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settersbrace

Lifer
Mar 20, 2014
1,565
5
Some friends have managed to get ahold of some old clunker pipes that'll allow me to finally get started at trying my hand at resto work. Some medico's, a couple no name Italians and one interesting one, a Kaywoodie "Whitebriar". It has about a 3/8" cake in the bowl with some actual spider eggs in it, lol but the "white" finish has been knocked around quite a bit. Does anyone know exactly what this finish is? Is it paint? Whatever it is it needs to go and who knows what lies beneath but I'm excited to find out at any rate. What would be my best plan of attack? Just start in with acetone and sand paper to remove what's left of the white?

 
Jan 4, 2015
1,858
11
Massachusetts
I let the bowl sit in a jar of Acetone for about 24 hours. Most of the finish should dissolve. I then sand with 600 grit (Automotive body wet/dry) and then graduate to 1000, 1500 and if you're really fussy 2500. You can find those grits in the body work section of most auto parts stores. If you use anything heavier it can alter the shape and you'll leave scratches that will need to be sanded out anyway. Hope that helps. Dutch

Ps. If you haven't worked with Acetone before, make sure you wear gloves. It nasty stuff and I'm told it can penetrate into the pours of your skin.

 

settersbrace

Lifer
Mar 20, 2014
1,565
5
Thanks Gman, should I do anything with the inside of the bowl first or should I ream it back? I can barely get the tip of my pinky in the bowl, lol.

 

xrundog

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 23, 2014
737
1
Ames, IA
Clean out the bowl before you strip the paint. It will result in less dirt to deal with in whatever else you do. I've seen some stripped White Briars. You'd expect some fills, but the ones I've seen didn't have any. The briar will be pretty plain. On the order of a KW Standard. But it will look better than the beat up paint surface.

 

settersbrace

Lifer
Mar 20, 2014
1,565
5
Thanks xrundog , I was thinking the same thing with the briar under the paint but I'll bet she smokes just fine, fills and all.
Just to be clear, submerging the entire stummel in acetone will not effect the bowls interior? Am I to assume it all evaporates?

 

xrundog

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 23, 2014
737
1
Ames, IA
I haven't stripped any painted pipes. But if I was going to, I'd use the non-toxic citrus stripper and wash. That way nothing goes inside. Put the stripper on, scrap it off with a dull plastic scraper. Repeat as necessary. Use the wash with steel wool to rinse and get the bits off. When it's clean and dry, use micro mesh to polish the bowl. stain it or leave it natural, wax it, smoke it.

 

seacaptain

Lifer
Apr 24, 2015
1,829
7
If you haven't worked with Acetone before, make sure you wear gloves. It nasty stuff and I'm told it can penetrate into the pours of your skin.
Yep, highly toxic. Which begs the question - should you be soaking something that will later be lit and smoked? Seems like that would be like using treated wood in your fireplace, something that would be hazardous to your health.

 
Jan 4, 2015
1,858
11
Massachusetts
I usually leave some cake in the bowl and salt and alcohol treat it after stripping. But acetone evaporates very quickly and brier so dense I don't think there is any absorption. I've never been able to detect even a faint smell of it after an hour or so. IMHO the "sweetening" of the bowl would dissolve any residue that might be left behind and deposit it in the salt. But if you have reservations don't do it. I can't detect its presence when smoking a pipe reconditioned that way either by taste or smell. I don't think there are any residuals when you do it this way. But that's just my opinion.

 

seacaptain

Lifer
Apr 24, 2015
1,829
7
I know acetone is used to clean some types of metallic collectibles. In those instances, even though it evaporates quickly, it leaves a residue, which is colorless and odorless, that must be immediately washed off or it will cause the surface to "turn".
I can't see how wood could be soaked in acetone and not absorb some, maybe a lot, of it.
Then again, I'm no expert, so I don't really know for sure, but given the highly toxic nature of acetone, I personally wouldn't use it on something used for ingesting anything.

