Quick Clean Up of 2 Petersons

July 6, 2016 pipesrevival 2 Comments

Peterson.

Donegal Rocky XL90 & Standard XL305

Its always nice to add a couple more Petes to the collection and in decent condition to boot. I enjoy a challenge as much as the next guy but its also nice to do a leisurely standard cleaning.

The Clean Up.

For the price they were both in great lightly smoked condition. A little oxidation , chatter and the silver band on the Donegal was tarnished.

I started with my PipNet reamer and reamed back the cake to a suitable thickness. The Donegal chamber was perfect, still had the bowl coating. The 315 was a little different the bowl coating was still there but there was an indentation on the side of the chamber that was caused by careless reaming in the past. I sanded the area to smooth out the damage as much as possible, in the long run it will not affect the smoke .

Next I cleaned the internals with EverClear stiff/soft pipe cleaners and Q-Tips. Very clean internals on both pipes, if you were to judge the pipes by there mortise alone you’d think they were un-smoked.

With the internals clean I now gave the stummals a wipe down with Method Wood For Good Polish and found a new use for the polish in the process it also cleans the tarnish from silver bands. I’m amazed by this stuff more and more each time I use it.

Before removing the oxidation I tried a little heat to remove some of the chatter. ( holding the stem above the flame of a Bic Lighter moving the flame at all times so not to burn the stem) Both stems responded pretty well, the XL90 responded the best leaving only minimal marks, the 305’s upper side was left with very little chatter after the heat , the under side didn’t respond as well and would still need sanding,

With the bulk of the chatter removed I moved onto the oxidation, I applied a generous amount of non-bleach Soft Scrub and left it aside to allow the Soft Scrub to brake up the oxidation, once the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color its time to scrub vigorously with a rag adding more Soft Scrub as needed. ( Holding the stem under natural light will help to see if all oxidation has been removed)

I now ran the stems thought the various grits of micro-mesh. The XL90 didn’t need much attention but the 305 needed a bit more work, I taped off the bit end with blue painters tape so my more abrasive sanding would remain in one area. I sanded with 400,800 and 1000 grit sandpaper wet to remove the rest of the chatter I then ran it though the micro-mesh pads.

During my process of removing the oxidation I also inadvertently removed the P from the XL90 stem , I taped off the P originally but the tape was no match for the Soft Scrub. My white Rub’n Buff dried up so gold would have to do, using a toothpick I applied the Rub’n Buff and allowed it to dry, I then lightly polished with 8000 and 12000 micro-mesh pads.

Complete.

I finished up on the wheel with a few coats of carnauba and micro-fiber hand buffing. Buffing the stem with blue compound and carnauba.

Thanks For Taking A look.

Tim.

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

The Tinder Box (Canadian)

June 27, 2016 pipesrevival 4 Comments

The Tinder Box

I received this Tinder Box a few months back and wasn’t sure what way to go with it. The shape is one I have become accustomed to but this particular pipe was covered in pink putty. I originally attempted to fill the pits with Gorilla glue and briar dust but I wasn’t happy with the results. I played around with a few different rustication’s and finally found one I was happy with.

The Restoration

Other then the fills the pipe was in lightly smoked condition. A little rim build up , oxidation and chatter.

I reamed back the cake to a suitable thickness with my PipNet reamer. The chamber was free of any defects.

Next I moved on to the internals cleaning with EverClear , stiff/soft pipe cleaners , Q-Tips and makeup pads. Cleaning until the final pipe cleaner came out as it went in.

I removed the rim build-up using Method Wood For Good Polish, I applied a generous amount to the rim and allowed it to penetrate the build-up. Once the build-up softens its easily removed with makeup pads and Q-Tips. Once the rim was free of debris I could see more of the dreaded pink filler, this helped in my decision making and rustication would be more appealing and easier then filling multiple fills.

Next the stem oxidation removal, I applied a generous amount of non-bleach Soft Scrub and allowed it to sit so the Soft Scrub could penetrate the oxidation. Once the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color its time to scrub vigorously with a rag until the oxidation has been removed , adding more Soft Scrub as needed. Holding the stem under natural light will help to see if all oxidation has been removed.

With the oxidation removed from the stem and the chatter waiting to be addressed , I moved onto the stummel and the rustication. I tried a few different methods before finding what I liked . Using a burr bit set I began to carve the briar with a medium round burr working in different directions overlapping my previous pass. I used a diluted stain mix , a few drops of Fiebing’s dark brown dye and 10 ml of EverClear applying it with a brush hitting it with a Bic lighter in between coats, removing the excess stain with an EverClear dampened rag. Before hitting the wheel I applied Howard’s butcher block conditioner and left it for an hour to penetrate, removing the excess with a clean rag. I added a silver band not for repair purposes but for cosmetic, I’m usually stingy with my bands but in this case it was more aesthetically pleasing.

