Repairs!!! -fills and finishes?

[nathaniel]

So I have a pipe that when I was first breaking it in, the finish cracked across the shank. So I fiddled with it a little to see how bad the crack was, and to my surprise my nail dug right through it like wet cardboard taking a good chunk out of the shank. So thankfully it doesn't seem cracked through, but just that the finish was cracked and perhaps I just dug out a spot where there was some sort of filling putty or something... I don't know. It smokes fine, just looking to touch it up cosmetically is all.
The other problem is that also when I was first smoking it, I noticed this sloppy red smear of the finish on the rim (which was already a flaw) was bubbling up with the heat from lighting my bowl. So I rashly proceeded to take a knife and just scrape off the red boiling smear of paint or whatever, and of course the wood was left quite bare with no finish at all. Again, it's only cosmetic, but if I could fix it that'd be great. It's my first briar, so it'd be nice to keep up to par.
I'll pot some pics (hopefully they show!). The first is just bragging rights (such as: "YAY! My First Briar!!!), the second of the chunk taken out of the shank, and the third of the removed finish on the rim.

So any suggestions or help towards what kind of fill putty and finish to use? And how to go about playing pipe repair man?

Edit: Fixed Pic, Lawrence

 

[nathaniel]

OK I don't know why i didn't post the third pic, but the link will take you too it...

 

[hauntedmyst]

Sweet moses! You should return that pipe if it was new when you got it.

 

[ejames]

I'd just sand it and wax it, It will color with age after you take of the lacquer. Get some 400-600 and 800 grit wet or dry sandpaper. Get some Halcyon or Paragon wax. Don't need a buffer for those. The Paragon SHOULD NOT be used on rusticated pipes.The fillers used on pipes is different then most wood fillers. You can use it but it will have a grainy-porous look.Better than a hole in the shank.Fiebings leather dye can be used to restain if you want.

 

[cortezattic]

The surface voids can be filled with a sandable/stainable epoxy putty sold in most drug stores and hardware stores.

But since it's an entirely cosmetic issue, I'd just leave it alone; it adds to the piece's character.

ejames has the answer you're looking for.
:lol: Of course, in principle, HauntedMyst is right, but nobody here listens to him.

Besides, you could hope for a replacement pipe, but it would probably have its own issues.
What brand of pipe is it?

 

[collindow]

Hey, I listened to Haunted!
Once.
I won't ever again, but hey, I'm sure I'm not the ONLY one! Right?

 

[bubbadreier]

Oh Collin yes you are... The ONLY one!

 

[clanobucklin]

I just got a pipe restained (black stain - has a rough wood surface) and when I took a break I gave it a little rub of olive oil just to make it look shiny. The only problem was a little of the black stain came off on my fingers after I smoked it again. Other black pipes don't have this problem - however - they weren't restained. Should I not rub this black pipe with olive oil and has anyone else had this problem with finish or stain coming off with the use of olive oil.

 

[puffintuff]

Never had this happen to a new pipe. Or an old one, for that matter.

I'm with ejames, Just sand and wax

 

[ejames]

Clanobucklin,why not use wax instead of the oil? Sounds like the oil is lifting the stain. I use Halcyon II on rusticated pipes,applying it with a tiny brush so that the wax can be worked down into all the little nooks and crannies. I let it set for an hour or so,then brush it with a soft bristle brush. A shoe brush etc, or a soft toothbrush works fine.Again, gets down into the rustication.Then buff with a soft cotton cloth or buffer if you have one.I'd save the oil for your stems-some say it helps retard oxidation on vulcanite.