Category Archives: Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Peterson’s DeLuxe 608S

5 Comments

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Peterson’s DeLuxe 608S

My pipe refurbishing companion, shes in need of some TLC herself. I will admit when I’m working on a pipe I have a bad habit of puffing away like theres no tomorrow, the P lip seems to helps in this area as not to cause tongue bite. The flat, saddle, P lip bit is also comfortable clenched in jaw for hours on end. She was picked up as an estate and has been in service for myself going on six years. While refurbishing my last pipe it dawned on me that my little DeLuxe hasn’t been cleaned property by me ever, my skills have changed  much since  its cleaning almost six years ago and I thought now would be a good time to do right by her and give her a good once over.

My DeLuxe

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I’m a little embarrassed with the upkeep of one of my favorites or lack their of but this is the only pipe in my possession that has been overlooked, it has always rested on my work desk there in a pinch when needed. Oxidation, rim tar&char and the stain has since faded .

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I started with the rim tar/oils there was no need to ream, I wipe my chamber clean after each smoke, what cake has built I’m keeping. I applied Method Wood For Good Polish to the rim build up with a Q-tip and allowed it to penetrate the tars and oils for a few minutes, removing the debris with a Q-tip.

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I cleaned the internals of the stummel and stem with EverClear ,Q-tips and stiff/soft pipe cleaners working until the pipe cleaners came out as they went in.

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The stain was faded and dull it would have to be re-stained. I gave the stummel a good wipe down with an alcohol dampened makeup pad, removing the worn stain and oils from handling.

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I would re-stain with Fiebings leather dye. I mixed a little EverClear,a little red dye and dark brown together.

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I inserted a Bic pen end into the mortise so I could apply the stain, using an old homemade brush I applied a generous amount of the mixed stain , being careful not to get in the chamber. I then hit it with a Bic Lighter to set the stain, removing the excess with a alcohol dampened rag. I now left it aside to dry while I worked on the stem.

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The stem was oxidized and had a little chatter, I applied non-bleach Soft Scrub to the stem with a children’s toothbrush and left it aside topenetrate the oxidation. Once the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color its time to introduce the old elbow grease and scrub vigorously with a rag until the oxidation is removed, finished up with a damp Magic Eraser to remove the leftover oxidation.

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I removed the chatter with 1000 grit sandpaper wet, I then ran the stem through the various grits of sandpaper and micro-mesh , 1500mesh, 1800mesh, 2000 paper and 2400mesh wet and 3200-12000 dry. With the stem polished and stummel stained and dry she was ready for the buffer.

Complete.
She’s ready for six more years and a bowl of Royal Yacht.

 

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Finished her up on the wheel with white diamond, a few coats of carnauba and a microfiber hand buffing ,Buffing the stem with blue compound.