With the stummel complete and waiting for the buffer, I could now finish the stem. I started with the chatter at the bit end , using 800, 1000 and 1500 grit sandpaper wet, then running though the various grits of micro-mesh pads. I use thin clear plastic as a shaft/stem divider. Like the kind found in the windows of children’s toy packaging.

Complete.

I finished up on the wheel with a few coats carnauba and a micro fiber hand buffing. Buffing the stem with blue compound and carnauba.

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tim.

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Lorenzo – Not A Typical Restoration

June 10, 2016 pipesrevival 2 Comments

Lorenzo Firenze Monterosa

Lorenzo pipes I’ve always been a fan of there shapes and thick walls but not so much with the use of filler a little overboard in the putty department. In the past pipes with an overwhelming amount of filler or to beat up to save the shape I’ve opted to rusticate instead of sanding and filling. I had a few in my collection but recently gave one away to my father, so when I received this thick walled Lorenzon I knew it was a prime candidate to be carved and rusticated. Its been a few years since I’ve rusticated a pipe and I couldn’t wait to get into it..

The Restoration.

The pipe was in poor condition when received , it appeared the previous owner attempted to band the cracked shank or removed an existing band. The shank was cracked in multiple areas straight though to the mortise. The shank was sanded leaving an uneven fit between shank and stem. The stem had tooth impressions, oxidation and the button was chewed. The chamber was thick with crumbling cake and rim tar and char. The stummel had quite a few large fills.

I started with the chamber reaming back the cake to a suitable thickness. The odd shaped chamber led me to use both the Pipnet and Castleford reamers. Starting with the smallest attachments and working up to the largest the chamber would accept.

With the chamber reamed I now concentrated on the caked rim. I applied a generous amount of Method Wood For Good Polish with a Q-Tip to the rim and left it upside down on a makeup pad to allow the polish to penetrate the build-up, once the build-up is softened it is easily removed with a makeup pad and Q-Tips.

I now worked the stem/shank portion , sanding the stem/shank flush , the nomenclature due to my sanding and the previous owners sanding was almost nonexistent.

I now banded the cracked shank with a wide band, I worked the band part way on then heated the band with my Wagner’s heat gun and pressed the band into place using the banding tool..

I cleaned the internals using EverClear, stiff/soft pipe cleaners and shank brushes, cleaning until the final pipe cleaner came out as it went in.

I decided to rusticate the stummel instead of filling multiple large fills. In the past I have craved stummels on less desirable pipes or pipes that are too far damaged . I drew out the pattern to be carved on the stummel and using a rotary burr set I carved the stummel, the thick walls of the Lorenzo pipe allowed me to go deeper into the briar.

Before staining the stummel I sanded the smooth areas with 400,800 and 1000 grit sandpaper. Using Fiebing’s Leather dye I stained the stummel. I mixed black Fiebing’s with a little EverClear and applied it to the rusticated area of the stummel using a Q-Tip. Finally I mixed red Fiebing’s with a little EverClear and applied it to the smooth area of the stummel, I now left it for a few hours to dry, I removed the excess stain with an EverClear dampened rag.

With the stummel ready to hit the wheel I moved onto the stem. I applied a generous amount of non-bleach Soft Scrub to the stem and left it aside to penetrate the oxidation. Once the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color is time to scrub vigorously with a rag adding more Soft Scrub as needed. Holding the stem under natural light will help to see if all oxidation was removed.

After cleaning the stem I worked on the chewed button and tooth impressions, I removed some of the shallow impressions with a flat sided needle file , the deeper impressions would need filling. I rough sanded the area of repair with 400 grit sandpaper wiping down with an EverClear dampened rag. I filled the impressions with thick black CA glue and allowed to dry. I mixed thick black CA glue and charcoal powder together to form a paste to rebuild the button, applying the paste with a toothpick to the button and hitting it with accelerator to set ,I left it over night to cure. Using needle files and sandpaper I reformed the button .

After banding the shank the stem / shank fit was off leaving a small gap between stem and shank. Using a small block of wood drilled to fit the tenon loosely , I lightly sanded the stem flat. I was able close the gap but not completely , the draw is air tight but if held up to the light you can still see a small gap.

I now ran the stem thought the various grits of sandpaper and micro-mesh pads. Sanding the stem with 800, 1000 and 1500 grit sandpaper wet and micro-mesh 1500-3200 wet and 3600- 12000 dry.

Complete.

I finished up on the wheel with white diamond , a few coats of carnauba and a micro-fiber hand buffing. Buffing the stem with blue compound and carnauba.

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tim.

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Savinelli Hercules 804 EX

June 1, 2016 pipesrevival 2 Comments

Savinelli Hercules 804 EX

About a month ago I restored a few pipes for Clint from Pipe Scoundrel , one in particular was a rather fetching John Bessai Canadian the shape was one I was in search of myself .

