What does every workshop need.
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A Swear Jar for those times the stem is wrenched out of your hand on the sanding disc while you're looking at the beer fridge.
You'll be happier with a variable speed drill if you are going that route. Also, I use a heat gun quite a bit to raise indentations on stems. they are pretty cheap. Small files are handy to have around too. My Dremel has been indispensable for sanding replacement stems down to size and removing thick carbon cake.
Storage. Lots and lots of storage. If you're going to go the eBay route and start in with pipe lots you are going to begin to acquire random bits in large quantities. You'll need boxes for stems, stummels, stingers, cracked bowls, stem inserts, not to mention a whole separate shelf for the extraneous pipe racks which will start coming your way. I've actually started a whole rack just dedicated to the # of "the Pipe" and "the Smoke" pipes which have arrived in eBay lots... And the lighters, tobacco pouches, tins and other ephemera.
Have fun man.
-- Pat
PS - I'm with Zack and Al, get a buffing system set up, you'll outgrow that drill fast.
Have fun man.
-- Pat
PS - I'm with Zack and Al, get a buffing system set up, you'll outgrow that drill fast.
Here are three things that will drastically improve your pipe restoration workshop, plus a short tutorial on cleaning stubborn oxidation on old stems:
1. OxiClean: If you're going to restore pipes, you're going to run into a lot of estate pipes with oxidized stems. Removing that brown gunk on nice, old, ebonite stems can be a challenge, to say the least. One of the most indispensable items you can use to get those stems black again is OxiClean (in the powder form). Once you have a bunch of stems that need to be untarnished, take a plastic tub, fill it with hot tap water, and take a scoop of the OxiClean and pour it into the tub of hot water and let it dissolve for a minute. Now, before you put your stems in, take some petroleum jelly, and put a dab on any logos on the stems you don't want to disappear (because the OxiClean cleans everything). Put the stems in the tub and watch as the water quickly turns a pretty gross brown (all the gunk on the stems). Let them dry out and then buff them (or fine sand them first, then buff).
You'l have to be careful with certain older, ebonite stems, like those that were made by Custom-bilt and some of the other cheaper brands. Their ebonite stems tended to be more porous and those, you can't leave in the OxiClean too long as they'll start to get kind of rough. If that happens, you can do two things (and this is the second thing you should get if you want to restore pipes):
2. A buffer: get a stationery buffer and buff it smooth (or a cheap motor and arbors, as previously mentioned--your motor should be no more than a 1725 rpm motor, a 3600 rpm motor is too fast and if a stem comes flying off your buffing wheel [which, it will] you can lose an eye that way). Then, after you've removed as much as the oxidation as you can, take some black leather dye and give the stem a few coats. While the dye is still wet, take a bic lighter and set that sucker on fire (take a pipe cleaner and put it through the stem so you can hold it away from your fingers) and let the dye set. Then, buff that sucker so it shines like the moon.
3. A stationary drill press: I have an old Delta drill press that's about as tall as me, runs as straight as an arrow, has different speeds, and is indispensable for making straight holes (which you'll need to do from time to time--to drill out broken tenons on stems, re-drill draught holes, etc.). I picked it up on Craigslist, from a retired woodworker, who just wanted to make sure it went to a good home, and he gave it to me for 50 bucks.
Hope those suggestions help and have fun setting up your shop!
1. OxiClean: If you're going to restore pipes, you're going to run into a lot of estate pipes with oxidized stems. Removing that brown gunk on nice, old, ebonite stems can be a challenge, to say the least. One of the most indispensable items you can use to get those stems black again is OxiClean (in the powder form). Once you have a bunch of stems that need to be untarnished, take a plastic tub, fill it with hot tap water, and take a scoop of the OxiClean and pour it into the tub of hot water and let it dissolve for a minute. Now, before you put your stems in, take some petroleum jelly, and put a dab on any logos on the stems you don't want to disappear (because the OxiClean cleans everything). Put the stems in the tub and watch as the water quickly turns a pretty gross brown (all the gunk on the stems). Let them dry out and then buff them (or fine sand them first, then buff).
You'l have to be careful with certain older, ebonite stems, like those that were made by Custom-bilt and some of the other cheaper brands. Their ebonite stems tended to be more porous and those, you can't leave in the OxiClean too long as they'll start to get kind of rough. If that happens, you can do two things (and this is the second thing you should get if you want to restore pipes):
2. A buffer: get a stationery buffer and buff it smooth (or a cheap motor and arbors, as previously mentioned--your motor should be no more than a 1725 rpm motor, a 3600 rpm motor is too fast and if a stem comes flying off your buffing wheel [which, it will] you can lose an eye that way). Then, after you've removed as much as the oxidation as you can, take some black leather dye and give the stem a few coats. While the dye is still wet, take a bic lighter and set that sucker on fire (take a pipe cleaner and put it through the stem so you can hold it away from your fingers) and let the dye set. Then, buff that sucker so it shines like the moon.
3. A stationary drill press: I have an old Delta drill press that's about as tall as me, runs as straight as an arrow, has different speeds, and is indispensable for making straight holes (which you'll need to do from time to time--to drill out broken tenons on stems, re-drill draught holes, etc.). I picked it up on Craigslist, from a retired woodworker, who just wanted to make sure it went to a good home, and he gave it to me for 50 bucks.
Hope those suggestions help and have fun setting up your shop!
Hardly can top that... I do not have a bench grinder/sander/polisher but do have a good drill that I use 4 inch polishers. The drill has a button that holds the drill speed steady without holding the trigger (probably has a more elegant name). That allows me to hold the drill with it working in one hand and the pipe in the other. Not sophisticated in any way but very functional.
Spencer
Spencer
I use my dremel on many different things. That and a normal hand drill.
I live in a small apartment so I don't have much room. Good thing is that my apartments are like an old folks home and are only one floor. It allowed me to create a 'mini-man cave' lol. It's small almost to the point of being dangerous but has nearly everything I need. Just need to figure out how to place a band saw or a drill press somewhere..... If the wife will allow it.
Click here for a youtube video of it.
I live in a small apartment so I don't have much room. Good thing is that my apartments are like an old folks home and are only one floor. It allowed me to create a 'mini-man cave' lol. It's small almost to the point of being dangerous but has nearly everything I need. Just need to figure out how to place a band saw or a drill press somewhere..... If the wife will allow it.
Click here for a youtube video of it.
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