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Peterson Captain Pete XL80

7 Comments 
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I was gifted this Captain Pete for Christmas by my wife its one that has pasted me by a few times and I didn't think I'd get in the shape I wanted the XL80, a shape I'm very found of.  The Captain Pete XL80 is chunky and has a shorter stem then the standard 80 shape and thats what was so eye catching for me, short and fat like many of the pipes in my collection. Jim Lilley connoisseur and collector of Peterson Pipes wrote a post on the Captain Pete on his blog, he has also contributed to Pipedia The Peterson Page , the Peterson's in his collection are amazing.
As Received
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The Captain was in was in decent shape when I received it, rim build up, tight tennon fit, a little chatter, worn stain and the start of an uneven cake.
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After looking over and disassembling the pipe, I set aside the stem and started with the stummel. First reaming the chamber with my Pipnet reamer starting with the smallest attachment and working up to the second attachment, smoothing things out with 400 grit sandpaper wrapped around a finger. The chamber was free of burn or pitting. Now my attention turned to the rim build up, I applied a generous amount of Method Wood For Good Polish with a Q-tip and allowed it to penetrate the oils and tars.
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After the Method Polish had time to penetrate the build it was easily removed with Q-tips. Some of the stain was removed along with the build up, which doesn't typically happen with Method polish.
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With the rim free of oils/tar I began my internal cleaning of the stem, chamber and mortise using EverClear, Q-tips, makeup pads and stiff/soft pipe cleaners, cleaning until the pipe cleaners came out as they went in.
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After my internal cleaning, I did a EverClear and cotton ball soak on the chamber allowing it to absorb the tars and oils while I worked on the stem.
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The stem was in good condition aside from a a little chatter and a couple of tooth impressions. To remove some of the shallow tooth chatter I heated the area with a Bic Lighter ( moving the flame at all times never leaving it in one spot too long) all but a couple of impressions raised.
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I now applied non-bleach Soft Scrub to the stem with a children's toothbrush and left it aside to penetrat the oxidation. Once the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color its time to scrub vigorously with a rag until the oxidation is removed, removing the leftover oxidation with a damp Magic Eraser.
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The couple of tooth impressions that were left I would remove with 1000 grit sandpaper wet. I tapped off the bit/button portion of the stem with blue painters tape so my rough sanding would remain in one area.
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Before polishing the stem with the finial three Micro-Mesh pads I touched up the P with Rub'n Buff. I applied it with a Q-tip and buffed off the excess with a rag and continued with my final polishing with the last three micro-mesh pads.
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The  rest of the stem would not need as much work as the bit/button portion, as the Soft Scrub and Magic Eraser removed all the oxidation. I left the painters tape on the stem and  ran the button area though the various grits of sandpaper and micro-mesh 1500, 1800, 2000 paper, 2400 wet then 3200-4000 dry, I removed the painters tape just before sanding the entire stem with the last three Micro-Mesh pads 6000-12000 dry.
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Raising rim dents with steam. Using a household iron on medium/high heat and damp rag, I covered the rim dents with the damp rag and applied it to the hot iron working in intervals until all the dents raised.
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This is the first time I had results work this well and would not have to sand the area afterwords.
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When I received the Captain the red stain on the rim was faded to an almost pink color and after cleaning the debris from the rim it was more so. I decided to re-stain the whole stummel with Fiebings Red leather dye. I gave the stummel a wipe down with an alcohol dampened rag, allowing it to dry then appling the red stain, I hit it with a Bic Lighter to set the stain, removed the excess stain with a alcohol dampened rag and left it overnight to dry completely before buffing.
Captain Complete
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I Finished up on the wheel with white diamond, a few coats of carnauba and a microfiber hand buffing. Buffing the stem with blue compound and buffing the spacer with black emery before gluing it back in place.

 

I had fun taking photos of this one, My Pop was a Navy Man so I’m also a collector of vintage nautical item’s as well.

Thanks For Taking A Look.
Custom-Bilt/Custombilt, Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Custombilt Convertibole

5 Comments
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Advertisement courtesy of Bill Unger’s book. “As Individual As A Thumbprint” The Custom-bilt Pipe Story.

 

Custombilt Convertibole

The elusive Convertibole, its taken two long years to hunt this oddity down. They were always just out of reach. I have an addiction to Custom-Bilt / Custombilt Pipes but I’m not willing to brake the bank to add one to my collection. So I was pretty happy when this one went out cheap on EBAY. The Convertibole  first appeared in 1946 and was distributed by Eugene Rich, the interchangeable bowls made ease in changing between blends.  

As Received

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She was in rough shape, well used but the price was right and I was up for a challenge. The shank was cracked, a band would have easily fixed the problem but it would also take away from the pipe itself. So a little unconventional fix would have to do.

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Starting with the bowls chamber and my Pipnet reamer, I reamed the cake back to briar starting with the smallest attachment and working up to the third, she was free of any defects. I finished up with 400 grit sandpaper wrapped around a finger.

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With the chamber reamed, I moved on to the rim and shank. There was a build up of tar/oils on the rim and where the bowl and shank met. I applied Method Wood For Good Polish to the rim and shank area with a Q-tip and let the Method penetrate the build up. Once the Method penetrated the tars/oils it was easily removed with Q-tips and makeup pads.

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I did an EverClear and cotton ball soak on the bowls chamber, leaving it aside to allow the cotton balls to absorb the oils and tars.

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The internals were next . I did an initial internal cleaning of the mortise and stem with EverClear,Q-tips and bristle/soft pipe cleaners to remove the loose debris. Now I un-rolled cotton balls to form a long swab , using the swab I twisted it into the mortise tightly and added EverClear until the cotton swab absorbed the alcohol and left it aside to pull the tars/oils out. After sitting I did one more good internal cleaning of the mortise and stem, cleaning the exterior of the stem with EverClear and makeup pads.

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Now my unconventional shank fix. I cleaned the area of the crack with EverClear and Q-tips and allowed it to dry. I applied Gorilla Glue to the crack on the outer side of the shank and inner of the mortise with a toothpick then packed the outer shank side with briar dust and applied a hose clamp to the shank and tightened the clamp until the crack was closed. I now left it to dry overnight.