Pipe Scoundrel’s John Bessai.

I had found a Tinder Box a few months before reviving Clint’s Bessai but it was lacking , first of all the Bessai was was a whopping seven inches long and the Tinder Box was just over six inches long , overall the Bessai was just a larger pipe and very comfortable in hand . So the search would continue.

: Tinder Box.

A few weeks back I had my chance with a Savinelli Hercules 804 EX . From the auction photos it looked to be in good shape and very similar in shape to Clint’s Bessai . When the pipe arrived I was pleasantly surprised to see it was in fact very similar to the Bassia , same length, same general shape , the only difference the chamber was a bit taller on the Sav .

The Restoration.

She was a little rough around the edges , rim tar, char and one pretty good burn at the side of the rim. The stem had a few tooth impressions and oxidation.

I tag teamed the chamber with a combination of old and new starting with my PipNet reamer , beginning with the smallest attachment . The PipNet reamer has a sturdier construction over the CastleFord reamer but the tip of the PipNet attachments are more blunt and in this case did not reach to the bottom of the chamber. The old CastleFord was the right fit , though the blades were very dull.

Next I worked the caked rim , I applied a generous amount of Method Good For Wood Polish to the rim with a Q-Tip and left the stummel upside down on a makeup pad to soften the build-up . Once the tars/oils broke up the residue was removed with Q-Tips and makeup pads.

Once the build-up was removed I could see there was far more damage then I first thought. The inner edge of the rim was so charred it would crumble away with the slightest touch.

I taped down 150 grit sandpaper to my desk top and began to top the rim. Once I was past the bulk of the char I sanded with 220 and 400 sandpaper. I decided a beveled rim would be more appealing and its also the same approach I took when restoring Clint’s Bessai, his pipes rim was in the same condition when I received it. I started with a flat sided needle file and began to remove the sharp inner edge of the rim, I would repeat this process a few times until I had the angle I was looking for.

I finished the rim with 800, 1000 and 1500 grit sandpaper, removing the fine dust with an EverClear dampened rag.

I ran a retort to remove the old tars, oils and tobacco. I would repeat this with fresh EverClear a few times to brake up the build-up.

Next I cleaned the internals of the stem and stummel, using EverClear, Q-Tips long & short, makeup pads, shank & mortise brushes and stiff/soft pipe cleaners. Cleaning until my finale pipe cleaner came out as it when in.

There were a few indentations that I steamed out using a house hold iron set to medium heat and a damp rag . I covered the area of the dings with the damp rag and held it to the hot iron to steam out the imperfections. I then sanded the stummel with 1000 and 1500 grit sandpaper, wiping down with an alcohol dampened rag.

I decided to add a silver band, it was aesthetically pleasing. I heated the band and pressed it into place.

I now mixed Fiebings red and dark brown leather dye together along with a little EverClear to lighten the mix. I applied a few coats of the stain with a bush and hit it with a Bic lighter to set the stain. I removed the excess stain with an EverClear dampened rag and lightly sanded with a worn 4000 micro-mesh pad, wiping down the stummel one last time with the EverClear dampened rag.

With the stummel ready for the buffer I moved on to the stem. I applied a generous amount of non-bleach Soft Scrub to the stem and left it aside for the Soft Scrub to work at the oxidation. One the Soft Scrub turns form white to a brownish color its time to scrub vigorously with a rag, adding more Soft Scrub as needed . Holding the stem under natural light will help to see if all oxidation has been removed.

There were a few tooth impressions that would not respond to heat and would have to be filled. I rough sanded the area with 220 grit sandpaper, wiping with an EverClear dampened rag to remove the sanding dust, I then filled the imperfections with thick black CA glue hitting it with accelerator to set the patch, I now left it overnight to cure. The following morning I sanded the area with 220, 400 and 800 grit sand paper until the repair was flush.

I now ran the stem though the various grits of micro-mesh 1500-2400 wet and 3200-12000 dry. I save the clear plastic windows from product packaging for my shank/stem divider, its flexible and allows me to get closer to the tenon end of the stem for my finial polish.

Complete

I finished up on the wheel with white diamond, carnauba and a micro-fiber hand buff. Buffing the stem with blue compound and carnauba.

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tim-

Custom-Bilt/Custombilt, Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

A Pipe For Poppy.

May 27, 2016 pipesrevival 5 Comments

Custombilt Oom Paul.

