Dr. Grabow Refurb

[acidpox]

I bought an estate lot of 6 pipes off ebay awhile back for 20 bucks. This Grabow was one of them and I liked the shape and feel of it so I decided to fix it up.
Original condition I received it in.

So 1st I sanded off the layer of paint or what ever was on there. Removed the caked with a dull pocket knife and lightly sanded the inside bowl. Next I did a salt and alcohol treatment and cleaned the airways and pipe stem with lots of rubbing alcohol and pipe cleaners. Then stained it a dark blue with leather dye and sanded with 220 until I liked the pattern. Stem got an oxiclean bath and sanding from 1000-3000 grit sand paper. Also sanded the bowl up to 3000. Also had to re clock the stem. Finished with polish and wax with my dremel. Not as good as some of the work I have seen from members here but I'm happy with it, Also it was kinda bad lighting when I took the pics so the blue looks more black in the pics.

 

[donjgiles]

Much better! Good job.


Don

 

[didimauw]

So much better without that ugly paint. I never understood why company's would his such beautiful grain underneath. Even with a couple flaws,they look better natural.

 

[mso489]

It looks great, a whole new day. I can't see the blue in the stain, but it looks fine either way. The grain shows through. It never ceased to amaze me how the stems can be brought back to near new.

 

[puffy]

Great Job

 

[pepesdad1]

You have a fine looking pipe there....enjoy it in good health and happiness.

 

[trouttimes]

Great job! Good save, enjoy.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Huge improvement. Excellent work!

 

[danimalia]

Looks great! Looks like somebody sure smoked the hell out of that funky, blue pipe.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Looks like somebody sure smoked the hell out of that funky, blue pipe

Nothing covers up ugly ass briar like a thick coat of gorgeous robins egg paint! Reminds me of when we bought our house. There was a whole bedroom with beautiful wood paneling that had been painted over with a translucent split pea green stain, along with green painted plywood floors. Needless to say we did a little DIY reno. Some people's choices....
Before/After

 

[mikethompson]

Nice refinishing work. The color is actually part of this series I think:

there was a member here who restored one a while ago (probably a couple of years ago) and found a matching green if I remember correctly.

 

[acidpox]

My original thought was to try to save the blue color, but the previous owner didn't do any pipe mantinece and it was just too far gone.

 

[mikethompson]

Acidpox, the pipe looks great. I'd feel bad painting that pipe blue again too!
Something very 70s about a blue pipe though

 

[acidpox]

Thanks for the kind words guys, just took it out for its 1st bowl. Some 7 seas regular and I will say its gonna me a damn fine smoker once its properly broken back in. Guess it's time to start working on a CAO meerschaum that was also in the lot. Any tips or pointers for a meerschaum newbie like myself.

 

[mikethompson]

Also had to re clock the stem

wait, this got by me the first time. What do you mean by this?

 

[acidpox]

It's a metal screw in tenon, when fully screwed in the stem was wayyy off from being centered. This grabow was an adjustomatic and they are made so you can turn the metal part on the stem so if it comes out of line you can twist it so it lines up again back to the 12 o clock position, thus "re clocking" it.

 

[mikethompson]

Thanks, I have an 'adjustomatic' Grabow coming as well (when is another story in another thread). Interesting trick the pipe has.

 

[didimauw]

Even though I don't like the color, I enjoy how much the wear was shown on color of the pipe. I'm strange like that.