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The following morning the repair had cured and I was able to begin work on removing the excess glue, first the mortise,leaving the hose clamp in place I used needle files and sandpaper to remove the excess glue until I had a clean surface for the tennon to be inserted once again. The crack had gone through a rusticated area of the shank which was good luck on my part as I was hoping I could blend the repair into the craggy rustication.( Above photo was attempt one to blend.)

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 (Top photo was attempt two.) I used touch up markers ,briar dust ,Gorilla Glue and a X-Acto knife to recreate the rustication lost by the repair patch. By my third try I was happy ,it seemed to blend well.(lower photo)

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Happy with the repair my attention now turned to the oxidized stem. I applied a generous amount of non-bleach Soft Scrub with a children’s toothbrush and left it aside to begin softening the oxidation. Once the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color its time to introduce the old elbow grease and scrub vigorously with a rag until the oxidation is removed. Finishing with a damp Magic Eraser to remove the leftover oxidation.

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Using a bic lighter I heated the bit/button portion of the stem to raise some of the chatter ( moving the flame at all times never leaving it in one spot too long). There were two impressions that wouldn’t raise with heat but were shallow enough to remove with sanding.

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I tapped off the shank with painters tape so my sanding would remain on the stem and not damage the shank. Starting with the bit/button area and 1000 grit wet sandpaper I removed the stubborn impressions that didn’t raise with heat. I now ran the stem through the various grits of micro-mesh 1500-12000.

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Just before hitting the wheel I applied Howard’s butcher block conditioner with a rag and let it penetrate for a few minutes removing the excess with a clean rag.

Complete

 

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Finished her up on the wheel with white diamond,  a few coats of carnauba and a microfiber hand buffing. Buffing the stem with blue compound .

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Supply List

14 Comments

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A great post for this site would be one highlighting the different tools, products, etc. that y’all use.

Recently I received a question on my supplies. Everyone who’s into estate pipe refurbishing has his or her own list of tools and products ,these are the products and tools I reach for in the restoration of my pipes. I try to keep things as cheap as possible. I didn’t list prices as they have changed some since my purchasing them. Also my equipment was purchased over a five year period as it was needed it was added.

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  1. Castleford Reamer(EBAY)– I started out with this reamer, was on my second when I switched to a Pipnet.
  2. Shank Brushes(plastic tips) – Smokingpipes.com / Pipes&Cigars.com
  3. Retort(EBAY)– seller 4Ziggy20
  4. Pipnet Reamer– Smokingpipes.com  I as well as many others recommend this reamer.
  5.  Round Tip Jewelry Pliers– Big box store. I use the round tip pliers to expand the tennon on a loose stem.
  6. Needle Files– Harbor Freight.
  7. Mortise Brush– Smokingpipes.com
  8. Pick Set– Harbor Freight

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  1. EverClear– Local Liquor Store
  2. BJ Pipe Cleaners(soft/bristle)– Amazon.com
  3. Gorilla Glue– Big Box Store
  4. Accelerator(EBAY)– seller thebillofwrites
  5. Nature’s Way Activated Charcoal Powder– Amazon.com
  6. Micro-Mesh(EBAY)– seller thebillofwrites
  7. 400,1000,2000 wet/dry sandpaper– Home Depot
  8. Thick Black CA Glue(EBAY)– seller thebillofwrites

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  1. 1300 RPM Hand Drill and Drill mounted buffing kit– Amazon.com . I have my drill mounted to an adjustable hobby vice also from Amazon.com I started out with this drill five years ago and up graded to a veritable speed bench buffer that has since burnt out so I’m back to old reliable.
  2. Buffing Weels(loose/Sewn)– Amazon.com, Harbor Freight
  3. Buffing Rake– Amazon
  4. Carnauba Wax– Amazon.com
  5. Blue Compound– Harbor Freight, Amazon.com
  6. White Diamond Compound– Amazon.com
  7. Brown Tripoli-Amazon.com

8.  Black Emery-Amazon.com

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  1. Non-bleach Soft Scrub– Big Box Store
  2. Howard’s Butcher Block Conditioner– Home Depot. Used on natural or deeply rusticated pipes.
  3. Household Iron– Big Box Store
  4. Cotton Balls– Dollar Tree/ Dollar Store
  5. 100%  pure Acetone– Big Bix Store
  6. Makeup Pads– Dollar Tree/Dollar Store
  7. Q-tips Cotton Swabs– Dollar Tree/Dollar Store
  8. Method Wood For Good Polish-Big Box Store

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  1. Painters Tape– Big Box Store
  2. Touch up furniture markers– Amazon.com
  3. White out pen– Big Box Store. Touch up on Stem logos
  4. Fiebings leather dye– Amazon.com
  5. Magic Eraser– Big Box Store
  6. Microfiber cloth– Big Box Store

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  1. Children’s Toothbrush– Big Box Store
  2. Long Q-tips– Amazon.com
  3. Bic Lighter– Big Box Store.
  4. Heat Gun– Home Depot. Stem bending.

