Removing sandblast

[petes03]

Oh man, that blast is way too nice to ruin, IMO!

 

[neverbend]

Hi Unadopted,
(Almost) All sandblasts are intended to be smooth. Yours was. If you sand off the sandblast you WILL ruin the pipe. It will come out a misshapen mess with flaws and it's doubtful that you can preserve the grain.
Why not buy a cheap estate carve or sandblast to test on? No, it won't look better as a smooth, even if it were done at the factory it wouldn't but you'll be able to see for yourself without ruining a nice pipe.
.

 

[bentmike]

Yep I tried it once with a King's Cross rusticsted. It was chock full of fills and looked hideous. The putty absorbed the color of the original stain which was much darker than the raw briar once I got it uncovered. It was a learning experience -I won't do it again.
That is a nice looking blast on that pipe. I think I'd let it be.

 

[brudnod]

I've done just about anything you can imagine to a pipe, mostly with good results. I underline mostly since there have been some horrible disasters along the way and some ruined pipes. Being adventurous I wonder what might be the result of such a project; being cautious (having LEARNED to be cautious) I would do just as everyone else seems to recommend: leave it alone or sell it, and buy the same model in smooth finish.

 

[blendtobac]

My pipemaker friends have told me that they can see the ring grain in a stummel and blast it even if it's clean. Some blocks are just more interesting as a sandblast.
Russ

 

[ssjones]

Put the sandpaper down and walk away from the pipe - OR just smoke that beauty! Removing the finish on factory made pipes usually doesn't end well...my experience.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

What a great idea this is. I have been sanding the shit out of one of my Cookes all morning to try and remove that ugly blast. It's starting to look really awesome. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[mso489]

It's an old cliche, but I say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's a fine looking sandblast pipe. I'd find an

old pipe that needs restoration and spend your time on that.

 

[sablebrush52]

What a great idea this is. I have been sanding the shit out of one of my Cookes all morning to try and remove that ugly blast. It's starting to look really awesome. Thanks for the suggestion.

LMAO!

 

[chispa]

As long as the walls are thick enough I say GO FOR IT.
Don't let the naysayers and the purists dissuade you. It is a hunk of wood, not a holy relic.
I want to see lots of pics of the during, and after. I think it could work.
One thing that comes to mind is that the stem/shank to stummel might look a little weird if it has to taper down towards the bowl to the part where the sandblast has been taken off. I agree the grain is very interesting and can't wait to see what happens.

 

[zack24]

My pipemaker friends have told me that they can see the ring grain in a stummel and blast it even if it's clean. Some blocks are just more interesting as a sandblast.

...and the other reason from a pipemaking perspective- it takes at least 2-4 hours longer to make a smooth because of sanding...and re-sanding...and yet even more sanding...Blasting is relatively easy (unless you're using a really time consuming process like Walt Cannoy's suede blast or Cookes detailed craggy blast- and that time is reflected in the pricing.

 

[ssjones]

Peck:

If you really ream out those Cookes, you can make then super light, great for clenching. And, they will keep your hands nice and warm in those cold Canadian winters.