Meerschaum Kalmasch Rim and Crack Repair

[runscott]

This one has some issues that I've never dealt with before:

- a chunk broke off the front of the shank at some point, and was glued back poorly, and permanently. I've sanded off the rough connection areas, but there's a crack that needs to be filled. My concern is that when it colors there will be a white stripe where the crack was, but maybe that's unavoidable.

- both of the silver pieces are unattached, and the [plaster?] between the meerschaum and silver needs to be removed and replaced with something. My plan was to make a goopy plaster mix, spread it on top, put the silver over it and smash down, then wipe off any excess. I would then apply beeswax, and already have a working stem.

Anyone ever done such work?

A similar situation is the silver-rimmed gourd calabashes that do NOT have separate meerschaum bowl inserts. If you remove the silver rim you'll find the same plaster substance. I have a couple of those where I also need to re-attach the silver rim.

 

[runscott]

Really, no one has done this sort of repair before? Very surprising.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

The “plaster” is meerschaum dust and egg whites. I forgot the ratio, I’ll have to look through my notes. Historically that’s what was used to repair cracks as well.

 

[runscott]

The “plaster” is meerschaum dust and egg whites. I forgot the ratio, I’ll have to look through my notes. Historically that’s what was used to repair cracks as well.

Thank you. I'll start grinding up a 'donor' stummel.

 

[Ahi Ka]

Can you pre colour the plaster?

 

[runscott]

Can you pre colour the plaster?

In the absence of any new information in this thread, I have some amber CA glue that I was planning to mix with meer dust or plaster, for filling the crack. I normally treat these old pipes with Clapham's polish, which brings back any lost coloring; however, for this pipe, since there is no coloring in the front section, and the back has the cracks, I'm planning to use orange beeswax - that and the amber CA glue should help disguise the problem.

 

[Humblepipe]

In the absence of any new information in this thread, I have some amber CA glue that I was planning to mix with meer dust or plaster, for filling the crack. I normally treat these old pipes with Clapham's polish, which brings back any lost coloring; however, for this pipe, since there is no coloring in the front section, and the back has the cracks, I'm planning to use orange beeswax - that and the amber CA glue should help disguise the problem.

I hope you will post final results. I always appreciate ideas/solutions for putting old souls, like the one you have here, back in service.

 

[runscott]

I hope you will post final results. I always appreciate ideas/solutions for putting old souls, like the one you have here, back in service.

I will. Got excited and didn't take 'before' pics - the ones I took were after polishing the silver and cleaning the stummel. Heading to Lowe's in a moment to pick up the last products I need and hope to have it ready to wax in the morning.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

Can you pre colour the plaster?

I would use Trans Tint/alcohol for precoloring of repairs.

 

[Ahi Ka]

I would use Trans Tint/alcohol for precoloring of repairs.

Good to know. I’ve only had to make plaster for cups so it’s never been an issue

 

[runscott]

Here's what I've done so far:

1. Fail: mixed plaster, egg white and yellow food color. Horrid green result.
2. So...tried amber super glue and plaster and liked the result.
3. Mixed a slurry of plaster and egg white to build up the areas under the silver caps and to glue them to the stummel.
4. Filled the cracks on the shank, now waiting for it to dry for sanding.
5. Built up the area on the shank end where the silver cap will attach, with the plaster/egg white mix. When it dries, will build up some more. (Most of the old plaster was gone, along with some of the meerschaum).
6. Applied the plaster/egg white mix to the inside of the silver cap for the chamber end, covering it entirely, glued on and wiped off the excess.

Now waiting for everything to dry so I can sand down the cracks and glue on the shank cap. In this picture you can see the crack repair and some of the building-up I did on the top. More pictures in this link:

Kalmasch Repairs in progress

 

[runscott]

Done. The crack still shows, but I'm done. It's solidly repaired and about to get smoked.

 

[OzPiper]

Looking good
That looks like a solid repair
Great job

How did you remove the silver capping from the rim and shank ?

I have a gourd calabash in need of repair
I need to remove the rolled gold rim to get to the bowl which has lost its base.
Then I have to think of a way of fashioning a new bowl

 

[Briar Tuck]

Great job on the repair. My opinion is that as long as you can smoke it, it's good, and everything else is cosmetic and trivial.

I've got a couple of newly acquired Kalmasch meers that I plan on smoking soon. They will be posted in WAYS.

 

[runscott]

Looking good
That looks like a solid repair
Great job

How did you remove the silver capping from the rim and shank ?

I have a gourd calabash in need of repair
I need to remove the rolled gold rim to get to the bowl which has lost its base.
Then I have to think of a way of fashioning a new bowl

The silver capping was already disconnected. I acquired it planning to just clean it up and smoke it; however, a lot of the dried white paste had been scraped off of each end, and a decent-size chunk of meer was also missing from the shank end, meaning I had to figure out how to replace that volume of material between the meerschaum stone and the silver caps.

On my calabashes with silver rims (the ones that aren't pinned), sometimes you can gently twist until it comes loose. I'll take a look (I have 6-7 of them) and get back to you if I come up with anything. I know I have at least one with a built-in meerschaum bowl that needs replacing. I might just create a plaster bottom for the existing one.

 

[runscott]

Great job on the repair. My opinion is that as long as you can smoke it, it's good, and everything else is cosmetic and trivial.

I've got a couple of newly acquired Kalmasch meers that I plan on smoking soon. They will be posted in WAYS.

Thanks. It's a keeper, so I agree. I have never smoked one with this tall of a chamber, so looking forward to it.

 

[OzPiper]

On my calabashes with silver rims (the ones that aren't pinned), sometimes you can gently twist until it comes loose. I'll take a look (I have 6-7 of them) and get back to you if I come up with anything. I know I have at least one with a built-in meerschaum bowl that needs replacing. I might just create a plaster bottom for the existing one.

Exactly the problem I'm facing
I bought this pipe years ago with the idea of having the bowl replaced (without any idea of how to go about the job)
The gourd had taken on a dark honey colouration which set off the rolled gold rim beautifully.
The follies of youth

 

[runscott]

Exactly the problem I'm facing
I bought this pipe years ago with the idea of having the bowl replaced (without any idea of how to go about the job)
The gourd had taken on a dark honey colouration which set off the rolled gold rim beautifully.
The follies of youth

Well, we'll have to get after them, perhaps get a thread going for people with similar problems to contribute ideas and their repair progress.