5.  Rub & Buff– Joanns Craft. Touch up on stem logos

  I also hold on to every spare container ,old tee-shirt and medicine dropper that I can get my hands on.

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My small work area in the corner of our bedroom its changed a little since this photo was taken. My wifes pretty cool and supportive of my hobby.

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

A New Look For A Poker Made By Brian Doran

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I received this stubby poker made by Brian Doran for Christmas its a shape I’ve wanted for some time. I couldn’t find much information on the pipe maker, other then his EBAY actions. He’s from West Virginia and makes affordable pipes for the working man. My wife purchased the pipe as an estate from a separate seller it was listed as clean and ready to smoke. The pipe it self seemed it had more to offer.

 

The facelift

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The pipe was pretty clean but the chamber had cracks/pits that would need mud, the rim had a strange rustication done with a dremal tool. It had more potential it just had to be uncovered.

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I started by topping the bowl with 150, 220, 400 grit sandpaper then 1000 to finish the rim off. I uncovered imperfections in the wood, it seemed insects may have made there home here first. I was able to remove all but one on the rim, I’ll say it adds character.

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After topping the bowl I decided to sand the stummel with 1000 grit sandpaper to add a little depth in color. I restained the rim and stummel with a light brown touch up marker, allowing it to dry and removing the excess with a alcohol dampened makeup pad. The stummel and stem were now ready for a buff.

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Before hitting the wheel I wanted to address the chamber, I mix a batch of pipe mud to fill in the pits, using cigar ash and a little water and smoothing it around the chamber with my finger.

Complete

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Finished her up on the wheel with white diamond,  a few coats of carnauba and a microfiber hand buffing.

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Kaywoodie HandMade

9 Comments
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I’m a sucker for a fat bottom and that’s exactly what we have here in the Kaywoodie Hand-Made Over-size line of pipes. They’re getting harder to find, so when one pops up I have to jump on it. My search for a chunky Kaywoodie lead me to this line of pipes and about a year ago I had the pleasure of refurbishing two, there thick walls and chunky shape not only make it comfortable in the hand but it produces a cool smoke.
As Received

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The nomenclature was lightly stamped or worn.

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Over all she was in nice condition and seemed well cared for. Heavy stem oxidation, chatter and a little rim tar&char.

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I started by reaming the chamber with my Pipnet reamer, first with the smallest attachment and working up to the third  taking it back to briar, the chamber was free of any imperfections. I smoothed out the chamber with 400 grit sandpaper. The rim, I applied a generous amount of Method Good For Wood Polish and set aside to penetrate the debris. Using Q-tips I removed the oils and tars from the rim.

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The char/rim darkening was removed with worn micro-mesh.Using EverClear, Q-tips and stiff/soft pipe cleaners I gave the mortise and chamber a quick once over to get out the loose debris. Now the soak, I unrolled a cotton ball, twisted it together to form a long swab and inserted it tightly into the mortise and filled the chamber with EverClear a quarter of the way. I allowed the swab to absorb the alcohol, then I filled the chamber with two cotton balls and added EverClear until the cotton balls were saturated. I left it aside to allow the cotton balls and alcohol to absorb the oils and tars.

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The stem was heavily oxidized and had quite a bit of chatter. I started first by appling Soft Scrub with a children’s toothbrush to the stem and left it to penetrate the oxidation. Once the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color its time to start the vigorous scrubbing with a rag, I would repeat this process a few times to get the bulk of the oxidation off. To get the rest of stubborn oxidation I used heat. Heat can be your best friend or your worst enemy and doesn’t work on all stem materials.(Nylon & Acrylic stems do not respond the same and melt or burn, I have had success with ebonite swirled cumberland stems in the past) In this case I’m working with vulcanite which is more resilient and responds well to heat. I heated the oxidized portions of the stem with a Bic Lighter (moving the flame rapidly never leaving it in one spot too long) working carefully around the clover logo inserted in the stem, In the past I’ve had a few inserts on Kaywoodie and Dr. Grabow pipes pop out using this method of heat. At this time I heated the bit/button portion of the stem to raise some of the chatter.

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With the oxidation removed I could begin sanding.

