Falcon Restored - Reborn Pipes

[ssjones]

Last month, I found this beat up Falcon at a Virginia junk shop. I restored it last weekend and detailed the work on the Reborn Pipes blog. I used a two stage stain process to hide the fills and think it came out rather nice.
http://rebornpipes.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/falcon-restored/
Here is a couple of before & after shots.

 

[voorhees]

Very nice job.

 

[timely]

Great job on a very nice Falcon pipe.

 

[plateauguy]

Beautiful job, Al!

I was under the impression that you couldn't take the stem/mouthpiece out. I wanted to have a lucite mouthpiece put on one and was told it was a no go.

 

[ssjones]

The aluminum tube/stem was just a friction fit into the bowl section. It really needed cleaned, so I had to pull it out.

I dont know why the tube couldnt be heated to loosen the glue on the plastic stem and removed. I would think you could glue on a new stem and shape. I'd ask Steve Laug that question via the blog if interested.

The guy who bought it saw those same pix and said they smoked great as long as they were cleaned frequently.