Which Oxiclean To Use?

[badbriar]

I'm working on a few vulcanite pipe stems that have oxidized significantly and plan to use Oxiclean to help bring them back to black.
Which oxiclean product is best to use for that?
Thanks,
RR

 

[sablebrush52]

Micromesh pads or some other form of graduated sanding. The oxidized material has to be physically removed. In the end, shortcuts aren't really all that short.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Non of them. They can often leave the material pitted. Sanding or burning are the only ways to completely removed it.

 

[sablebrush52]

Non of them. They can often leave the material pitted. Sanding or burning are the only ways to completely removed it.

Yep. Walker Pipe Repair used to have a sign on its site that said, "Bleach Destroys Vulcanite".

 

[captpat]

Don’t use oxyclean or bleach.

 

[xrundog]

Yeah, I’ve used it and don’t like it. It doesn’t react in a predictable reliable way with all rubbers.
Magic Eraser and Soft Scrub cleanser does a nice job with lighter oxidation. Leaves a pretty smooth surface for buffing.
Otherwise it’s wet sanding with 800 grit. It can look black indoors and still have green lurking. Check your work in direct sunlight. Like rays of sunlight shining right on it.

 

[tbradsim1]

I used TSP trisodiumnphoshate with good results, you get it at the hardware store.

 

[renfield]

Micromesh pads. More effort but no chance to pit the vulcanite either.

 

[Kirklands]

I've used Tide Multi-Purpose Oxi with good results, but now I use Bar Keepers Friend with 0000 steel wool or a kitchen scrub pad. Almost always, however, I follow up with 400, 600, and 800 sandpaper and then micromesh through the whole range: 1500-12000. The Bar Keepers Friend just gets the surface grime off and the sanding does the real work.

 

[AreBee]

I'm not an expert, but I've had success with the Oxi-Clean brand on the dozen or so pipes. Soaking for 30 minutes to an hour. I then polished with 2,500 to 12,000 grit polishing pads. The first time, I mistakenly left the stem to sit in the dish in direct contact with the oxy clean granules and that marred the finish and required a lot more sanding with grittier pads (400-1,000). Since then I stir it aver minute or so, preventing direct contact with the granules for a long period of time.

 

[keith929]

I'm not an expert, but I've had success with the Oxi-Clean brand on the dozen or so pipes. Soaking for 30 minutes to an hour. I then polished with 2,500 to 12,000 grit polishing pads. The first time, I mistakenly left the stem to sit in the dish in direct contact with the oxy clean granules and that marred the finish and required a lot more sanding with grittier pads (400-1,000). Since then I stir it aver minute or so, preventing direct contact with the granules for a long period of time.

This is my preferred method as well.

 

[Danish Estates]

I have had good and bad results. Most of the time when I use oxiclean, it brings most of the oxidation to the surface, and it is easy to remove with micromesh. One heavily oxidized stem I had was pitted badly when I removed it from the bath. I have decided to stray away from using it, and stick to micromesh and buffing wheels.

 

[craiginthecorn]

Oxidation pits vulcanite when it is severe. Bleach can remove or at least soften much of the oxidized material, which exposes the pits. When oxidation is significant, the ONLY way to restore them to deep black, smooth, and shiny is to sand the surface until the pits have been removed, then you can use finer abrasives followed by buffing with rouge to bring it back to like new. You can make them look blacker and dull with deoxidizers and then temporarily shiny with oil, but to do it right, you have to sand.

I recommend starting with a high quality 600 grit automotive wet/dry sandpaper, like 3M. Use it with a few drops of water. Wrap piece of it around a foam nail board to work in corners and to sand the end of the stem near the tenon. This will help prevent rounding over edge, which would be obvious after putting the stem back on the stummel.

 

[kcghost]

Micromesh or sanding works well for this, but it does require some effort on the user's part.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Most of the time when I use oxiclean, it brings most of the oxidation to the surface,

It just oxidizes the material like steam would. Oxidation is the outer layer.

 

[Roach1]

I have had several stems that were overly oxidized. I wet sanded in various grits up to 10 000 the used Savinelli stem polish. They turned out good. I have yet to try micromesh.

 

[Sigmund]

Nothing moves the oxidation to the surface. It is a fixed layer and nothing removes it other than removing that layer of material. There is a lot of wishful thinking on the web. The bottom line is the oxidized layer is deterorated hard rubber. You cant fix broken. It must be removed.

Removing the oxidized layer by hand is a lot more precise than trying to chemically remove it. If a chemical has an effect just keep in mind you are eating away material. If you are trusting enough to do that then thats cool...its your pipe.

 

[JoburgB2]

Yep. Walker Pipe Repair used to have a sign on its site that said, "Bleach Destroys Vulcanite".

Sadly, this is true. Damn ignorance!

 

[JoburgB2]

… The bottom line is the oxidized layer is deterorated hard rubber...Removing the oxidized layer by hand is a lot more precise than trying to chemically remove it…

Okay. This seems to make sense. But I am unfamiliar with these products and materials that are mentioned by others. What is micromesh? Most of my stems are ugly and need work. I do not have a workshop nor a buffing wheel. And I might be lazy if there is something else to do. Like go down to the pub.

 

[Pipke]

There are no chemicals that will make vulcanite stem reconditioning easier. There are no shortcuts. The oxidized rubber layer must be removed by hand using sandpaper and microgrit polishing pads.