Rusticated meerschaum

[mawnansmiff]

Hello meerschaum experts, I wonder, has anyone ever tried rusticating a meer bowl? I have just acquired a rather large & featureless straight billiard that I neither like nor am likely to ever smoke. I am tinkering with the idea of rusticating it with my Dremel in the same way as I have with some briar bowls by using various sizes of burs.
The pipe has no marking on it at all and measures 17 cm long with a bowl width of 4 1/4 cm and height of 6cm so plenty of space for rusticating.
Below are a couple of pictures of the pipe and another of a briar showing the pattern I have in mind. If I were to go this route are there any pitfalls I should be aware of? I would of course wear a dust mask. How about a finish after Dremelling?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I'd first try a deep sanding to see if you might like the shape and finish of the original. Possibly- perhaps probably, though, the stains may run deep.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Thanks JPM for your suggestion. However as the bowl is so bloody huge I am unlikely ever to smoke it. It really is like a bucket!
My idea was to sell it locally at a flea market but I thought it might sell better if it actually had some visual attraction. As it is I think it's pretty hideous.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[blueeyedogre]

The dremel will do the same job on the meer as it does on briar just WAY faster. Be very careful and go slow. I reshaped a meer tomatoe a few years back and I had to go really slow with it.

 

[mawnansmiff]

That's interesting to hear Blue, any chance you might post pictures? Also, how did you finish your pipe, beeswax I presume?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[mawnansmiff]

That's interesting to hear Blue, any chance you might post pictures? Also, how did you finish your pipe, beeswax I presume?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[blueeyedogre]

Sure, and yes, it gets a wax job regularly.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Blue, that's very impressive, thanks for going to the trouble of posting the pictures. Was the bowl square to start with?
If I was of an artistic bent I would try something very elaborate, alas I do not possess an artistic bone in my body so a simple pebbledash pattern might have to do. I wish I had a spare piece of meer that I could try different patterns on as I do with briar.
Regards,
Jay.