Tag Archives: tooth impressions

Savinelli- Bing’s Favorite

January 24, 2017 pipesrevival 5 Comments

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Bing Crosby’s White Christmas LP spinning on the hifi, growing up that album played every Christmas morning for as long as I can remember and its become a tradition I carry on with my daughter. I grew up with a wide variety of music, blues, jazz, swing, rock, punk and everything in between, my daughter has that same variety, Bing’s greatest hits is part of my daughter and my morning ritual, its always playing as we get ready before dropping her off at school, it puts a little spring in your step. A replica of Bing Crosby’s preferred shape and style the Savinelli Bing’s Favorite is a pipe I’ve wanted to get my hands on, it reminds me of a simpler time when men were men and women left more to the imagination.

Bing’s Favorite

The well loved Bing had seen a bowl or two in its lifetime, a thick cake, rim overflow, chatter and someone buffed the bejesus out of the stem I’m guessing to try and remove the oxidation, luckily sparring the club and ball logo. On the plus side the nomenclature is crisp, right side shank- BINGS FAVORITE , left side shank- Italy, bottom shank- SAVINELLI PRODUCT.

Reaming the chamber would be the first task, the chamber being on the smaller size only added to the difficulty of removing the rock hard carbon build up. When I started with the stummel I could not fit a pinky in the chamber its amazing the bowl didn’t crack under the stress. I attempted to ream the chamber with the smallest attachment that the PipNet reamer offered but to no avail the carbon was to hard and I risked damaging the rim. So I took the slow and steady approach, slowly picking away at the cake with a small pocket knife. Once I had opened the chamber a bit I tried the PipNet reamer again but the hard carbon build up was forcing an uneven cut, if I continued I would eventually dig into the briar on one side of the chamber. My third and final approach would leave the chamber free of cake, using a rotary sanding bit and variable speed drill I carefully removed the rock hard carbon I was then able to sand with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper leaving a carbon free chamber. I did uncover spider webbing along the chamber walls.

The overflow on the rim was thick, in the past I would chip away at the build up but would risk damaging the rim itself and end up creating more work for myself. Now with thick build up I take my time, I sprayed a makeup pad with Method Wood For Good Polish and placed the stummel rim side down on the pad and went shopping with my daughter for an hour or so, when I returned to my desk I could see the Method had softened the build up. I now simply wiped the residue away with Q-Tips and a makeup pad, the rim beneath was flawless not a ding or dent. The previous owners lack of maintenance had preserved the rim, I wish this was true with all my estates.

The internals of the pipe were much like the rest of the pipe ill maintained, I started off with my standard cleaning but my efforts would prove useless. My wife seeing the pipe cleaners and Q-Tips piling up suggested a retort “what a wonderful idea” it would seem my last few subjects were a bit relaxed and the thought of using the retort never crossed my mind. I hooked up the retort using EverClear and ran the pipe as a whole through the process a couple of times loosing the stubborn build up.

I then proceeded with my standard internal cleaning of the stem and stummel using EverClear, stiff/soft pipe cleaners, mortise/shank brushes, cotton balls and Q-Tips , cleaning until my final pipe cleaner came out as it went in.

After the internal cleaning I could see the spider webbing throughout the chamber walls better, it would seem the thick cake did not preserve the chamber as it did with the rim. I mixed a batch of pipe mud using cigar ash and a little water and applied it to the chamber with a finger pushing it into the small cracks. I left it aside to dry, once dry I removed the leftover with a rag.

With the heat still pumping in the house I rocked the bowl coating once again.

(I have cut and paste the process for the bowl coating from a previous post below.)

