Older Rusticated / Blasted Cleaning Tips

[peteguy]

I picked up a yard sale pipe to mess around with. It is an older pipe with a rusticated/blast finish. The lower areas have a dirty or dusty look to them (a kind of grey look). I tried a tooth brush with a hint of spittle and it doesn't seem to touch it. What is the going way to clean down inside the little crevices?
I have seen some on eBay that have the same look to them so I assume it is quite common on an older Rusticated /Blasted pipe and figure there must be a "secret" I have yet to find.

 

[plateauguy]

I'm facing the same problem right now. I've heard some guys put the bowl completely submerged into a jar of isopropyl alcohol overnight. I have to admit to cowardice and am hesitant to do it. Looking forward to what others say.

 

[buroak]

I start with a soft shoe brush and then use a damp cloth to wipe down the pipe. My method still leaves some dust, so I am hoping other suggestions are forthcoming.

 

[warren]

peteguy: I doubt I've had the mess you have. But, the tooth brush (a worn down one so the bristles are a bit stiffer), a bit of water and patience seems to work for me. I know I'm only dealing with dust, dirt and oils from my fingers. I also use a soft washcloth that has a bit of nap to it. Hope this helps a bit. Patience is the key I suppose.

 

[purplemotoman]

I use a soft bristle brush in my Dremel and some diluted Murphy's Oil Soap.

 

[mephistopheles]

Maybe a can of compressed air and/or some Q-tips would help? I know that's a handy duo for cleaning all sorts of nooks & crannies.

 

[stvalentine]

You guys are way too soft in this! :wink: I hit them with a brass wire brush and the briar is hard enough not to show the smallest scratch. The daring among us may put the stummel for a few hours into a glas with alcohol. Might take off some off the staining as well but is not as harsh to the pipe as one might think. Worked for me....

 

[plateauguy]

I sucked it up and threw the strummed into a jar of ISO for three hours. It turned the stuff a nice reddish-pink, but didn't do anything to the pipe except show the pink fill areas (we're talking an old Yello Bole, so it wasn't a surprise).
It made cleaning it much easier, so the moral to this story is, "grow a set."

 

[xrundog]

You can use a soap solution with a tooth brush. Murphy's is ok. Probably strip the wax off if there is any. But it won't hurt stain or shellac. I just mix some liquid hand soap with water.

 

[murf]

I trimmed an old toothbrush down to a quarter inch and use a bif of murphys, but found that sometimes that can remove the stain a little/ //

 

[danielplainview]

The gray gunk you speak of is more than likely old wax buildup. I had a few that way and an alcohol bath and scrub will remove it, but you'll have to refresh the stain afterwards.

 

[peteguy]

Damn good info all and a big thanks. I will try the Murphy's first and if that doesn't cut through it I will grow a pair.

 

[kcvet67]

Goo Gone and a soft tooth brush works wonders and won't harm the finish.

http://www.amazon.com/Goo-Gone-oz-Removes-stickers/dp/B00006IBNJ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424399041&sr=8-1&keywords=goo+gone

 

[rcstan]

old wax buildup

Correct! Old wax + hand grime. Use a hairdryer to get the stuff soft, scrub off with a brush, let it cool down, repeat as needed. If you have a heat gun and a buffer with a Sissal wheel, it happens faster.

 

[crusader]

When wanting a gentle touch I have used toothpaste and an old toothbrush to help with the grime. The a clean wet towel a few times to rinse. My craggy has no Cavaties either

 

[throbinson]

I read on a few sites that the Murphy Oil Soap and a tooth brush or shoe polish brush works well... worked fine for the pipes I worked on (3 rusticated Brighams). Afterwards I gave it a quick go on the buffer with a bit of carnauba wax, which of course left deposits in the indents/divets, at which time I used a heat gun to soften/melt the wax and gave it a brushing with a shoe brush and finished with a cloth.
Not sure is the 'best' way to do it, but, looked way better than when I started.

 

[peteguy]

Thanks for the update throbinson. I have yet to tackle mine but am feeling pretty confident now.

 

[huntertrw]

I find that a firm-bristle toothbrush wetted with Everclear 190-proof grain alcohol does an outstanding job removing grime from rusticated estate pipes. Further, in my experience I find that this approach removes very little of the pipe's original stain. Just use caution when using Everclear, as it is highly flammable!
After cleaning I will wax with Carnauba, polish using another firm-bristle toothbrush, heat the bowl thoroughly and evenly using a hair-dryer, and then polish again with the toothbrush. I find that the application of heat seems to deepen the wax shine, and assures that none is left in the crevices and stamped nomenclature.