 
Jan 4, 2015
1,858
11
Massachusetts
If you aren't comfortable doing it, then you shouldn't. My belief is that the sweetening process dissolves and removes any residue that might be left behind. But again that's just my opinion. Your opinion should be your guide. I haven't had any issues doing it that way. I would agree that an untreated bowl probably presents some risk but the alcohol used in conjunction with the salt first suspends any particles and then the salt absorbs them. Leaving nothing behind. Reaming back to wood further reduces the likelihood of any reside left behind but if your not convinced then it probably isn't the right approach for you.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I haven't done this kind of resto, but from being around lab work, I'd say unless you have a laboratory hood with full ventilation going, use any kind of toxic volatile chemical in a ventilated area, maybe even outdoors. You don't want to be in an area where it is evaporating and concentrating and being inhaled by anyone. The more regularly you do this kind of work, the more important this is. For real guidelines, talk to a laboratory safety officer.

 

settersbrace

Lifer
Mar 20, 2014
1,565
5
I'm glad my concerns with the acetone weren't unfounded. I'm in the camp that believes that I shouldn't use anything on the pipe that's potentially lasting and/or toxic. I will however entertain any and all methods since I'm not experienced as so many here are. Would Everclear soften the white paint or whatever it is?

 
Jan 4, 2015
1,858
11
Massachusetts
I've never used Everclear as a stripper so I can't be much help there. Paint strippers could be used but they present their own issues which it sounds like you would rather avoid. Basically any chemical agent can have an effect. What you want to consider is how you can best eliminate the potential impacts of what you use. If you're looking for a "0" impact approach then sanding is your best option. Just brace yourself for a long and tedious process. I would never try to convince anyone that the process I use is what you should do but when you consider that you first strip, then sweeten and finally ream, my assessment is there isn't much risk of residual particulates being left in the bowl. But it's your assessment that matters most here so do what you think is prudent. There I an alternative approach. Rather than strip the bowl you can sand it smooth and then apply a fresh finish over the existing one. My guess is that it was originally selected for a painted surface because it either had obvious fills or the grain was nothing special. If you think you're more comfortable with that approach then several thin coats ( sand in between coats) will give you the best results. Good luck. Dutch

 
Mar 30, 2014
2,853
78
wv
I wouldn't recommend getting acetone inside the bowl and stem. I've used acetone many times but I always plug the bowl and stem to keep the inside dry. The White briar coating is pretty tough to remove. Hiding under the paint may be some pretty bad grain and fills. I have seen a few with excellent graining after the paint has been removed, so it's a gamble. Keep us posted.

 

ejames

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
3,916
22
Dave is right,that paint is some tough stuff! Grabow used a two part epoxy paint on their painted pipes and I can only assume that KW used something similar. Like Dave I've used acetone many times to strip a pipe,although I seem to remember that it didn't do a very good job on the painted Grabows ( haven't done one in a long time) and needed some help from some steel wool soaked in the acetone. I won't soak my pipes in acetone either, it may not hurt anything at all but I ain't doing it.

 

settersbrace

Lifer
Mar 20, 2014
1,565
5
I'll go with plugs and try acetone or possibly the citrus stripper, (I've used that on heavy duty finishes with good results) and go from there. The white paint on this billiard is banged and nicked up pretty bad, it will be a good project to learn on for sure.
Anyone able to tell me about the history if the "Whitebriar" Kaywoodie?

 

beefeater33

Lifer
Apr 14, 2014
4,063
6,119
Central Ohio
I wouldn't be too concerned with the acetone.... Millions of women use it daily to remove their fingernail and toenail polish. If it was HIGHLY toxic I doubt it would be sold over the counter. It evaporates to nothing really. I'm with glousterman on this one.

I would worry more with the citrus stripper, contains citrus oils........pipe might taste like oranges for a while?

Keep us posted- this sounds like an interesting project!........... :puffy:
EDIT:
but given the highly toxic nature of acetone, I personally wouldn't use it on something used for ingesting anything.

Actually Acetone seems fairly safe-- ACETONE

 

settersbrace

Lifer
Mar 20, 2014
1,565
5
Thanks for the link beefeater, good information and now I'm not so paranoid about using it. Seems it more hazardous to the person using it than having any worries after the fact. Aside from the vapor, it's pretty much inert.

 

settersbrace

Lifer
Mar 20, 2014
1,565
5
Tomorrow I'll start in on this "Whitebriar". Ill take some before pics in case I need some help from you all, you've already helped me quite a bit so I'll say thank you now! I'm going to ream back the excessively thick cake and then get to work removing the painted on finish. This is going to be fun, I can feel it!

 
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