Prepping the chamber before applying the bowl coat, the chamber was scrubbed thoroughly with EverClear during my internal cleaning but I gave it one more round with an EverClear dipped Q-Tip and allowed it to dry, removing any the loose debris from the crack with a pick. I then mixed a little cigar ash and water together to make pipe mud to fill the crack, I applied it with a finger and left to dry. Once the mud was hardened in the crack I wiped the excess from the chamber with a rag. The bowl coating is a three step process starting first with mixing the primer coat. (Step One)- I start with honey about 2.5 ml in an old medicine cup, I add activated charcoal powder a little at a time to the honey and stir with a toothpick until I get the right constancy (it will ball up on its self as the charcoal coasts the honey but continued mixing will combined the two) basically your looking for the toothpick to stand on its own for a few seconds before falling to the side of the cup. I let the mixture settle until the bubbles rise to the top. (Step Two)-I apply a thin layer of the mixture to the chamber with a small flat paint brush, starting from the bottom of the chamber and working up the side walls being careful not to get it on the rim (If you do get it on the rim warm water and a Q-Tip will remove it just try not to get water in the chamber itself). There will be quite a bit of primer coating leftover, I store it in a lock&lock and will keep for a while for reuse.

I let the coating set in the chamber for a few minutes just so it looses some of its shine, I then insert a folded pipe cleaner into the airway and lay down a piece of printer paper on my desk top before moving to the next step.(Step Three)- I add a little charcoal powder to the bottom of the chamber and slowly turn the stummel in hand to coat the entire chamber any excess charcoal powder that falls to the paper can be reused. I leave the stummel aside to dry, the chamber should be a dark gray color when completely coated if any dark wet spots reappear repeat step three. When the chamber is well coated and wet spots have not re-emerge I tap the stummel lightly on the side of my finger to remove any leftover charcoal powder. In warm dry conditions I leave the chamber to cure for a couple of days before buffing the stummel, in high humidity it could take up to a week or longer. Once the coating has cured for a few days and is dry to the touch and doesn’t smear (If it does smear and appears wet again repeat step three and let dry) I’ll remove the pipe cleaner, blow out any leftover powder and wait an additional week before packing and puffing. To be honest its a pain and takes a long time to fully cure which is why I avoid it if I can but I believe the clean smooth finish is worth it. All I can say is if you decide to try this bowl coating take your time and be patient, its all trial and error.

Next the stems oxidation, I applied non-bleach Soft Scrub and left the stem aside to allow the Soft Scrub to penetrate the oxidation. Once the Soft Scrub turns from white to a brownish color its time to scrub vigorously with a rag or makeup pad adding more Soft Scrub as needed, scrubbing until all oxidation has been removed. I use Q-Tips and Soft Scrub to remove the oxidation from around the button. (Holding the stem under natural light will help to see if all oxidation has been removed)

After the oxidation removal I concentrated on the tooth impressions I used a Bic lighter and lightly brushed the bit with the flame raising some of the deeper impressions. (Using this method can be risky and could result in a burn stem, the flame must be moving at all times never leaving it in one spot too long)

What remained of the tooth impressions after heating I removed with 400 and 800 grit sandpaper wet, I also ruffed up the surface of the button for repair. The button was worn down from over buffing and there was a small chip. I mixed thick black CA glue and activated charcoal powder together to form a paste, using a toothpick I applied the paste to the button building up in layers, I then hit it with accelerator to set the repair.

I reshaped the button with a flat needle file, I then moved to 400, 800 and 1000 grit sandpaper wet to remove fine sanding marks and further shape the button. I tape off the bulk of the stem as it was in fine shape and I wanted to keep my more abrasive sanding in one area, I finished the bite with Micro-mesh pads 1500-2400 wet and 3200-4000 dry.

Before a final polish with 6000-12000 micro-mesh pads I reapplied the stem logo using gold Rub&Buff, applying the Rub&Buff with a Q-Tip allowing to sit for a moment before removing the excess with a rag. I removed the painters tape and polish the whole stem with 6000-12000 micro-mesh pads and in the process also removed any leftover Rub&Buff.

Complete

I finished up on the wheel with white diamond, a few coats of carnauba and a round on the nude wheel, buffing the stem with blue compound and carnauba. I hand buffed the pipe as a whole with a microfiber cloth before the photos.

Thanks For Stopping by

Tim.