My daughter lovingly calls my father Poppy they have been inseparable since her birth 11 years ago , my fathers pretty incredible ,give ya the shirt off his back, drop everything to help in anyway and give ya his last dime if you needed it. Almost a year ago we had a scare, while hanging out at our house Dad suffered a mini-stroke. Doctors said it wasn’t as severe as other strokes but nevertheless it scared the hell out of all of us. It took him sometime to get back to the way he was before. Now doctors say hes as healthy as a horse ,so he has decided to take up the pipe once again after a thirty year hiatus. He picked a pipe from the wall to start with a bent Grabow with a spoon stinger , one of the first if not the first pipe I had redone years ago. I then told him I would like to redo a Custombilt that was similar to a Tom Howard he had liked. So that brings me to A Pipe For Poppy , a Wally Frank era Bilt Oom Paul. Shes been in the to do rack going on three years I would start but lose interest and put her back but now I had a reason to complete it. I gave him the pipe yesterday and his eyes lit up, needless to say he was very happy with finished pipe.

The Restoration.

The pipe had been started and stopped a few times since I received it, so the reaming and internal cleaning had already been done previously. The chamber was free of pitting, there were a few tooth impressions and oxidation on the stem.The previous owner had carved a P into the bottom of the stummel. The pipe is for my farther and my daughter calls him poppy so the P is fitting but too tacky for my taste.

My attention was drawn first to the P caved in the bottom of the stummel, luckily it wasn’t to deep. Starting with 220 grit sandpaper I removed the bulk of the self carving, then moving to 400, 800 and finished with 1000 grit sandpaper.

I lightly sanded the stummel with 800 grit sandpaper then gave the stummel a wipe down with an EverClear soaked rag to remove the fine sanding dust.

Before hitting the buffer I applied a coat of Howard’s Butcher Block Conditioner , I applied using a Q-Tip then leaving it aside to penetrate, removing the excess with a clean rag.

I applied a generous amount of non-bleach Soft Scrub to the stem and left it aside for the Soft Scrub to soften the oxidation. Once the Soft Scrub turns from white to brownish color its time to scrub vigorously adding more Soft Scrub as needed until all oxidation has been removed, holding the stem under natural light will help to see if all oxidation has been removed.

With the oxidation removed I focused on the tooth impressions , the rest of the stem was in good shape so I taped off the bit/lip area of work with blue painters tape so my sanding would remain in this area. I removed the deeper impressions with a flat sided needle file. I removed the rough file marks with 400,800 and 1000 sandpaper wet.

I now ran the stem though the various grits of micro-mesh 1500-2500 wet and 3200-12000 dry ,polishing to a shine.

Complete.

I finished up on the wheel with white diamond , carnauba and a micro-fiber hand buffing. Buffing the stem with blue compound and carnauba.

I’m looking forward to the first smoke.

Thanks for everything Dad.

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tim-

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Karl Erik

May 26, 2016 pipesrevival 6 Comments

Karl Erik.

My free hand pipes can be counted on one hand , I’m not the biggest fan but once and a while one catches my eye .Erik Nording, Preben Holm, Ben Wade, Karl Erik Ottendahl and W.O. Larsen pipes are a few I keep an eye out for but they have to be the right shape and preferably smooth , so as luck would have it I found just that a Karl Erik and at a price I couldn’t refuse thirteen bucks. Now for thirteen bucks your not getting mint condition , some work would be involved . The stamping reads Karl Erik over Hand Cut In Denmark and below that the number 5. I’ve read the grading of his pipes but was unable to find the use of the number 5. To my eye the pipe is flawless not an ounce of filler. The stem on the other hand may not be original to the pipe there are no markings of any kind but I have also seen a few examples considered original without the KE stamped on the stem .

The Restoration.

The cracked stummal was the biggest issue , I couldn’t tell from the auction photos how deep or how far the crack had run. Once the pipe itself was in my hands I was happy to see it was a stress crack and not due to a drop. As the briar dried it twisted and formed the crack. The stem was worn , oxidized and the lip was nonexistent. The rest of the pipe was in decent shape.

A few years ago my wife had picked up a couple of stem blanks on clearance from Pipe Smokers Emporium , I decided to re-stem the pipe and save the original stem to work on later. Using the Pimo tenon turning tool I cut down the tenon until it almost fit the mortise finishing with 400 grit sandpaper to get the snug fit required . I now taped off the tenon with painters tape and tightened the tenon in my mounted drills chuck. I set the drill to auto run and began to shape the stem with wood carving chisels.

I cleaned up the rough edges with a needle file and rounded some of the sharp corners with 1000 grit sandpaper.

Using a sanding drum mounted in my drill I began to shape the stem , once I had the basic shape I was looking for I sanded the stem with 150, 220, 400 and 800 grit sandpaper.

Before the final sanding and polishing I put a bend in the stem using my Wagner heat gun and bending it over a pill bottle.

With the bend in the stem I could now run the stem through the various grits of micro-mesh 1500-2400 wet and 3200-12000 dry.

With the stem complete I could now focus on the stummel, Using my PipNet reamer starting from smallest to largest I reamed back the cake to a suitable thickness.