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After giving the stummel time to sit to allow the cotton balls and EverClear to absorb the tars and oils I could do a good internal cleaning of the chamber,mortise and stem. Using cotton balls,Q-tips and stiff/soft pipe cleaners I cleaned the internals of the stummel and stem until the pipe cleaners came out as they went in.

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After removing the chatter with 1000 grit sandpaper there was still one indentation on the button that did not raise with heat and would need filling. I mixed a paste using thick black CA glue and activated charcoal power, I taped off the button area so the fill would remain in one spot. I applied the paste with a toothpick allowed it to set up a bit, then removed the painters tape and hit it with the accelerator, setting it aside to cure.

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After the fill had time to cure I began to form the new button with needle files and sandpaper. The stem could now be run though the various grits of micro-mesh.

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I ran the stem through the various grits of sandpaper and micro-mesh. 1000 grit sandpaper wet, 1500,1800, 2000, 2400 wet and 3200-12000 dry. There were a few pieces of metal or aluminum embedded in the rubber which tells me it was wartime  recycled rubber. You can see the embedded imperfections in my final photos. Tho not very noticeable.

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I gave the stummel a wipe down with Howard’s butcher block conditioner and let it penetrate for a few minutes hand buffing off the excess. She was now ready for the wheel.

Fin

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Finished up on the wheel with white diamond, a few coats of carnauba and a microfiber hand buffing, buffing the stem with blue compound & carnauba.

Custom-Bilt/Custombilt, Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Custom-Bilt patented filter system poker (Mincer era)

2 Comments
Custom-Bilt patented filter system 1935 to around 1941.

 

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The patented filter used in all Custom-bilt pipes. Its function is to absorb the excess moisture and tar oils. Since oil and water will not mix, and the oil always goes to the top, the Custom-bilt filter, although made in one piece for greater convenience in removing, is bent to give the results of a double or two-piece filter. The upper filler absorbs the tar oils, the lower filter absorbs the moisture.
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Images & information courtesy of Bill Ungers As Individual As A Thumbprint-The Custombilt Pipe Story.

 

The Custom-bilt patented filler system is one more oddity that’s always on my radar, along with a list of many others I have yet to acquire. With the addition of this big and beautiful poker it brings the count to three in my collection each one more massive then the last. This example is by far the largest in my collection and also the first poker shape in the collection.

As Received

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The seller removed the stem with pliers. At least there was no damage done to the filter system.

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Aside from the tool marks on the stem, the pipe showed normal wear. Light chatter, rim tar&char and one good burn on the rim.

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After disassembling the pipe I set aside the stem and started with stummel, reaming the chamber with my Pipnet reamer starting with the smallest attachment and working up to the third. Smoothing out the chamber with 1000 grit sandpaper wraped around a finger.

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I applied a generous amount of Method Good For Wood Polish with a Q-tip to the rim tar&char and allowed it to soften the build up. It would prove more stubborn then first thought.

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I would have to apply Method polish to a makeup pad and leave the stummel upside down for a few minutes at a time working at the build up in intervals with Q-tips and a rag until the rim was free of debris.

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With the rim free of debris I could concentrate on the chamber and mortise. The filter system makes things a bit more difficult to clean and because the filter system is held by a red rod on either side of the shank I worry running a retort might damage the system. I did an initial internal cleaning of the mortise and chamber with EverClear, Q-tips and stiff/soft pipe cleaners to remove the loose debris. Then I inserted a pipe cleaner into the shank,  filled the chamber with cotton balls and added EverClear until saturated and left aside so the oils and tars could be absorb. Then one more good cleaning of the internals again with EverClear, Q-tips (long&short), shank brush and stiff/soft pipe cleaners, cleaning until the pipe cleaners came out as they went in.

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I uncovered one pit and a burn that went pretty deep. In fear of changing the shape I decided to try and fill the impressions.

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I cleaned the area with EverClear and filled the pit with briar dust and Gorilla Glue then left to dry. I filed down the burnt area  of the rim with a needle file and cleaned with EverClear. I rolled up a piece of thin cardboard, put a little chapstick on the cardboard so the glue wouldn’t stick and slid it into the chamber. Now I filled the edge of the rim with briar dust and Gorilla Glue , removing the cardboard insert before the patch set.

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I could now shape the rim and inner chamber edge with needle files and sandpaper. I didn’t disappear completely but it looked better the before.

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With the fill set I now wiped down the stummel with Method polish and left aside to dry. Once dry I gave the stummel a coating of Howard’s butcher block conditioner and let it penetrate for a few minutes, hand buffing off the excess. I did restain the rim after the repair was done I forgot to take a photo.

