Apparently the buffing wheel, which I don't have, creates the final shine. No wheel in my future as cellaring takes precedence. Thanks very much for the info!Good questions. The pumice (made by Bondex) I purchased from an Ace Hardware store for using with shellac doing French polish work. By adding oil you make it easier to apply. I use a piece of leather to apply and work the paste into the stem. It removes light oxidation like you get when you water clean your stems. It does oil the vulcanite, but then I follow-up with a buffing wheel on my lathe using green, red, and white compound. After the white buff polish I rub in a little Almond or Walnut oil with my finger and back in the rack it goes. For stubborn oxidation I use a felt wheel impregnated with the oil/pumice paste. You have to be careful with the hard felt wheel - just a light touch. If the felt wheel doesn't get it its sandpaper time. I will use 1000 - 1500 grit, then pumice/oil paste followed by buffing. There is a lighter grade of pumice called Rottenstone and I've mixed it with oil too and used it. It doesn't cut as fast. View attachment 70756
That is a beautiful viaduct. It would make for a nice preserved railway line.Good afternoon All
A bowl of 1792 Flake in a Peterson Donegal. Leaderfoot Viaduct in the background beside the former Roman Camp of Trimontium.
Happy smokes.
Ettrick puffer View attachment 70744
Awesome pipe, buddy. What year was it made?
Oh damn! A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I purchased a beat up, thrashed and hammered Kaywoodie for a practice restoration dummy.Just a warning to be careful with buffing wheels. A friend, when told I was cleaning up some pipes, said “I’ll have that shining in a couple of minutes”. What I didn’t know was that the buffing wheel was on a Dremel. Fortunately I came over halfway through the job or I wouldn’t have had much stem left. That said I kinda liked the effect his botched buff produced, even though he made a few gullies. View attachment 70763
That’s the good side.
During the 1930’sAwesome pipe, buddy. What year was it made?