I now cleaned the internals using EverClear , shank brushes , Q-Tips and stiff/soft pipe cleaners , cleaning until my final pipe cleaner came out as it went in.

Now to address the cracked stummel, I cleaned the area with an EverClear dipped Q-Tip and removed the embedded debris with a X-Acto knife.

Using a jewelers loop I looked carefully for each end of the crack. One end started just at the top of the shank and the other end of the crack ended at the bottom front of the stummel. Using a 1/16 drill bit I drilled a shallow hole at each end of the crack, to prevent it from cracking any further.

I then filled the crack and holes I drilled with Gorilla Glue and briar dust.

I sanded the area of repair first with 220 grit sandpaper, it seems I should start with a less abrasive grit but the crack was raised at one side due to the twisting as the briar dried. Once the cracked area was sanded flush with 220 grit sandpaper I moved to 400, 800 and finally 1000. At this time I lightly sanded the entire stummel with 1000 grit sandpaper then wiping down the stummel with an EverClear dampened rag to remove the fine sanding dust.

I now mixed dark brown Fiebings leather dye with EverClear to lighten it a bit. I coated the stummel with a few coats of the dye hitting it with a Bic lighter to set the stain. The stummel was substantially darker then it was when originally received but in order to hide the repair it would in turn need to be darker. I removed the excess stain with an EverClear dampened rag.

Complete.

I finished up on the wheel with white diamond , carnauba and a micro-fiber hand buff. Buffing the stem with carnauba.

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tim.

Custom-Bilt/Custombilt, Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Custom-Bilt (90% smooth)

May 15, 2016 pipesrevival Leave a comment

Custom-Bilt

An almost completely smooth Custom-Bilt an oddity I’ve wanted for my collection for some time . I have read of completely smooth Bilts (which I have yet to see or find) and partially rusticated Custom-Bilts, I’ve seen a few photos of the partially rusticated pipes but never had the chance to get my hands on one. So when this puppy popped up a few weeks ago on EBay at a reasonable price I jumped all over it. Now I won’t go into the history of Tracy Mincer and Custom-Bilt pipes as I have written a few posts on the subject in the past but I must say I’m more and more impressed with each one I receive.

The Restoration.

The pipe for its age was in pretty good shape, ether it was well taken care of or it has seen little use. The chamber was free of cake and the mortise was fairly clean, the rim was the only issue a little beat up. The stem was oxidized , had a few tooth impressions and a ding in the side of the stem.

The chamber being as clean as it was, it would not need a reaming but just a quick sanding with 400 grit sandpaper to remove a little doddle .

I attempted to steam out the dents in the rim using a household iron and damp rag but the indentations were to deep.

The rim would need to be topped , I tape a sheet of 400 grit sandpaper to my work surface and began sanding the rim until smooth . I then sanded with 800 and 1000 grit sandpaper until I had a mirror finish.

I gave the stummel and stem internals a good cleaning using EverClear , shank and mortise brushes , Q-tips , cotton balls and soft/stiff pipe cleaners. I un-roll cotton balls and form a swab then twist it tightly into the mortise , then fill the chamber with a little EverClear and allow the swab to absorb the alcohol. I leave it to sit for for a few minutes to brake up the old tars and oils in the mortise.

Using furniture touch-up markers I re-stained the stummel and freshly topped rim , leaving it aside to dry. I removed the excess stain with an alcohol dampened rag.

Usually I wait till the end to buff the stummel and stem but this one I couldn’t wait to see finished . There are imperfections in the briar , a few pits and places that could have been filled but I decided it gave this particular pipe character.

The stem oxidation was the next task, I appalled a generous amount of non-bleach Soft Scrub to the stem and left it aside to penetrate the oxidation . Once the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color its time to scrub vigorously with a rag, adding more Soft Scrub as needed. Holding the stem under natural light will help to see if all oxidation was removed.

When I received the pipe the stem and shank fit were off , the briar inside of the mortise was pushed up by the tenon and forming a wall that the tenon could not pass in-turn leaving a gap. Using a half round needle file I removed the excess briar , the fit was better but not flush , I then filed down the tenon edge and rounded it off with 400 grit sandpaper to get the proper fit.

I tried to raise some of the tooth impressions with heat to no avail. I mixed thick black CA glue and charcoal powder into a paste and applied it to the stem with a toothpick , hitting it with accelerator to set the glue , leaving it overnight to cure.

The next morning after allowing time for the patch to cure I removed the excess glue with a flat needle file.

I removed the file marks with sandpaper starting with 400 grit and ending with 1500 grit sandpaper. I started saving the windows out of selling packages for my stem/shank divider , like the kind in kids toy packaging. Its flexible and seems like I can get a little closer to the end of the stem , closer then I would with a washer.

I now ran the stem though the various micro-mesh pads.