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 The impressions left from the pliers would raise with heat, using a Bic Lighter I heated the area (moving the lighter at all times never leaving the flame in one spot too long).

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The impressions were now at a suitable level for sanding.

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Now for the oxidation I applied a generous amount of non-bleach Soft Scrub to the stem with a children’s toothbrush and left it aside to work at the oxidation. Once the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color, now its time to introduce the old elbow grease and scrub vigorously with a rag until the oxidation is removed, finishing up with a  damp Magic Eraser to remove the leftover oxidation.

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With the oxidation removed the stem was now ready to be sanded. I taped off the shank with blue painters tape before sanding so I wouldn’t scuff up the nomenclature. I removed what was left of the plier impressions with 1000 grit sandpaper wet and also the tooth impressions were removed with 1000 grit . I then ran it though the various grits of sandpaper and micro-mesh, 1000,1500,1800,2000 and 2400 wet and 3200-12000 dry. She was now ready for the wheel.

Complete
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We named this one The Briar Shot, because it closely resembled – Well a shot glass.

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Photos & Information Courtesy of Bill Unger's As Individual As Thumbprint The Custom-Bilt Pipe Story

Photos & Information Courtesy of Bill Unger’s As Individual As Thumbprint The Custom-Bilt Pipe Story. My favorite pipe pictured in Bill Unger’s book, mine is not an exact match but I’ll take close enough.

Finished her up on the wheel with white diamond, a few coats of carnauba and a microfiber hand buffing. I buffed the stem with blue compound, I have read in Steve’s blog Reborn Pipes of him using the blue compound and thought I’d give it a whirl. The blue all purpose compound seems to take more, if not all of the fine sanding marks leftover from the micro-mesh. Once again I’m impressed.

 

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Quick Clean up , Pre-Transition Sasieni two dot 73

5 Comments
Pre-Transition Sasieni Two Dot 73
(1961-1979)

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The baby blue dots,
I’ve always been a fan of Sasieni pipes and there history. In fact the kick off to my estate refurbishing and collecting stated with a lot of pipes from a friends fathers estate. Included was nine or ten boxed smoked and Un-Smoked Sasieni two dot pipes. Many had the dreaded pink filler but a few I could never figure out why they were two dot and not four . I have two left in my collection , one Un-smoked Two Dot Oom Paul 80sxs with one small spot of filler and the one I’m writing about a thick walled, stubby Two dot 73. For life of me I cannot find one flaw, its been in the rack about three years now and with winter here I thought I could use a nose warmer. 

The unappreciated subject
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She was redone five years ago and went untouched for three. The stem has since oxidized, a little tar&char and a few impressions that would need attention.

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The new toy, my Castleford reamer has reached its end the attachments no longer stay in its handle. After reading many reviews and fellow refurbishing bloggers giving the thumbs up on the Pipnet reamer, my wife picked one up for me. I must say its a different world, the shape of the reamer attachments are far superior to the Castleford set, in that it reaches the bottom of the chamber more evenly and producers a cleaner cut through the cake.

I’m impressed.

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Starting with the stummel and my Pipnet reamer I cut back what little cake there was, first with the smallest attachment and working up to the third, then I lightly sanded the chamber with 1000 grit sandpaper. There was a little rim tar&char, I applied a little Method Wood For Good Polish with a Q-tip and allowed the polish to soften the build up. With the build up removed I worked on the rim darkening with worn micro-mesh until it faded.

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I now moved on to the internals. Using EverClear, Q-tips, makeup pads and stiff/soft pipe cleaners I cleaned the mortise, chamber, inner tube and the stem internals until the pipe cleaners came out as they went in. I cleaned the stem exterior with EverClear and a makeup pad.

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I applied Soft Scrub to the oxidized stem with a children’s toothbrush and left until the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color.

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Once the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color its time to introduce the old elbow grease. Scrubbing vigorously with a rag until the oxidation is removed, then finishing with a damp Magic Eraser to get off the last bit of oxidation.

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Now the chatter, I attempted to raise the chatter with heat to no avail. The Soft Scrub and Magic Eraser removed all the oxidation and the stem other then the chatter was in great shape. So I taped off the bit/button portion of the stem with blue painters tape so my work would remain in one area. I removed the impressions with 400 grit sandpaper wet and then ran the stem through the various grits of sandpaper and micro-mesh 1000-2400 wet, then 3200-6000 dry. I removed the painters tape before sanding with the last two micro-mesh pads and sanded the entire stem with 8000 and 12000 dry to shine it up before buffing.

