In The Name of Science

[mingc]

Oh, I see that the debate is whether the color comes from the inside or the outside. Err . . . very interesting . . .

One of the fellows here in Portland clearly subscribed in part to the outside theory, as he used to blow smoke on his meer to color it. He's passed now but I found it very annoying for reasons I can't explain. He'd spend however long the bowl lasted taking in tokes and then pursing his lips, blowing on the pipe. I think it was the fact he was blowing towards me or whoever was sitting in his stream, rather than letting the smoke drift upwards. ?

 

[cshubhra]

The debate is also on the role of wax - whether it helps or does nothing. I believe in the wax. It acts as a solvent and aids capillary action as I mentioned in the previous post

 

[warren]

I'm curious, what technique do you use to get rid of the original, hard shell of wax/Stearin on the exterior of your meers so the soft wax you add can penetrate into the stone/mineral? I know I've not worn the shell off on any of my meers, a couple being 50+ years in my possession

 

[cshubhra]

I know I did not answer this question last time. I will brush up my knowledge the properties of wax as a surface protectant, before answering this. However, my conjecture is along these lines....

Wax is impervious to water, but it is not impervious to organic materials. In fact wax (hydrocarbon) is widely used as a organic solvent in its liquid state.

I'm curious, what technique do you use to get rid of the original, hard shell of wax/Stearin on the exterior of your meers so the soft wax you add can penetrate into the stone/mineral? I know I've not worn the shell off on any of my meers, a couple being 50+ years in my possession

 

[cshubhra]

On the use of wax on the surface of a Meerschaum Pipe

1. Beeswax is primarily a complex mixture of esters of fatty acids, hydrocarbons and long chain alcohols. (Compared to paraffin wax which is mostly hydrocarbon)
2. It has a melting point of 144F, and tends to be soft around human body temperature (98F)
3. Beeswax is amorphous and it’s use as a surface protectant is not (and cannot be )due to its physical properties as a hardening agent
4. Meerschaum is soft and porous so when dipped in beeswax might give some structural support to meerschaum- This is a hypothesis, and probably tribal knowledge to Turkish Meerschaum carvers, but there is no scientific experiments done that is widely available to refer to
5. The fact that it is fluid at the surface boundary at normal operating temperature of a pipe, means it will flow due to normal thermal Brownian motion
6. The fact that it is a solvent, and is in a liquid state ensures it absorbs organic tars and oils readily.
7. The fluid beeswax along with captured tars and oils would migrate through the surface, (free movement) and through the meerschaum substrate through capillary action (somewhat restricted, but still possible)
8. The wax is at a temperature gradient where it is fluid on the meerschaum surface, and is soft at the other side, where it can still absorb organic volatile compounds, which has a somewhat restrictive Brownian movement through the wax gradient to the fluid surface

 

[warren]

I understand what you are writing but, you haven't addressed the problem of how to get the "bee's wax" into contact with the mineral.

The surface of a meerschaum pipe isn't coated with "bee's wax." The coating is a hard shell, Stearin. I've never seen a meerschaum pipe where the hard, impervious shell of the wax/Stearin has worn/abraded off. I'm asking how do you get bee's wax into the meerschaum, through the Stearin?

Look at a new, unsmoked meer. The inside is rough, uncoated. The outside is protected from dirt, human oils, and other discolorants by a hard, shell. Water can't be absorb through the protective shell to my knowledge. Sort of precludes a melted wax, thick as it is, ever contacting the meerschaum.

So, once again, "How are you removing the Stearin and getting to the bare meerschaum?" Or, am I wrong and newly produced meerschaum pipes are no longer surfaced with the hard wax/Stearin? I haven't purchased a new meerschaum in forty years.

 

[F4RM3R]

The was does not help colour by capturing smoke from outside the bowl. At least not by much.

I experimented with my meer by adding wax and literally watched it change before my eyes as I held it near a fire and did several applications of wax. When I was done it was noticeably darker, and continues to colour quicker than before it had the wax treatment.

I don't know if this is because are being drawn to the wax on the outer surface of the pipe or because the wax is actually reducing porosity by taking up space inside the pipe. Or possibly as some other members said, the wax penetrates the meerschaum and leaves solvents and oils throughout the material which enable the tars from the tobacco to travel easier and more evenly through the material. This last theory seems like it is the case but I'm not sure.

 

[cshubhra]

Stearin is a fatty acid, which reduces the softness of wax at room temperature but lowers the melting point. It gives a little bit of structure to the wax when cool, but at normal operating temperature of a pipe, the stearin / wax mixture behaves the same way as I described above. I have not heard about stearin being used before, but it makes sense because the wax in a meerschaum pipe is stable at normal room temperature.

I understand what you are writing but, you haven't addressed the problem of how to get the "bee's wax" into contact with the mineral.

The surface of a meerschaum pipe isn't coated with "bee's wax." The coating is a hard shell, Stearin. I've never seen a meerschaum pipe where the hard, impervious shell of the wax/Stearin has worn/abraded off. I'm asking how do you get bee's wax into the meerschaum, through the Stearin?

Look at a new, unsmoked meer. The inside is rough, uncoated. The outside is protected from dirt, human oils, and other discolorants by a hard, shell. Water can't be absorb through the protective shell to my knowledge. Sort of precludes a melted wax, thick as it is, ever contacting the meerschaum.

So, once again, "How are you removing the Stearin and getting to the bare meerschaum?" Or, am I wrong and newly produced meerschaum pipes are no longer surfaced with the hard wax/Stearin? I haven't purchased a new meerschaum in forty years.