Complete.

I finished up with white diamond , a few coats of carnauba and a micro fiber hand buff. Buffing the stem with blue compound and carnauba.

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tim.

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Jobey Shellmoor Pot

May 10, 2016 pipesrevival 2 Comments

Jobey Shellmoor

This is second out of the lot of eleven I picked up sometime back. Jobey Pipes they’ve been around for a long time and changed hands a time or two for more info Pipedia they have the history in a click. I couldn’t lock down a precise year for this one but nevertheless shes a beaut, large chambered pot for along smoke, something I look for in a pipe . The pipe itself is stamped on the underside Jobey Shellmoor, Extra, Imported Briar and English Para on the stem.

The Restoration.

Upon inspection she was a solid pipe nothing too troubling, rim tar, thin cake, stem chatter, impressions, oxidation and this funky inner tube that looked as if someone tried to chew it off. The toughest part would be the inner tube it was glued or epoxied in place.

Starting with my Pipnet reamer and the smallest attachment I began reaming back the old cake, working my way up to the largest attachment. The chamber was so large that the final attachment could not reach the inner walls, I finished up with 400 grit sandpaper to complete the chamber.

Next I applied a generous amount of Method Wood For Good polish to the rim and left it upside down on a make-up pad and allowed the polish to penetrate the build-up. Once the polish softened the build-up it was removed with a children’s toothbrush and Q-Tips.At this time I gave the stummel a wipe down with Method polish, a rag and a children’s toothbrush to remove any debris in-bedded in the crags.

I cut off the end of the mangled inner tube with snips and using a 1/8 inch bit tightened in my drills chuck I hand turned the stem until all of the aluminium tube was removed.

I gave the internals of the stummel and stem a good cleaning with EverClear, shank/mortise brushes, Q-Tips and stiff/soft pipe cleaners. Cleaning until the final pipe cleaner came out as it went in.

Next I removed the oxidation from the stem using non-bleach Soft Scrub, I applied the Soft Scrub to the stem and left it aside so the Soft Scrub could penetrate the oxidation. Once the the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color its time to scrub vigorously with a rag until the oxidation is removed, applying more Soft Scrub as needed, holding the stem under natural light will help to see if all oxidation was removed.

The tooth impressions would need filling, I sanded the area of the indentations with 400 grit sandpaper and cleaned with an EverClear dampened rag to remove any sanding dust before filling. I mixed thick black CA glue and charcoal powder together to form a paste, then applying it to the impressions with a toothpick, hitting it with accelerator to set the patch. I left it overnight to cure. After allowing time to cure I removed the excess with needle files and sandpaper.

Before hitting the wheel I ran the stem though the various grits of micro-mesh pads.

Complete.

I finished her up on the wheel with white diamond, a few coats of carnauba and micro-fiber hand buffing. Buffing the stem with blue compound and carnauba.

Thanks for taking a look.

Tim-

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Scoundrels – John Bessai Canadian

May 4, 2016 pipesrevival 4 Comments

Pipes Scoundrels Pipes.

Way back in February Clint of Pipes Scoundrels sent a huge package out of the blue . We had spoken a month or so before of a pipe that was in need of care but never figured out a plan. In the package a letter where he offered up a trade of sorts skill for skill, I love the barter system. In the package an incredible framed Pen & Ink work, that I watched though his blog come together. I was blown away by his skill and photos online. I had no idea it was coming my way, in person it was even more amazing, beautifully done. Also in the package a couple of Pipe Scoundrels stickers ( he has a killer logo) and three pipes in need of repair/cleaning. A couple John Bessai pipes one Canadian, one Pot and an Iwan Ries a unique shape I wasn’t familiar with. I was excited to get to work , this was the first time I was to work on someone else’s pipes but I got side tracked and side tracked again but finally I had some time to sit and finish, now the three are complete.

Seven inches long, beautiful grain and very comfortable in the hand. That’s the John Bessai Canadian, this was the final pipe I redid for Clint. History of John Bessai (thanks to jguss from pipesmagazine forum)

The Restoration.

The Canadian was in nice shape, to be honest I was saving the best for last and what I thought would the easiest but I’ve been wrong before. Aside from the deep tooth impressions and a small burn on the side of the rim, the pipe was pretty clean. Light build up on the rim and two spots that would need filling.

Starting with the chamber and my PipNet reamer I took the cake back to a suitable thickness. The like the rest of the pipe the chamber looked good.

I applied a generous amount of Method Good For Wood Polish to the rim and left it to penetrate the build up. Once the build up softened it was easily removed with a Q-Tip and make-up pads.

I now concentrated on the internals of the stummel and stem. Using EverClear, Make-up pads, Q-Tips, shank brushes and stiff/soft pipe cleaners, cleaning until the last pipe cleaner came out as it went in.