Custom-Bilt/Custombilt, Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Custombilt Hooked Bass

January 20, 2017 pipesrevival 1 Comment

The Custombilt Masterpieces and Sculptured Bowls were produced during the Eugene Rich years 1946-1952, each one beautifully carved and surrounded by chunky Custombilt rustication. The Hooked Bass I believe is one of thirteen, I have one other in my collection the Shriner’s Emblem that I have yet to restore. The Hooked Bass is the largest full bent Custombilt in my collection, with a generous 25mm by 47mm deep chamber and an overall length of 6 inches, a hardy yet surprisingly light weight pipe. This saddle bit Bilt was designed for a long relaxing smoke.

-The Restore-

The pipe was immaculate, the nomenclature crisp- Custombilt (Rich Era s) over Imported Briar and a shape stamp I have not seen before. Very lightly smoked, the chamber still held some of its original bowl coating. The stem, light oxidation, faint chatter and metal flecks thought out the vulcanite, I have many war time pipes with recycled rubber stems.

I started with the chamber and its light cake. The largest PipNet reamer attachment was still to small for the massive chamber, I used the largest attachment and worked slowly around the inside wall of the chamber until I was back to briar. I uncovered a pit at the back of the chamber wall.

Next the rim and one scorched area, I applied Method Wood For Good to the scorch and scrubbed with Q-Tips to try and lighten the area. When finished the rim blended pretty well. I wiped down the stummel with a rag and Method Good For Wood, getting into the deeper carving with a soft children’s toothbrush.

Next I moved to the internal cleaning of the stummel and stem. Using EverClear, mortise/shank brushes, stiff/soft pipe cleaners and Q-Tips cleaning until my finial pipe cleaner came out as it went in.

After the internal cleaning of the chamber I could see the sand pit better. The original filler that had been packed in the pit was crumbling away, using a pick I removed any loose debris from the cavity, cleaning the area one more time with EverClear and let dry. I mixed some pipe mud using cigar ash, a little water and then repacked the pit. I left it to set, once dry I removed the excess with a rag.

With the pit refilled I decided to use a bowl coating to give the chamber a line of defense while braking the pipe in. I had some premixed bowl coating in a lock&lock leftover from a previous pipe. I have cut and pasted my process for applying the bowl coating from a past post below.

Before oxidation removal I addressed the light chatter.

Using a Bic lighter I lightly brushed the bit with the flame to raise some of the chatter. Most of the shallow chatter raised what remained could be lightly sanded away.

With chatter reduced I moved to the stems oxidation. I applied non-bleach Soft Scrub to the stem a left aside so the Soft Scrub could begin 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 until all oxidation has been removed. (Holding the stem under natural light will help to see if all oxidation has been removed.) It took a few rounds to remove all oxidation.

Many war time stems were made with recycled rubber and contain small bits of metal spread throughout the stems material, it cannot be removed and I’ve come to except that. After raising most of the chatter there were a few spots that needed attention. I sanded the deeper impressions with 400 grit sandpaper wet and then ran the stem though 800,1000 and 1500 grit sandpaper wet until the stems surface was smooth. I locked the tenon into my vice so I wouldn’t round out the edge of the stem face and would still have a smooth fit between stem and shank.

After the rough sanding I ran the stem through the various grits of micro-mesh pads 1500-3200 wet and 3600- 12000 dry.

Complete

I used Howard’s Butcher Block Conditioner and a Q-Tip to get into the deeper rusticated areas where the buffing wheel couldn’t reach.I then buffed the stummel on the wheel with a few coats of carnauba and a round on a nude wheel. Buffing the stem with white diamond and carnauba. Hand buffing the pipe as a whole with a microfiber cloth before the photos.

Procure- Restore- Puff- Repeat

Thanks for dropping by-

Tim.

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

A Dr.Plum Dinky Second?

January 8, 2017 pipesrevival 1 Comment

screenshot_2017-01-08-18-23-072 — *Dr.Plumb DINKY.*

DINKY is the only stamping on this 4 inch pipe, the only other marking is the word Mexico on the underside of the stem. The stamping is the same as the Dr.Plumb line of DINKY pipes so I would assume its a second or perhaps just an older make as most of the pipes in the Christmas lot are from the 80’s or 90’s. The shape is definitely similar.

