Restore estate pipes

[wernerat]

Hey there,
Probably topics was dicussed 10000 times in the forum. Maybe you can give me a link if u don't want to answer.

So far I know: clean pipe inside with pipe cleaners and alcohol (pipe cleaning alcohol)
Ream the pipe (do I need to do that if the cake is nor to thick? I kinda fear hurting the wood)

Regarding polish of the pipe outside I tried using camellia oil. Is that a good choice?

Regarding the mouthpiece I used 1000 paper to get rid of bite marks. Although now it smells a bit strange.
Which polish can u recommend to get it back black and nice?

Anything I left out?
Thanks in advance my dead uncle will be happy too if you help me

 

[Chasing Embers]

Regarding the mouthpiece I used 1000 paper to get rid of bite marks. Although now it smells a bit strange.
Which polish can u recommend to get it back black and nice?

You can often use heat to lift tooth marks in a stem if it's vulcanite. There are many different ways to clean and polish a stem but a wallet friendly safe method is using a manicure block.

 

[OzPiper]

Look up Rebornpipes

Steve Laug and Al Jones (PMF member @ssjones)
takes you through the various steps,
Not just cleaning and refurbishing estates but repairs as well.

All with lots of before and after photos

 

[wernerat]

So after watching some YouTube and reading. Here are 2 refurbished pipes

Bowl was just waxed and polished but I m Sure I can do there better . Mouthpiece I think I did a good Job

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Congratulations on breathing some new life into your pipes. Something you may wish to pay closer attention to is the edge of the stems where they meet the shanks. There is visible material loss in those areas on both pipes. The fit is less flush and aligned than before the stem work was done.

 

[canucklehead]

Congratulations on breathing some new life into your pipes. Something you may wish to pay closer attention to is the edge of the stems where they meet the shanks. There is visible material loss in those areas on both pipes. The fit is less flush and aligned than before the stem work was done.

The stems appear to be switched.

 

[orlandofurioso]

Manicure blocks and nail buffers are my way to go; you can't go wrong.
Unless of course you try really, really hard.
A possible next time you work on the stems do not remove them from the shanks.
Tape the shank with electrical tape just 1 mm above the junction.
Sand while making long, gentle strokes. When you do it properly it will keep the fit and flush intact.
It takes practice ; for now you did a fine job !
Forget about oxy or bleach, it makes no sense.
It will only bring more oxidation to the surface and cause damage to the rubber.
Sand em wet !! Micro-Mesh sheets do a fine job too.
Go get 'em tiger !

 

[wernerat]

The stems appear to be switched.

You have eagle eyes!! I just found out that I Switched them :D thanks
And thanks for the advices!

I Use 500 paper for the worst dirt and then fine tune with 1000 1500 and 2000 sand wet after that I use polish attached to a drill to give it a glow.

 

[mso489]

Some Forums members do remarkable restorations, and most of my efforts are at maintenance, so I'll leave most of this thread to them. I will say you are wise to be cautious about reaming. It's good to be tentative and not remove too much cake. It's fun to ream, and a beginner can do a lot of damage scoring out the chamber.

But reaming is a key part in restorations where there is thick cake. So probably learn reaming on your least valuable and promising pipes, and still go easy.

With new pipes, or restored pipes you have gently reamed, you can avoid reaming altogether by scooping out the ash after each smoke and scouring out the chamber with an abrasive paper towel. This will maintain the diameter of the chamber in near new dimensions, reduce most ghosting other than Lakeland-like aromatics, and decrease or eliminate reaming.

 

[tabakpfeife]

If soak the stems in Oxyclean (roughly one small scoop with a mason jar full of warm (not hot) water for at least 2 hours. Do not seal the jar. Remove, and run a pipe cleaner with alcohol (Everclear) to dry. This will also sterilize the stems, I believe. I use Mister Clean sheets to take off the initial gunk. Use micromesh sanding pads, wet, until the last 3 in the series. Then dry sand with the last pads in (they polish the stems). I then use Flitz glass cleaner, which is supposed to mitigate oxidation, I then use Brebria stem polisher, then I add one of the pipe waxes available from the online tobacco houses and polish. Some folks swear by obsidian oil. For the bowls, I ream out the old cake, throw a pipe cleaner in the shank, and fill the bowl with salt whetted with alcohol (Everclear). I let it soak for a few days at an angle (use an egg carton), I empty the salt mixture (be careful not to let the alcohol come in contact with the finish), I then use a good briar wax on the bowl, reassemble the pipe, and there you go. This is of course a lot easier if you have a buffing wheel, but I don't. I do have elbow grease and some patience. I only do this with estates; this method exceeds what is required for maintenance.

 

[kcghost]

We have more wannabe pipe restorers than you can shake a stick at.

 

[Chasing Embers]

We have more wannabe pipe restorers than you can shake a stick at.

That would be anyone who keeps and smokes pipes.

 

[Searock Fan]

I bought a small pipe collection a while back and found that several of the pipes were clogged up. Putting a cleaner in the shank I could measure that the problem was a blockage down near where the draft hold comes into the bottom of the bowl. After tiddling with them a while I finally drilled them out. Reading this thread it occurred to me, I wonder if there is a simpler, easier way to unblock them? If any of you have one, please post it. I think that not only me, but others will be interested.


The red area shows the blockage in question.

 

[OzPiper]

I bought a small pipe collection a while back and found that several of the pipes were clogged up. Putting a cleaner in the shank I could measure that the problem was a blockage down near where the draft hold comes into the bottom of the bowl. After tiddling with them a while I finally drilled them out. Reading this thread it occurred to me, I wonder if there is a simpler, easier way to unblock them? If any of you have one, please post it. I think that not only me, but others will be interested.

View attachment 209015
The red area shows the blockage in question.

Often the tars and is so inspissated that alcohol and pipe cleaners are inadequate.
I use small drill bits or jewellers screwdrivers to unclog, followed by shank brush and copious water flushes.

 

[Honkytonk Man]

I spent a couple of hours this weekend cleaning the stems of my pipes.
Been using obsidian oil for some time now, with I should say, without too much success. Until now.
I was initially applying the oil to the stem, as described on the label, a few small drops, rubbed in, then buffed out with a soft cloth. The results were good, until I started smoking and the oil came off.
So, I changed the application method. applied the oil, sparingly and rubbed it in with my fingers, until it was almost gone. Left over night and removed any excess. Results!
I guess I wasn't rubbing the oil in hard enough during my original technique.

 

[drrock]

You can often use heat to lift tooth marks in a stem if it's vulcanite. There are many different ways to clean and polish a stem but a wallet friendly safe method is using a manicure block.

View attachment 207068

Any chance you'd expand on this?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Any chance you'd expand on this?

Which part?

 

[drrock]

Which part?

Sorry - how you use the manicure block.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Sorry - how you use the manicure block.

It has four different grades of abrasive sides. Clean with sides 1 and 2 then polish with sides 3 and 4.

 

[georged]

I bought a small pipe collection a while back and found that several of the pipes were clogged up. Putting a cleaner in the shank I could measure that the problem was a blockage down near where the draft hold comes into the bottom of the bowl. After tiddling with them a while I finally drilled them out. Reading this thread it occurred to me, I wonder if there is a simpler, easier way to unblock them? If any of you have one, please post it. I think that not only me, but others will be interested.

View attachment 209015
The red area shows the blockage in question.