The side of the rim had a small burn, topping was not an option. I didn’t want to change the shape of the bowl.

Using 800 grit sandpaper I worked at the burnt area until it faded , it wasn’t perfect but better then loosing the shape.

There were three pits on the front of the stummel, ether they were never filled or the fill crumbled away over the years. I cleaned the area with a Q-Tip dipped in EverClear and filled the pits with Gorilla Glue and Briar dust. Once the fill dried I the sanded the filled areas flush with 800 grit sandpaper finishing with 1000 grit sandpaper.

The stain was faded and after sanding the rim and fill areas it left even lighter areas, the stummel would need to be re-stained.I wiped down the stummel with an EverClear dampened rag and let dry. I mixed Fiebing’s leather dye red and dark brown. I applied the stain with a medium paint brush, hitting it with a Bic lighter to set the stain. I removed the excess stain with an alcohol dampened rag and left it to dry.

I removed the stem oxidation using non-bleach Soft Scrub and rag. I applied a generous amount of Soft Scrub to the stem and left it to penetrate the oxidation. Once the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color its time to begin scrubbing vigorously with a rag, applying more Soft Scrub as needed. Holding the stem under natural light will help to see if all oxidation was removed.

I sanded the area of the deep tooth impressions with 400 grit sandpaper, then wiped down the area with an alcohol dampened rag to remove the dust from sanding.

This is were things got interesting, I mixed thick black CA glue and charcoal powder into a paste and applying the paste with a toothpick to the impressions and worn button, as I always do when filling impressions, hitting it with accelerator to set the glue. I left it to cure over night.

The next morning after having time to cure I began to shape the new button with needle files and file down the area of the impressions. The patch looked funny as I began removing layers, the patch began to crumble/flake and I started uncovering a ton of bubbles in the patch. So I started over and mixed a new batch of CA glue and charcoal powder. I thought maybe I used the wrong amount of something and it was throwing it off but once again the same bubbles and flaking. I didn’t take photos but I went over this process a few time before I stopped and took a look at my CA glue, the CA glue had separated leaving a thick mass at the bottom of the bottle and a watery thin liquid on top. In the end I ordered a new bottle of CA and moved on. After receiving the new CA glue and sanding the stem completely with sandpaper and the various micro-mesh pads it looked pretty good but there was a slight discoloration at the bit end.

Last thing before hitting the buffer was to add the JB back to the stem, my conventional method would be to apply Rub&Buff and simply wipe the excess away leaving a prefect logo but the logo impression was not deep enough. I used a bristle from my boars hair beard brush as a paint brush. I applied white nail polish to the logo using the bristle and left it to dry, unconventional but it came out nice.

Fin.

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

The last of Clint’s trio and my favorite by far, I myself am searching for a similar pipe. Thanks Clint for the incredible Pen & Ink and giving me the opportunity to work on your pipes. I enjoyed seeing them come back to life.

Thank For Stopping In And Taking A Look.

Continue reading Scoundrels – John Bessai Canadian →

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Scoundrels – John Bessai Pot

May 4, 2016 pipesrevival 2 Comments

Pipe Scoundrels Pipes.

Way back in February Clint of Pipes Scoundrels sent a huge package out of the blue . We had spoken a month or so before of a pipe that was in need of care but never figured out a plan. In the package a letter where he offered up a trade of sorts skill for skill, I love the barter system. In the package an incredible framed Pen & Ink work, that I watched though his blog come together. I was blown away by his skill and photos online. I had no idea it was coming my way, in person it was even more amazing, beautifully done. Also in the package a couple of Pipe Scoundrels stickers ( he has a killer logo) and three pipes in need of repair/cleaning. A couple John Bessai pipes one Canadian, one Pot and an Iwan Ries a unique shape I’m not familiar with. I was excited to get to work , this was the first time I was to work on someone else’s pipes but I got side tracked and side tracked again but finally I had some time to sit and finish, now the three are complete.

My plain was to write a little something on the history of Bessie pipes but as it has it some else has already done the work and a much better job then I would have. History of John Bessai (thanks to jguss from pipesmagazine forum) Classic Pipe Shops from years gone by in America – pipes and tobaccos and their influence, a well written and informative post. I will say the shop, The John Bessai Pipe Clinic was run between 1909-1993 at 35 Colonial Arcade in Cleveland Ohio.

The Restoration.

She was in need of help, an ill fitting replacement stem that was oxidized and had a couple of impressions, chunky crumbling cake, a few fills and a rim that was smacked around a bit, but I’m not afraid of a little work.

Starting with the stummel and my PipNet reamer I removed the old cake and took the chamber back to briar. The chamber was in descent shape aside from a small burn/defect at the top of the draught hole, I will address this a little further down.