The Restore

The pipe was in good shape, light chatter and oxidation, rim build up and light cake.

The chamber was on the small side, I had to utilize the PipNet and Castleford reamers to remove the cake. The chamber was free of any defects.

With the chamber complete I moved to the rim build up, I applied Method Good For Wood Polish to the rim and left aside to brake down the accumulation of tar and char. Once the build up softened I was able to remove the residue and some of the darkening using Q-Tips.

Next was the internal cleaning of the stem and stummel, using EverClear, Q-Tips, shank/mortise brushes and stiff/soft pipe cleaners I scrubbed the airway, mortise and chamber with EverClear until my final pipe cleaner came out free of debris.

The oxidation wasn’t bad on this little guy, I applied non-bleach Soft Scrub to the stem and left aside to penetrate the oxidation, once the Soft Scrub turned from white to a Brownish color I scrub with a rag adding more Soft Scrub as needed until all oxidation was removed (Holding the stem under natural light will help to see if all oxidation has been removed) I used Q-Tips dipped in Soft Scrub to get the oxidation around the bit and in the concave of the saddle bit stem.

After removing the oxidation the stem look good aside from some light chatter at the bit, I tapped off the bulk of the stem to keep my sanding in one area. I sanded the bit with micro-mesh 1500-2400 wet and 3200-6000 dry, then removing the tape to polish with the final two micro-mesh pads 8000-12000.

Complete

I finished up on the wheel with white diamond, a few coats carnauba and a round on a nude wheel. Buffing the stem with blue compound and carnauba, Hand buffing with a microfiber cloth just before the photos.

Procure, Restore, Puff, Repeat

Thanks for dropping by-

Tim.

Custom-Bilt/Custombilt, Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

His Nibs ( Custombilt )

August 16, 2016 pipesrevival Leave a comment

The List

Everyone has his or her own, a list of pipes he or she desires to complete a collection. For me its Custom-Bilt and Custombilt pipes, I’ve been collecting these ugly, chunky, roughly carved pieces of briar for a long time and just recently stopped to take a look at what I really had. Originally it was Custom-Bilt pipes ( Tracy Mincer years ) and I had to have everyone I could get my hands on, I’ve redone many. Then Custombilt ( Eugene Rich years ) and a whole new line of pipes went on the list , many hard to find these days and finally the Wally Frank years still Custombilt but the nomenclature had changed, similar to the Rich era nomenclature but the standard S had been dropped for a cursive S. So this brings me to the His Nibs, introduced in 1947 by Mincer and Rich, at 4 inches long its certainly not the biggest Bilt but carved with the same care, retail price just $2.00, worth every penny. My wife picked this one up on Ebay, at last I could cross it off my list, many pop up but I’m picky the nomenclature is hard to find well stamped, sometimes its lightly stamped and other times its off and stamped half on the briar and half on the stem, this one is spot on beautiful.

The restore

The pipes was in great shape, very light chatter, a couple deeper tooth impressions, rim build up and one spot of filler.

I started with chamber and my PipNet reamer starting with smallest and working up to the largest the chamber would except, in this case the third largest, it has a generous chamber for a 4 inch pipe. I took it back to bare briar to make sure things were solid.

Next the rim build up, I applied Method Wood For Good Polish to the rim with a Q-Tip and left it aside to penetrate the residue. Once the Method works its magic on the build up it is removed with Q-Tips and a children’s toothbrush. There was some rim burn percent after removing the residue, I used worn micro-mesh to lighten it up. ( 3200, 3600, 4000 and 6000 pads )

With the rim complete I turned my attention to the internals of the pipe. Cleaning the chamber, airways and mortise using EverClear, shank & mortise brushes, stiff/soft pipe cleaners and Q-Tips, cleaning until my finial pipe cleaner came out as it went in.

Now I gave the stummel a good cleaning with Method Wood For Good Polish and a children’s toothbrush to remove the oils and embedded debris in the briar.

