Are you applying Carnauba wax with a cloth wheel? I have never had this problem. It just takes a light application by briefly touching the stick to the wheel. Friction heat spreads a very thin layer, one you cannot see until it shines. I'd have to check my lathe, but I believe on high speed its about 2500 RPM.
Polishing Smooth Pipes
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Yes sir. I apply it with a wheel but it kinda gunks up a bit leaving obvious streaks of the wax on the pipe. I have to finish the polishing with a soft cloth. It all works out but I prefer the jarred wax. Probably putting too much on the wheel.
Sounds like too much wax on the wheel. Use a rag or piece of wood to clean it of excess wax. Then not applying anymore try waxing a bowl.
What I use exclusively for polishing my smooth pipes are these:
A soft bristle shoe polish brush and:
A plush microfiber towel.
For a pipe in extremely dry condition, I use several coats of Minwax:
I add a coat and wait 15 minutes before buffing it with the shoe polish brush. I normally put 3 coats of wax on and work each coat of wax in with the brush. When I’ve achieved the shine I desire, I finish the pipe with the microfiber. After a day of rest, the wax becomes a hard coat. Here’s a pipe that I own that looked dry as a desert when I received it, but today it looks like this:
Once you achieve this shine it’s easy to maintain with a quick once over with the shoe polish brush after each smoke. To take the subject further, if you ever come across a pipe that is so abused that the stain is uneven, you can color correct it by using the proper shade of shoe (leather) polish. The following pipe was so abused when I received it that I couldn’t get a tamper nail down into the chamber. It was loaded with lava, water stains and an area that looked like it came in contact with a chemical of some sort. But after a good cleaning and color correction with several coats of shoe (leather) polish, this is what the pipe looks like today:
To maintain this pipe I polish it with the shoe polish brush after every smoke and nothing more.
Now, if you have collector pipes, I would use the following wax to keep and maintain them:
Renaissance wax is the standard for anyone who does serious wood and metal restoration and preservation. This wax can be used on both the stummel and the stem to help keep them protected and shiny. Here are two pipes I’ve kept preserved using this wax:
In conclusion, these methods work very well for me, I suggest that you practice on a basket pipe before you grab your favorite Becker to experiment on. I hope that this helps.
A soft bristle shoe polish brush and:
A plush microfiber towel.
For a pipe in extremely dry condition, I use several coats of Minwax:
I add a coat and wait 15 minutes before buffing it with the shoe polish brush. I normally put 3 coats of wax on and work each coat of wax in with the brush. When I’ve achieved the shine I desire, I finish the pipe with the microfiber. After a day of rest, the wax becomes a hard coat. Here’s a pipe that I own that looked dry as a desert when I received it, but today it looks like this:
Once you achieve this shine it’s easy to maintain with a quick once over with the shoe polish brush after each smoke. To take the subject further, if you ever come across a pipe that is so abused that the stain is uneven, you can color correct it by using the proper shade of shoe (leather) polish. The following pipe was so abused when I received it that I couldn’t get a tamper nail down into the chamber. It was loaded with lava, water stains and an area that looked like it came in contact with a chemical of some sort. But after a good cleaning and color correction with several coats of shoe (leather) polish, this is what the pipe looks like today:
To maintain this pipe I polish it with the shoe polish brush after every smoke and nothing more.
Now, if you have collector pipes, I would use the following wax to keep and maintain them:
Renaissance wax is the standard for anyone who does serious wood and metal restoration and preservation. This wax can be used on both the stummel and the stem to help keep them protected and shiny. Here are two pipes I’ve kept preserved using this wax:
In conclusion, these methods work very well for me, I suggest that you practice on a basket pipe before you grab your favorite Becker to experiment on. I hope that this helps.
Beautiful pipes! Those waxes are good ones. However, some waxes have silica or pumice added to them to prevent slipping if used on floors. Minwax is one that doesn't add anti-slip additives. You would not want to use waxes with anti-slip additives on your pipe.
I'm not of the carnauba wax crowd, way too shiny .
There are hard waxes for wooden floors, that can be applied by hand.
Study the contents !
A drop or two of the good old recorder oil works fine for me, so does paraffin oil.
Nose grease
Never, ever apply vegetable oil, it will go rancid.
