forum, but have been an avid pipe smoker for a few years. Recently I have been wanting to learn how to do a pipe restore, and have been researching the topic. I went to my local pipe shop looking for some guidance, and they were not encouraging the idea. I am aware they restore pipes as part of being a tobacconist, but could not justify the cost of bringing in a Grabow that was my grandpa's. They said they used a chemical boil is the way to go, and the DIY internet tutorials would ruin the pipe. I am looking for some guidance as a good tutorial for restoring the pipe and the help is much appreciated.

 

ashdigger

Lifer
Jul 30, 2016
11,391
70,254
61
Vegas Baby!!!
Hello, go to rebornpipes.wordpress.Com. Its a fantastic site that shows step by step how too fix and restore pipes. Steve Laug is the site operator and he has guest "restorers" submit their projects. A moderator here, SSJONES also contributes.
You just can't beat it.

 

fluffie666

Can't Leave
Apr 4, 2014
497
5
Welcome welcome.
I would recommend working on some pipes that have no sentimental value to you as first projects. There are lots of things that can go wrong when restoring a pipe. Restoration means bringing something back to its original state. If you want to restore then you'll need some practice before moving on to a pipe you don't want to ruin. If grandpa's pipe was smoked and taken care of properly then it may just need a cleaning. In which case a bunch of pipe cleaners, cotton swabs, high proof alcohol, a simple pipe reamer and a salt treatment might be all you need.
There are lots of ways you can go with this. If you can post some pictures or at least describe what you believe needs to be done, we might be able to give some better advise and move you in to the right direction.
Reborn Pipes is a great place to start researching. The repair and maintenance section of this forum is a wealth of information as well. There are some of the restoration masters who post their projects in this forum.

 
Mar 30, 2014
2,853
94
wv
I would strongly recommend buying a few cheap beaters to practice on before trying to restore your grandfathers pipe(s).
You can quickly ruin a pipe during the process and it cannot be undone.
Good luck. It can be a lot of fun once you get into it.

 

jayhawk422

Lurker
Aug 2, 2016
2
0
Thank you for all the advice, I have been having trouble uploading pictures of the pipe itself. I have been checking out reborn pipes, and looking for others to practice on before I attempt my grandpa's pipe.

 

jpmcwjr

Lifer
May 12, 2015
26,264
30,361
Carmel Valley, CA
Jay- this might help:
Once your photos are on a photo hosting site (such as Imgur.com; photo bucket, etc.), select the full image, then Control-click (Mac) or Right-click (Windows) and choose copy image location. Now paste that URL (the full web address) into the box that pops up under IMG in the compose reply window of the thread in which you want the photo to show.
Dave g is among the top restorers who posts here. Not only is his advice spot on, but he's illustrated a number of pipes he's brought back from the dead.

 
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