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Its hard to see in the photos but there were a few dings in the rim. Using a hot iron and damp rag I steamed out the imperfections.

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Just before hitting the wheel I wiped down the stummel with Method polish and let dry.

Complete

 

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Finished her up on the wheel with white diamond, a few coats of carnauba and a microfiber hand buff. I buffed the inner tube with black emery compound.

Custom-Bilt/Custombilt, Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Custombilt Bent Billiard (Rich Era)

10 Comments

The scoundrel Pipes

The pipes I received from fellow blogger Clint of Pipe Scoundrel are complete. They have a new home and are ready to be enjoyed once again. This trio of Bilts has been an eye opener, I believe there will be many more Rich era Custombilts in my future.

The last pipe as received

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The nomenclature was stamped unevenly but I could still make out the tell tail (S) of Eugene Rich era Bilts.

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The last of the trio a large bent billiard. Much like the last shes in pretty descent shape. The cake is a little thicker, the tennon would need tightening, rim tar&char, there is a little filler present and light chatter.

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I started off with the smallest attachment of my Castleford reamer and moving on to the largest that the chamber would except in this case it was one up from the first. I finished up with 400 grit sandpaper. The chamber was free of pitting or the start of a burn out.

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Now for the rim, it was thick with tars and build up. I applied a generous amount of Method Good For Wood Polish to a makeup pad and left the stummel upside down so the polish could soften the build up. I would have to repeat this process a couple of times to remove all the debris, using a children’s toothbrush and Q-tips. I have also uncovered a couple of dents on the rim that I will address later on.

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With the rim clean I moved to the chamber and mortise. I did a quick clean of the internals with EverClear and Qtips to remove the loose debris. Now the soak, I unrolled a cotton ball and formed a long swab, using the swab I twisted it into the mortise tightly. I now filled the chamber a quarter of the way with EverClear and allowed the swab to absorb the alcohol. Once the alcohol is absorbed I filled the chamber with two cotton balls and added EverClear to the cotton balls untill saturated. I now set the stummel aside while I worked on the stem.

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I started the stem by cleaning the exterior first with EverClear and a makeup pad, then the internals with EverClear and stiff/soft pipe cleaners, cleaning until the pipe cleaner came out as it went in.

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Now the oxidized stem I applied non-bleach Soft Scrub with a children’s toothbrush and left aside until the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color.

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Now the elbow grease, I  now scrubbed the stem vigorously with Soft Scrub and a rag to remove the oxidation

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Finishing with a damp Magic Eraser to remove the leftover oxidation. The surface still has a rough texture and would need to be sanded.

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The stem had a couple of tooth impressions, using a Bic lighter I heated the area of the impressions (moving the flame at all times never leaving it in one spot too long). I was able to raise a few but one was stubborn and would need filling.

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I roughed up the area to be repaired with 400 grit sandpaper, then wiped the area with an alcohol dampened rag. I made a paste using thick black CA glue and activated charcoal power and applied it to the impression with a toothpick, hitting it with accelerator to set the patch.

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After allowing time for the paste to cure I removed the excess using a needle file. I smoothed out the repaired area with 400 grit sandpaper .

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I now ran the stem though the various grits of sandpaper and micro-mesh 1000-2400 wet and 3200-12000 dry.

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The tennon was loose upon receiving the pipe. I used jewelers pliers and a Bic Lighter to expand the tennon from the inside out, by heating the tennon with the lighter and inserting the tip of the pliers into the tennon gradually untill a snug fit between mortise and tennon was achieved.

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With the stem complete I moved on to the stummel. After sitting for an hours or so the cotton balls had time to absorb some of the tars. The chamber was clean but I would have to repeat the process on the mortise a few more times. Then finishing up the mortise and draught with  EverClear, Q-tips and stiff/soft pipe cleaners until the pipe cleaners came out clean.

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Now to address the rim dents and darkening.

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Using a hot iron and a damp rag I steamed the dents out and lightened the rim darkening with worn micro-mesh.

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There were three spots of filler present that would have to go.

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I applied Method Wood For Good Polish to the filler and let it soften up for a few minutes.

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Using a pick and X-acto knife I removed the light colored filler.

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I refilled with briar dust and Gorilla Glue and left aside to dry.

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I removed the excess glue with worn miro-mesh, then stained the new fill with a touch up marker, lighting up the color to match with an alcohol dampened Q-tip.

