"Scrub Daddy" Stem Experiments (Pic Heavy)

[ghost]

I had seen this on Shark Tank recently and, as usual, I had my pipe goggles on. If you're not familiar with this product, it's a cleaning sponge that is either soft (in warm water) or hard (in cold water). What caught my attention was the claim that it would not scratch any surface. Naturally, the thought of estate stem cleaning applications crossed my mind so I'm trying it out today. I spend a lot of time on stems, including going through all the micromesh pads for a mirror-like shine, but it really takes effort to get them that way. If there's a short cut to be had that gets me there sooner- hook me up!
I chose this pipe from my backlog of estate pipes, an Amphora Extra 509. The stem isn't in too bad shape, and I won't be terribly heartbroken if I screw it up.


This is a work in progress, but here is the stem just after I soaked it in Oxyclean for an hour...

...and here it is after just a couple of minutes with the Scrub Daddy using cold water so it had a harder surface. These are iPhone pics so hopefully you can see the difference. I'm noticing a shine already, this is promising.

I'm going to let the stem dry out for a bit to see how much oxidation reappears, and report back later.

 

[ghost]

I bought it at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It's $5 here in Canada, so I suppose it would be less than that in the U.S.

 

[ghost]

Quick update...
After examining the stem in sunlight, I could still see oxidation. I went back to the magic eraser, and as you can see in the picture a lot more oxidation came off. So, I suspect, a good sequence of events would be to start the de-oxidation of the stem as I usually do with (after cleaning the inside junk out with alcohol) 1. Oxy bath 2. Magic Eraser, and then 3. Scrub Daddy.

I was getting a shine from just the Scrub Daddy after the Oxy bath, with no scratches as advertised, but if it wasn't getting all of the oxidation out then I probably won't be able to skip the Magic Eraser step. However, I can't ignore the scratch-free shine I got from it in literally two minutes of light scrubbing. There's a place for this sponge somewhere in a stem cleaning regimen. Experiments will continue. (I'm multitasking a lot of things today, so updates will happen...)

 

[plateauguy]

Thanks for the idea - my wife bought 6 of these from QVC - I just didn't think about using them for the stems!

 

[ejames]

Ghost,the easiest way I have found to see if a stem is free of oxidation is to wet it. If there is still oxidation present it will show up as greenish/brownish areas. Another thing to keep in mind is that vulcanite is actually a very deep brown color--not really black. If you use an abrasive on it it will make a brown powder or slurry if using the abrasive wet. I suspect the brown you are seeing on your Magic Eraser is just vulcanite.

If you were getting more shine with the Scrub Daddy than the Magic Eraser it is probably because the Scrub Daddy is a finer abrasive.

 

[ghost]

Thanks for the info Ed, that makes a lot of sense. It does appear that the Scrub Daddy is working as a finer abrasive. Here is a different stem before and after.
Before- just out of the oxiclean bath and dried.

After less than 10 minutes of scrubbing with Magic Eraser first, then the Scrub Daddy.

I just put a shmear of Obsidian on it, and will let it sit for 20-30 minutes before deciding what the next move should be. I might be able to just buff it with White Diamond, and if it looks good I may have shaved a whole lot of time off my stem work.

 

[pipinho]

Hmmm

 

[ghost]

Hmmm

Penny for your thoughts?

 

[lovethebriar]

Looks new now. Good job oxyclean and magic erasers do wonders. Don't forget to wipe it down with some chap stick after done.

 

[pipinho]

I'm thinking it can be an extra step after barkeeper's friend and then to the buffing wheel

 

[pipinho]

I use barkeeper's friend, then toothpaste then buffing.. I hate using toothpaste...