Manic Medico: Test Dummy (Pic Heavy)

[blackbeard]

So, this particular Medico came covered in grim, chips, burn out spots, spider webbing, chewed up stem, and in general a huge mess. SO I decided to work with it a little. Played and played. Getting it in better shape. Then, after removing the wax and a lot of stain...I found myself with a grey, not so pretty pipe. Waiting around until I get more supplies...especially Paragon/Halcyon wax just stunting my learning process. Then...mania set in...2 AM...noticed chapstick. I remembered people using it on stems; proceeded to think it has wax in it. Lets see how it goes; first coat darkened with a foggy look, second much better and shiny. I DO NOT recommend this...no idea of the effects...or the problems. It still smells like cherries :crazy: I did however, remove a lot of problems around the rim by slightly sanding it off by hand, slight bevel, cleaned out the terrible bow, polished the gold band, and the stem. Though, I didn't get all of the marks and dings from the stem so starting on that again later.
Just thought I would share this weird bored stupid idea...while I am learning with it; impulse decided Chapstick would be fun...so here's what happened. I'll get more/better pictures as I play with it. At least I was good to one of the Bulldogs I got. The Dr. Grabow Regal Has turned out nice, just letting it rest before I can smoke it after the deep cleaning. I repeat...this is NOT the way to go about this...just me experimenting with common household items.



Only pic of before...it was black with grime everywhere that wouldn't rub off.

After initial clean up

After I found the burned areas and mania took over

After 2 coats of Cherry Chapstick rubbed in with fingers, blue paper towel, then shirt after it dried a bit.

 

[hawke]

Well on its way Tyler! I was making a bowl for a homemade calabash and ran into a burn spot. It turned to black powder as I dug at it. The only way I could fix that one to a smokable state was to fill it.
Tip: When topping estate pipes, over a clean surface use a screen sandpaper like used for sheetrock and the sawdust falls thru the holes. It give you real briar sawdust to use for fills. I'm still looking for a better glue. Superglue will darken the fill.

 

[fnord]

Tyler:
When you get the resto bug this is how we all should begin: a relatively inexpensive OTC burner to learn on.
Start the process with eyes wide open. You will make mistakes. You will top or sand more than you should. You will screw the pooch.
But you're doing it on a three dollar pipe and that's you're training ground, hoss. Get a couple of those under your belt and you'll be ready to tackle that beat to hell and gone Comoy's or Savinelli you'll eventually find. (No disrespect meant to you candy assed, litigious and overly easy to offend Medico smokers. You purchased drug store pipes and automatically forfeited your rights to whine - or "whinge" for our intellectually slower North American cousins in Canada.)
You've done well, man. Good on you.
Fnord

 

[blackbeard]

Appreciated. Though I do like old Dr. Grabow pipes...so...call me candy assed if you want but some smoke really well. Don't know about Medico...never liked their style.