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I now wiped down the stummel with Method polish and let dry. Next Howard’s butcher block conditioner, using a Q-tip I worked the Howard’s into the crags and then applied Howard’s to the whole stummel letting it penetrate for a few minutes, hand buffing the excess off with a clean rag. She was now ready for a final buff.

Complete

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Finished her up on the wheel with white diamond, a few coats of carnauba and a microfiber hand buff.

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The Gang all together.

 Clint your generosity is greatly appreciated. The pipes are beautiful and right at home in my collection.

Custom-Bilt/Custombilt, Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Custombilt Clean up (Rich era)

Quote 7 Comments

The scoundrel Pipes

Two down one to go it seems fitting to keep plugging away at the pipes I received from fellow blogger Pipe Scoundrel.

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Custombilt Eugene Rich Years.

1946-1952

My original impressions of Custombilt pipes was anything post Mincer was not worth my time or efforts but I’ve been wrong before. The change of hands did not necessarily mean a change in quality, yes the dash was eliminated and the rustication was not quiet as deep but big , thick and chunky they still are. I now have four in my ever-growing collection drilled perfect and not one ounce filler to be found. Eugene J Rich INC definitely did the Custombilt name justice.

Pipe As Received

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The next was in beautiful used condition and unlike the first was lacking any paint which would make for an easier start. A Little rim tar&char , thin cake and light stem chatter.

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I started with my Castleford reamer working from the smallest attachment to the largest that the chamber would accept, in this case it would accept the largest. I brought the chamber back to briar to be able to see the start of a burn out, I found only slight pitting on the inner wall on one side. After reaming I sanded the chamber with 400 grit paper until the pitting smoothed out. I could now work on the build up on the rim. I applied a generous amount of Method Good For Wood Polish with a Q-tip to the rim and left it aside to penetrate the tars.

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The build up on the rim was quite thick towards the shank and would need more time to sit. I applied another helping of Method polish to the rim and left the stummel upside down on a makeup pad for 20 minutes. After sitting the 20 minutes the rest of the build up was easier to remove. I was now left with a little rim darkening.

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Using worn micro-mesh I was able to fade most of the darker spots.

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With the chamber and rim free of crud I could now move on to the internals. I did a quick clean of the mortise and chamber with EverClear soaked Q-tips to loosen up the residual residue. Next I rolled two cotton balls, twisted them together to form one long swab and twisted it tightly into the mortise. With the swab inserted in the mortise I filled the chamber a quarter of the way with EverClear and allowed the swab to absorb the alcohol.

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Once the swab absorbed the EverClear I filled the chamber with two cotton balls and added EverClear to the chamber until the cotton balls are saturated. I left the stummel aside  now so the cotton balls can absorb the tars and any ghosting.

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With the stummel set aside I moved to the stem, first cleaning the externals with EverClear and makeup pads.

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Now I applied non-bleach Soft Scrub to the stem with a children’s toothbrush and left it so the Soft Scrub could work its magic on the oxidation. I allow the Soft Scrub to turn from white to a brownish color before scrubbing vigorously with a rag. From the photo above you can see it removed 90% of the oxidation. I now used a damp Magic Eraser to remove the rest. The surface of the stem was left with a rough texture and would still need to be sanded. Before moving on I cleaned the internals of the stem with EverClear and stiff/soft pipe cleaners until the last pipe cleaner came as it went in.

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There were shallow tooth impressions at the bit/button area that raised a bit by heating the area with a Bic lighter (moving the flame at all times never leaving it in one spot too long). The stem was now ready for sanding.

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I sanded the stem first with 1000 grit wet sandpaper then 1800, 2000, 2400 wet moving on to the dry 3200-12000. Ready for the buffing wheel.

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Moving back to the stummel,  after sitting while working on the stem it had time for the EverClear and cotton balls to pull the tars and old tobacco out of the mortise and chamber. I gave it a good cleaning now with EverClear, Q-tips, cotton balls and stiff/soft pipe cleaners, cleaning until the last pipe cleaner came out as it went in.

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I now cleaned the exterior of the stummel with Method Good For Wood Polish and allowed it to dry.

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With all my CustomBilts I add a little Howard’s butcher block conditioner just before the final buffing on the wheel. I used a Q-tip to get the Howard’s into the deeper crags

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I then apply Howard’s to the whole stummel and allow it to penetrate for a few minutes and hand buffing off the excess. She could now receive a final buffing.

Complete

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I finished her up on the wheel with white diamond, a few coats of carnauba and a microfiber hand buffing.

Another beautiful addition to my Custombilt collection and a pleasure to clean up.