Newbie Starting Restoring.

[Tate]

EMP covers up about anything. Yuck !

What can I say! I got bad taste!

 

[Tate]

Got one more in today! I started it without the before. I think I can still grab some shots from ebay but the exposure will be different. My bad. I think it will still turn out nice though! Will update more tomorrow!

 

[Tate]

Some befores from ebay for this Marxman Jumbo Benchmade B

 

[Tate]

Getting better with these stems. Learning alot!! Exposure is a bit off because I didn't take the befores. Was able to sand out alot of the darkening but the stuff on the edge that is left wasn't coming out and I didn't want to sand too much off.

 

[Tate]

Alot of cake in these guys.

 

[Tate]

Some befores from ebay for this Marxman Jumbo Benchmade B
View attachment 251522View attachment 251523View attachment 251524

The after on this one. Really fun and learning alot! There is a small crack on the shank of this pipe. I believe it was there but did not notice it until I went to assemble. Left it apart after I noticed the crack. I just ordered a banding assortment to put a band on it. That should be fun.

 

[Tate]

I put a band on a pipe. Not to hard. Used a heat gun to get the band on all the way. I think it looks pretty slick. Banded Marxman Benchmade Jumbo B.

 

[Tate]

I have some before and afters from a few other estates.
Before for Marxman Super Briar
Afters Below

 

[Tate]

Before on this heavily carved Marxman

Afters

 

[Tate]

Marxman Jumbo size A
Before

Afters

 

[Tate]

All these pipes and a few others got a retort as well this afternoon. I did a test draw on them all and they are near flavorless. I have 8 estate pipes ready to smoke tomorrow and I can give my 2 starters a good cleaning and a bit of a break.

 

[Humblepipe]

Good work. Those Marxman pipes are stout/indestructible old souls.

 

[Tate]

Good work. Those Marxman pipes are stout/indestructible old souls.

Thanks, man! Yeah they seem to be and the ones I have been able to smoke, smoke great. Definitely keeping me eye out for em because you can get em pretty cheap and they clean up easy.

 

[Tate]

Here are a few stem fixes. Flame wasn't getting this out. I already had the black super glue for a guitar fix I did in the past. I used some of that and charcoal caps that I emptied
Befores

Afters.

Not quite invisible but close enough for me. Definitely learned on this batch how to do it and what to do a bit different for invisible, I think. Will need to do more to see.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Instead of "flame" them, you could try to "heat gun" them. Works better for me.
A wet rag and a hot iron will do a decent job on stems too.

Good work on those critters

 

[jttnk]

Following along… nice work, enjoy.

 

[Tate]

Instead of "flame" them, you could try to "heat gun" them. Works better for me.
A wet rag and a hot iron will do a decent job on stems too.

Good work on those critters

Thanks! Definitely next thing I'll be trying!

 

[Tate]

Following along… nice work, enjoy.

Thanks!

 

[ssjones]

Not quite accurate in the case of a retort, the cotton/salt acts as a condenser. If you don't put something into the bowl alcohol steam vapor will just shoot out the bowl and not really do much except for burn the user. The idea behind a retort is to permeate alcohol vapor through the pipe and get it to turn back into tar laden alcohol and drain back into the retort. The salt/cotton acts as the condenser that turns the vapor back to liquid to allow it to drain back into the retort while allowing airflow through the pipe and preventing the retort from vapor locking and exploding.

That's a good description.

I have a retort, but didn't find the result was worth the hassle.

I prefer salt over cotton. I can get some of the salt up into the shank, which is always a problem area that has be scrubbed clean.
I have no issue getting natural Sea Salt here.

Those are good pipe choices to hone your craft.

 

[ssjones]

Do you sand the chamber at all? Patient and careful fine sanding seems to do wonders, IMO, but chamber and shank both need the attention and I'm always amazed what still comes out black even after a salt/alcohol bath (or two, lol). I found some pretty gross stuff in the shank of an old Pete that was considered "clean" and once finished with the long process of cleaning (slowly, so slowly) that is is now a favorite pipe!

I've had good luck with the salt treatment, with the proper salt and alcohol, but be careful IMO of it expanding and removing it and make sure you have a very fine syringe to get the alcohol in there a drop at a time so as not to damage the finish around the rim.

Bingo on the light sanding of the chamber and getting the shank clean. By my experience (my pipe log has me at my 422nd pipe), most of the ghost issues come from the shank and not getting it clean.