Renaissance wax does a wonderful job on both smooth and sandblasted pipes, highly recommended.
Polish the briar with horse hair before waxing or oiling it.
There are hard waxes for wooden floors, that can be applied by hand.
Study the contents !
A drop or two of the good old recorder oil works fine for me, so does paraffin oil.
Nose grease
Never, ever apply vegetable oil, it will go rancid.
Renaissance wax does a wonderful job on both smooth and sandblasted pipes, highly recommended.
Polish the briar with horse hair before waxing or oiling it.
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I use Renaissance wax. One tin has lasted me over a decade. Very good stuff. Others are probably good as well...I used to use briar pipe wipe before it went off the market.
Renaissance wax is remarkable stuff. Absolutely clear with no color. It is expensive and worth every penny. It is used in museum quality bronzes and porcelains. Hi dad the little on my finger and wipe it on what ever I need to and off with a little cloth.
I generally stay away from things like pledge especially on antiques I think it has a smell also that I do not generally appreciate. I would call it, a pseudo wax, in a way.
Cleaning, polishing and waxing are three different processes with different results
Cleaning - remove grime, build-up, soapy water on a rag or old tooth brush for sandblasts works.
Polishing - this is bring up the shine, on a dull pipe, with rouge (typically white diamond). More aggressive rouges will damage nomenclature & all sharp edges (with a machine). Rouge by hand won't really yield a good result (but probably also won't harm a pipe)
Waxing - via Carnuba or other protects a prepared finish, just like the paint on a car (polish, then wax). Carnuba is very hard and useless to apply via hand. The Halycon/Paragon waxes work well by hand (but not as good a a machine polish/then wax). I never machine wax a sandblast or rusticated pipe. (if you have to, use a heat gun to melt the wax into the briar) Waxing by itself, will have limited results on a dulled finish pipe (but won't hurt)
Cleaning - remove grime, build-up, soapy water on a rag or old tooth brush for sandblasts works.
Polishing - this is bring up the shine, on a dull pipe, with rouge (typically white diamond). More aggressive rouges will damage nomenclature & all sharp edges (with a machine). Rouge by hand won't really yield a good result (but probably also won't harm a pipe)
Waxing - via Carnuba or other protects a prepared finish, just like the paint on a car (polish, then wax). Carnuba is very hard and useless to apply via hand. The Halycon/Paragon waxes work well by hand (but not as good a a machine polish/then wax). I never machine wax a sandblast or rusticated pipe. (if you have to, use a heat gun to melt the wax into the briar) Waxing by itself, will have limited results on a dulled finish pipe (but won't hurt)
1. Earlier I used to use furniture wax with Carnauba and it worked extremely well
2. Now I use Halcyon II for sandblasts and one solo rusticated pipe I own, and works fantastic
3. I use Paragon wax now for smooth pipes, which works well in general except in a Bulldog where it left white residue along the groove
I would recommend Paragon and Halcyon II and if you are adventurous like me, you can also try Furniture Wax polish with Carnauba
2. Now I use Halcyon II for sandblasts and one solo rusticated pipe I own, and works fantastic
3. I use Paragon wax now for smooth pipes, which works well in general except in a Bulldog where it left white residue along the groove
I would recommend Paragon and Halcyon II and if you are adventurous like me, you can also try Furniture Wax polish with Carnauba
I've long used pledge-infused soft rags, (let the rag dry before using), and have never noted a scent. Of course, when you smoke the pipe afterwards, the pipe naturally dulls a bit.
Drill mounted buffing wheels. If they are really bad I hit them with the White Diamond followed by Carnauba wax. If they just need a good shine i just use the Carnauba wax.
I use 50 ply soft Cotton wheels, they seem to work well for me.
I use 50 ply soft Cotton wheels, they seem to work well for me.
Can confirm. Go with a drill mounted buffing wheel at the very least. Oh, and please don't zip tie the trigger down unless you're going to put the drill in a vice to hold it. Because chasing a spinning drill around your shop is no fun.
Since I don't have a mechanical buffer, this is all I use to good effect.
Variable speed Dremel can be used but needs practice (I would practice any mechanized buffing technique). There’s a blog on Reborn pipes about using one exclusively. buffing with dremel
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