There was one spot of filler ( top left photo ) its hard to see but its there, once it was removed the pit was a perfect rectangle, I was tempted to leave it because it was unique but filling it would give it a cleaner look or as clean a look as a Custombilt could have. I cleaned the area to be repaired with EverClear and a Q-Tip,filled the pit with Gorilla Glue and briar dust, I then left it aside to dry. Once dry I lightly sanded the area with worn micro-mesh, re-stained with a dark touch-up marker, removing the excess with an alcohol dampened Q-Tip.

After staining the filled area I realized the whole stummel could be re-stained, using a dark brown touch-up maker I stained the deep crags.

While in the process of removing the excess stain I also re-stained the whole pipe, leaving the deeper carvings darker and the rest of the stummel a lighter shade. Handling the stummel while working on the stem colored the it further, the end result was perfect.

The stem was a little oxidized and had a couple of deeper tooth impressions that needed filling. To remove the oxidation I applied non-bleach soft scrub and left the stem aside to allow the Soft Scrub 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 has been removed ) I now gave the stem an EverClear wipe down before filling the tooth impressions. I mixed thick black CA glue along with a little charcoal powder to form a paste, I applied the paste with a toothpick, hitting it with accelerator to set the patch and leaving it over night to cure. The following morning I ran the stem though the first three micro-mesh pads 1500-2400 wet.

I now ran the stem though the finial six grits of micro-mesh 3200-12000 dry During the sanding I uncovered a few pores/bubbles in the rubber stem, there were far to many to attempt to fill, I’ll call them character marks.

Complete

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

It was a pleasure to cross this one off the list.

Happy Collecting, Restoring And Puffing.

Tim.

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Peterson – Donegal Rocky 999

August 16, 2016 pipesrevival Leave a comment

I’m down to the last few from the lot I picked up, I was drawn to this lot because of the Donegal’s its one of my favorite lines from Peterson, this is the first 999 I’ve gotten my hands on and I can see why its so popular with Peterson collectors, the shape alone is appealing but the comfort in hand is what sold me. I have parted with many from this lot but the Donegal’s are at home here.

The Restoration

She was in good, lightly smoked condition, the biggest issue was a crack in the bead but thankfully the piece was still in place. The stem was oxidized and the P logo was half buffed flush with the stem surface, light chatter and a little rim build-up. The silver band would need a bit of shining up as well.

The chamber had seen very little use, it would not need reaming, a quick scrub with EverClear and Q-Tips would do the trick. The original bowl coating was still in great shape, it looked almost new.

Like the pipes chamber the draught, mortise and stems airway needed very little cleaning. Using EverClear, Q-Tips and stiff/soft pipe cleaners I cleaned the internals until my finial pipe cleaner came out as it went in.

I now gave the rim, stummel and silver band a wipe down with Method Wood For Good Polish to remove the old oils, dirt and tarnish.

With the stummel clean I could now address the crack in the bead. I cleaned the area to be repaired with EverClear and a Q-Tip and let dry. I first applied Gorilla Glue to the crack with a toothpick, using an old charge card wedged in the recess I slowly moved the cracked portion back into place.I held the piece in place until the glue set. Once set I left the repair to dry for an hour or so.

After dry time I could now remove any excess glue, using folded 400, 1000 and 1500 sandpaper I carefully sanded away the excess, cleaning the area with alcohol to remove the fine sanding dust. I now re-stained the recessed portion of the bead with Fiebing’s black leather dye, removing the excess stain with an alcohol dampened Q-Tip.

The stummels finish was worn and the repaired area was lighter from the work done. I mixed Fiebing’s dark brown and red leather dye together with a little EverClear to lighten the stain bit and applied a few coats to the stummel with a brush, hitting it with a Bic lighter to set the stain. I used an alcohol dampened rag to remove the excess.

Now to shine the band up. I taped off the shank with painters tape to keep the compound from overlapping and darkening the shank. I buffed the band with brown tripoli back to a shine. The stummel was now ready for the wheel.