 

[warren]

So, you will heat the bowl, remove the coating and then apply bee's wax? I believe I understand the "how" now.. It's the "why" that has me buffaloed.

because the wax in a meerschaum pipe is stable at normal room temperature.

Which is why "purists" (I use the term, loosely) do not handle a hot pipe.

 

[renfield]

I experimented with my meer by adding wax and literally watched it change before my eyes as I held it near a fire and did several applications of wax. When I was done it was noticeably darker, and continues to colour quicker than before it had the wax treatment.

I’ve had the same experience with all the meers I’ve rewaxed. The wax is nearly colorless but something is happening in a matter of minutes to massively amplify the color. Over the next week or so the color will fade some. Is it just the thorough heating of the stummel bringing oils etc. to the surface? I don’t know. I doubt the wax is penetrating to a any great degree.

 

[cshubhra]

The answer to “why” is buried in the following why questions

1. Why did humanoid apes started to walk in two feet?
2. Why did cavemen drew paintings in the cave walls?
3. Why did Alexander cut the Gordian knot?
4. Why did we sent men to the moon?

As a species human beings have been naturally curious, have always tried to solve problems by lateral thinking, and not being content with what they have.

So, you will heat the bowl, remove the coating and then apply bee's wax? I believe I understand the "how" now.. It's the "why" that has me buffaloed.



Which is why "purists" (I use the term, loosely) do not handle a hot pipe.

 

[cshubhra]

I wrote a long theory six months ago on why this should happen. I will try to look up that post.

I’ve had the same experience with all the meers I’ve rewaxed. The wax is nearly colorless but something is happening in a matter of minutes to massively amplify the color. Over the next week or so the color will fade some. Is it just the thorough heating of the stummel bringing oils etc. to the surface? I don’t know. I doubt the wax is penetrating to a any great degree.

 

[Pierre1965]

Damn! I just reread my post. My apologies for the typing mistakes, past my bedtime. I'll just slip into my Dr. Dentons (onesies for you youngsters), button the flap and toddle off to bed.

Pleasant dreams

 

[cshubhra]

Here was the theory I posted last time

Messing With Meerschaum :: Meerschaum Pipes

Hi Jeff, can you try cetyl esters? They are supposedly closer to spermaceti and have similar applications as beeswax. Have just ordered some to try. Jojoba was a fail as I will explain in depth later. It appears Fred Bass was right and coloring is enhanced by the migration of wax into and out...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[warren]

Well, enjoy!

 

[mingc]

The debate is also on the role of wax - whether it helps or does nothing. I believe in the wax. It acts as a solvent and aids capillary action as I mentioned in the previous post

I recall that on another forum quite a few years ago, some one built a sealed box into which he'd place his meer and blow smoke into. A smoker for his pipe, in other words. It did color up very nicely, though I personally thought it was too much of a short cut. Meers should be colored by use, not artificial measures like tha smoke box.

The debate is also on the role of wax - whether it helps or does nothing. I believe in the wax. It acts as a solvent and aids capillary action as I mentioned in the previous post

So no wax=no color. That'd be an interesting experiment but would require unwaxed samples.

 

[cshubhra]

I remember hauntedmyst doing the same in this forum

I recall that on another forum quite a few years ago, some one built a sealed box into which he'd place his meer and blow smoke into. A smoker for his pipe, in other words. It did color up very nicely, though I personally thought it was too much of a short cut. Meers should be colored by use, not artificial measures like tha smoke box.

So no wax=no color. That'd be an interesting experiment but would require unwaxed samples.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

I would actually be very curious to see an "artificially colored" meerschaum. If it's like the "orange-y yellow" ones they sell then that's a big no thank you from me.

On the other hand, I would also be curious to cut open (like previously) one of those blackened meerschaums... I did not expect the bowl to color (or not rather) outwards like that into the meerschaum.

From personal experience I've found that the hotter you smoke, the faster the meerschaum seems to color. I have a squat tomato shape and it's definitely "pooling" at the bottom, leaving the area around the bowl noticeably paler but with a deep brown/black rim and into the bowl.

(I've also noticed putting the pipe back into its fitted case during smoke sessions seem to hasten the coloring as well... Not sure I would recommend this but, in a pinch, it did not seem to have any adverse effects on the pipe otherwise.)

 

[F4RM3R]

I’ve had the same experience with all the meers I’ve rewaxed. The wax is nearly colorless but something is happening in a matter of minutes to massively amplify the color. Over the next week or so the color will fade some. Is it just the thorough heating of the stummel bringing oils etc. to the surface? I don’t know. I doubt the wax is penetrating to a any great degree.

Well I know the wax is penetrating. When I did my application I put a layer of wax on the warm pipe and then held it to the heat. The pipe soaked up the wax completely and returned to a dull look after 20 seconds of heat. I repeated this about 5 times and it kept soaking it up. It started to take it up at a slightly slower rate and I didn't want to over do it. So I stopped there. My colour hasn't faded at all since doing that. It slightly changes during the course of a smoke but it returns to it's same coloured state it retains when cold.

 

[anotherbob]

Well I know the wax is penetrating. When I did my application I put a layer of wax on the warm pipe and then held it to the heat. The pipe soaked up the wax completely and returned to a dull look after 20 seconds of heat. I repeated this about 5 times and it kept soaking it up. It started to take it up at a slightly slower rate and I didn't want to over do it. So I stopped there. My colour hasn't faded at all since doing that. It slightly changes during the course of a smoke but it returns to it's same coloured state it retains when cold.

not sure about anything, however it makes me wonder if the wax isn't changing color as much as changing shape and diffusing or concentrating the light reflected off of the bowl making the color more apparent.