I cleaned up the rim with Method Good For Wood Polish and could now see the damaged rim better. The photo is poor but the top of the chamber/rim was reamed in the past with what I’m guessing was a pocket knife, the edges of the rim were nicked up and missing small chunks of briar.

Using needle files and sand paper I began to reshape the rim. First by topping the rim, I taped down 400 grit sand paper and topped the bowl. Next using needle files I reshaped the inner rim removing the file marks with 400 grit sandpaper. I finished the rim with 800 & 1000 grit sandpaper.

Using EverClear I ran a retort to loosen up the old tars, oils and tobacco.

I now gave the stummel and stem internals a good cleaning, using EverClear, shank brushes, mortise brush, Q-Tips, cotton-balls and stiff/soft pipe cleaners. I unrolled cotton-balls, twist them into a swab and turn them tightly into the mortise. I then add EverClear to the chamber and allow the swab to soak up the alcohol, I would repeat this process a few time until the swab comes out clean. I cleaned the stem and draught with stiff/soft pipe cleaners working until my final pipe cleaner comes out as it when in.

There were a few dents on the stummel, using a household iron set to medium heat and a damp rag I would steam out the dents. By dampening the rag and covering the dents to be steamed out and placing the stummel to the heated iron, I would repeat this process a few times until I was satisfied all imperfections had risen .

There were a few fills that stood out and would have to be removed. Using a X-Acto knife and Method Wood polish, to soften the fill, I removed the old brightly colored filler. I cleaned the area to be refilled with an alcohol dampened Q-Tip. I now filled the pits with briar dust and Gorilla Glue and allowed it to dry. Once the new fill had time to dry I sanded the areas first with 800 grit sandpaper and finishing with 1000 grit sandpaper.

Now the stem, I applied a generous amount of non-bleach Soft Scrub, leaving it aside to allow the Soft Scrub to penetrate the oxidation. Once the Soft Scrub turns form white to a brownish color its time to scrub vigorously with a rag, scrubbing until all the oxidation has been removed. Holding the stem in natural light will allow you to see if all the oxidation was removed.

Now the ill fitting replacement stem, the tenon fit snug but the stem and shank had a poor fit, the stem was a bit larger then the shank. Starting with 220 grit sandpaper I sanded down the stem until a uniform fit between shank and stem was achieved.At this time I removed any tooth impressions and sanded the entire stem and the end of the shank with 400 grit sandpaper. I went back in with a brown touch up stain marker and re-stained the shank and fill areas. At this time I took care of the missing chunk at the top of the draught, mixing ash with a little water to make pipe mud I filled the missing spot with the mud and allowed it to harden. I checked before sending it off to Clint and the repair was solid.

The button had an odd indentation and was worn down.

I mixed thick black CA glue and charcoal powder together to make a paste, using a toothpick I applied the paste to the button hitting it with accelerator to set the glue.

Using needle files and sandpaper I began to shape a new button.

Now I ran the stem thought the various girts of sandpaper and micro-mesh. Starting with 800 grit sandpaper wet, 1000 grit paper wet, 1500 grit paper wet, 1500 micro-mesh wet, 1800 mesh wet, 2000 grit sandpaper wet, 2400 mesh wet. Then the remaining micro-mesh pads dry 3200-12000.

Complete.

I finished up on the wheel with white diamond, a few coats of carnauba and a micro-fiber hand buffing. Buffing the stem with blue compound and a few coats of carnauba.

Peterson.

Donegal Rocky XL90 & Standard XL305

The Clean Up.

Complete.

Thanks For Taking A look.

Tim.

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The Tinder Box

The Restoration

Complete.

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tim.

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Lorenzo Firenze Monterosa

The Restoration.

Complete.

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tim.

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Savinelli Hercules 804 EX

About a month ago I restored a few pipes for Clint from Pipe Scoundrel , one in particular was a rather fetching John Bessai Canadian the shape was one I was in search of myself .

Tinder Box.

The Restoration.

Complete

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tim-

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Custombilt Oom Paul.

The Restoration.

Complete.

I’m looking forward to the first smoke.

Thanks for everything Dad.

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tim-

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Karl Erik.

The Restoration.

Complete.

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tim.

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Custom-Bilt

The Restoration.

Complete.

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tim.

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Jobey Shellmoor

The Restoration.

Complete.

Thanks for taking a look.

Tim-

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Pipes Scoundrels Pipes.

The Restoration.

Fin.

The last of Clint’s trio and my favorite by far, I myself am searching for a similar pipe. Thanks Clint for the incredible Pen & Ink and giving me the opportunity to work on your pipes. I enjoyed seeing them come back to life.

Thank For Stopping In And Taking A Look.

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Like this:

Pipe Scoundrels Pipes.

The Restoration.

Complete.

Thanks again Clint the pipes were a pleasure to work on, a nice change from my Custombilt craze .

Thanks for taking a look.

Tim.

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