Enamel for Faded Stem Insignia

[sparrowhawk]

No doubt this is not an original trick for restoring insignias on stems but I thought I'd share it with you anyway. I had purchased an estate pipe recently with a completely faded out insignia; I applied a hobby enamel, the type that comes in tiny bottles available at any hobby store, with a toothpick, and wiped the excess away. Worked like a charm and more durable than Rite-Out.

 

[tuold]

I've used the same trick when restoring missing logos. I learned it from my experiance in building model airplanes.

 

[fnord]

Bradley told me to do something I've never done before in my life. Buy nail polish. But not just any nail polish. He recommended Hard as Nails "White On." (Available at your local Walmart.)
And when the frogman speaks, I follow his lead.
The stuff really does work well and I always keep a bottle with my cleaning kit.
Fnord

 

[mcitinner1]

What?? No pictures?? :nana:

 

[tuold]

I'll volunteer one of mine.
Here's the before:

And after:

 

[fluffie666]

I haven't tried nail polish but after removing oxidation and after micromesh, if I lose a lot of stem insignia the enamel works great. I dab it on, wipe off the excess and let it do its thing for at least three days. Some colors of enamel seem to never fully cure. White gets solid fairly quickly but I give it a good three days. After that it even holds up well on the buffing wheel. Just make sure you shake the devil out of it before using it. A good five minute shakey shake is a safe bet for a good outcome. Great tip sparrowhawk!