With the summel complete and waiting to be buffed I could now concentrate on the stem oxidation, I applied non-bleach Soft Scrub to the stem and left aside 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 all 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 )

The stem could now be sanded and polished. I tapped off the bit end of the stem with painters tape so my more abrasive sanding would remain in one area. To remove the light chatter I sanded with 800 and 1000 grit sandpaper wet and micro-mesh pads 1500-2400 wet then 3200-4000 dry. I removed the tape and sanded the whole stem with the remaining micro-mesh pads 6000-12000 dry.

Before attempting to reapply the P logo I buffed the stem with blue compound to remove the fine sanding blemishes.

I used an alcohol dampened Q-Tip to remove the oils and compound from the P logo area. The bottom of the logo was still recessed but the top portion was buffed flush, the remaining top of the P was more of a faint outline. Using white enamel nail polish and paintbrushes for nail art ( gotta love having women in the house ) I attempted to reapplied the P logo numerous times to no success, my hands and eyes are not what they used to be, so my wife stepped in and reapplied the P, its damn close in my opinion , she left it aside to dry before I put it on the wheel.

Complete

I taped off the silver band and buffed the stummel with a few coats carnauba and a micro-fiber hand buff, buffing the stem with blue compound and carnauba.

Happy Collecting, Restoring and Puffing

Tim.

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

Savinelli SherWood Rock Briar 504

July 25, 2016 pipesrevival 2 Comments

One more from the lot. Savinelli one of my favorite brands, beautiful pipes, that smoke great and at a price an average Joe can afford. I have quite a few in my collection, from my more expensive Autograph 4 to my less expensive Trevi each one preforms wonderfully.

The Restoration.

The pipe had a few issues, oxidation, chatter and the stem logo was buffed clean off. The edge of the rim towards the shank was sanded or buffed down unevenly compared to the rest of the rim. A ton of carnauba wax was used and caked in every nook and cranny. On the plus side the nomenclature is crisp and the pipe seemed pretty clean.

The use of both the PipNet and the CastleFord reamer would be used once again to ream back the cake in this smaller chambered pipe.

Next I cleaned the internals of the stem and stummel with EverClear, stiff/soft pipe cleaners, Q-Tips and makeup pads, cleaning until my final pipe cleaner came out as it went in. The internals were surprisingly clean.

The stummel was over waxed, every crevice was caked in the stuff. Using Method Wood For Good Polish, a children’s toothbrush and a straight pin I began to remove the excess wax.

I removed the little build up on the rim with Method and a Q-Tip. The rim was uneven, it looked as if the previous owner tried to remove a rim burn and left it unfinished. To even things out I sanded the higher portions of the rim with 400, 800 and 1000 grit sandpaper until I had a uniformed shape. I re-stained the rim with a light brown touch-up marker and removed the excess with a alcohol dampened rag.

The stem was heavily oxidized, I applied a generous amount of non-bleach Soft Scrub 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 until the oxidation is removed, adding more Soft Scrub as needed. Holding the stem under natural light will help to see if all oxidation was removed. I tried heat to remove some of the deep tooth impressions using a Bic lighter (moving the flame at all times never leaving it in one spot to long) a few raised but a couple of stubborn deeper impressions would need filling.

I mixed thick black CA glue and charcoal powder together to fill in the deep impressions hitting it with accelerator to set the patch, I left it overnight to cure. The following morning I taped off the bit/lip area so my more abrasive sanding would remain in one area. I sanded with 400, 800 and 1000 grit sandpaper to blend the repair.

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

Complete.

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

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tim.

Tobacco Pipe Refurbishing

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

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.

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.

Bing’s Favorite

Complete

Thanks For Stopping by

Tim.

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-The Restore-

Complete

Procure- Restore- Puff- Repeat

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Tim.

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The Restore

Complete

Procure, Restore, Puff, Repeat

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Tim.

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The List

The restore

Complete

It was a pleasure to cross this one off the list.

Happy Collecting, Restoring And Puffing.

Tim.

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The Restoration

Complete

Happy Collecting, Restoring and Puffing

Tim.

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The Restoration.

Complete.

Thanks For Taking A Look.

Tim.

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Peterson.

Donegal Rocky XL90 & Standard XL305

The Clean Up.

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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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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