So I bought a new Savinelle Tortuga Canadian and the lacquer is coming off. What at home things can i do to fix it? ive only been smoking a pipe for about 3 months.
Laquer Coming Off
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My first impression is that you're smoking too hot (fast). The fix, I think, is sandpaper (I don't like lacquered finishes).
Oh! BTW, Welcome to the forums! :clap:
Edit: Maybe you should move to a stronger or more flavorful blend. The uber-puffing could be a symptom of not getting enough of whatever you're looking for in the tobacco.
Oh! BTW, Welcome to the forums! :clap:
Edit: Maybe you should move to a stronger or more flavorful blend. The uber-puffing could be a symptom of not getting enough of whatever you're looking for in the tobacco.
I would agree with Cortez... I think your smoking too hot and the lacquer is burning off... I too am not a fan of lacquer finishes on pipes.
I say sand it off and wax it with some nice Carnauba wax and you'll be solid.
Oh and welcome to the forums.
I say sand it off and wax it with some nice Carnauba wax and you'll be solid.
Oh and welcome to the forums.
The lacquer bubbled on two of my pipes. One is a tiny Dr. Grabow Lark. I think part of the problem there is the pipe is so tiny and the walls are relatively thin. The bubbling is on the bottom, so it's not very noticeable. I had a Grabow Omega that bubbled badly. In that case, I rough sanded it and waxed it and actually like the rougher look of it now. The only other pipe I have with a lacquer is a really nice Bjarne Viking with a glass like finish. I am VERY careful when I smoke that one to preserve the finish.
Acetone on a small cotton pad will remove a lacquer finish very quickly. Then you can just buff and wax.
Acetone will certainly take off the lacquer, but it will also take off the finish, so no matter of he uses acetone or sandpaper, the finish is screwed... at this point its best (imo) to sand it down to wood and start the finishing process again but finish it with wax instead of lacquer.
I just sanded the lacquer off my newest Grabow, using a 220 grit sanding "sponge". I followed by wiping it down with Everclear, then olive oil. No visible scratches, and my pipe feels like actual wood now.
If your pipe looks like this, then maybe acetone is the way to go. How can one sand a finish like this?!
Question: Why would anyone use sandpaper, when, in the cases talked about here, acetone or other solvents would do the job faster and neater?
If it's bubbling off, you're smoking way too hot! If it just has dull spots, perhaps the top coat wax has come off. I had a smooth Tortuga that with handling became sort of dull. A quick trip to the Carnauba wheel made it shiny again.
edit to add we're assuming you're referring to a smooth Tortuga, not a rusticated one as pictured above......
another edit also, if the finish is bubbling off, and you have dark spots on the outside, and the smoke tastes funny, you probably roasted the chamber and need a new pipe 8O
just keeping all the bases covered
edit to add we're assuming you're referring to a smooth Tortuga, not a rusticated one as pictured above......
another edit also, if the finish is bubbling off, and you have dark spots on the outside, and the smoke tastes funny, you probably roasted the chamber and need a new pipe 8O
just keeping all the bases covered
In my case, it's because I try to avoid the use of solvents on my pipes as a general rule. The exception, for me, is potable spirits for cleaning the internals. In short, if I don't want to drink a glass of it, then I don't really want it in or on my pipes. I've used non-potables before, I just try to avoid it.
Here's an old KB&B Yello Bole I got for a few bucks that had a some really bad lacquer blisters.
Just a few wipes with an acetone soaked pad, some buffing a waxing, and there is now no sign of the problem.The acetone dries within a second or two of application. It doesn't soak in.
Did the exact same thing with this Doc Grabow Supreme:
No detectable loss of finish, though if I'd kept at it I imagine I could have removed all of it. I didn't do any sanding, just a buff with white diamond and carnauba wax.
Just a few wipes with an acetone soaked pad, some buffing a waxing, and there is now no sign of the problem.The acetone dries within a second or two of application. It doesn't soak in.
Did the exact same thing with this Doc Grabow Supreme:
No detectable loss of finish, though if I'd kept at it I imagine I could have removed all of it. I didn't do any sanding, just a buff with white diamond and carnauba wax.
@ Tuold... well as you mentioned you just did a couple of wipes... when you wiped it down with the acetone it appears (in both finished photo's) that you didn't take the lacquer completely off, I can see the spider webbing on the finish under the wax... they may not be noticeable to most, but they are very noticeable to me. in order to take the lacquer completely off you inevitably end up at the stain level and yes acetone will most definitely wipe off the stain... anyways both of your pipes are very nice and you did a great job and yes to most there probably won't be anything noticeable BUT you have to understand that I make my living (or lack of at times :P ) making high end custom furniture so I see these things. I know for a fact that acetone will destroy any finish.
If someone is not careful they will end up taking stain off... which is why I recommended just starting over, but thats just my opinion as it would be what I would do.
If someone is not careful they will end up taking stain off... which is why I recommended just starting over, but thats just my opinion as it would be what I would do.
Captainprophesy, you are very observant! But wouldn't there be a point where more vigorous treatment would actually look over done or further degrade the appearance? I've seen pipes that have been sanded down to the bare wood, and while that solves one problem it often seems to create others such as rounded edges that should be sharp as well as disappearing nomenclature. It sounds like you could probably pull it off. For now, whatever minimal restoration I did can be undone if a future collector chooses to do that work.
At any rate it probably does look better without those blisters, even with the spider webs!
Keeping in mind the Yello Bole is close to 80 years old, how would you approach the blister problem?
You know, if you and some of the other master restorationists got together and held a weekend seminar and workshop on this topic I'd pay good money to attend! :D
At any rate it probably does look better without those blisters, even with the spider webs!
Keeping in mind the Yello Bole is close to 80 years old, how would you approach the blister problem?
You know, if you and some of the other master restorationists got together and held a weekend seminar and workshop on this topic I'd pay good money to attend! :D
Not if done right, if you sand to a nice high grit, say 1000 grit, and take your time you will get rid of all those small imperfections... but again, you have to be patient and do things the right way... not so "vigorous"
Man those look 100% better than the blistered picture lol
Personally I would take it down to bare wood and re-stain it to as much to original color as possible and top it off with a few very light layers of carnauba wax... but that just me
:P
pfft... im barely a novice when it comes to restoring pipes, hell I barely finished making my first pipe just this last weekend (of which I'm less and less proud of as time goes by, i can see some glaring issues every time I see it)... what I do know is woodworking, But now that I have my first pipe under my belt I can't wait to make another... I have a feeling I'll be chasing that perfect pipe for the rest of my life LMAO :P
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