Beeswaxing a natural pipe

[smoker13]

OK, so I've got a pipe au natural.  It's been suggested (instead of staining) to cover the pipe in beeswax.  Now how would you think a fellow would go about doing that?  Maybe melting a chunk and brushing it on lightly? That's the best I can come up with.

Any other suggestions - especially if you've done this - would be greatly appreciated, as always.

Many Thanks - S13

 

[jefe1037]

Rubbing room temp wax on the Briar will cause enough friction to get a film to start building up, then you want to polish with a soft cloth or the like. Buff to a nice shine and you are good to go.

I'm prefer "nose oil" myself. Rub your finger on the side of your nose and rub it in like a pitcher works on a baseball (maybe not so rough). Over time a patina will form. Good for stems, too.

Really no protective purpose here other than a little moisture barrier. The beeswax will polish up shiny, nose oil will be more of a matte finish.

Sent from Topic'it App

 

[monbla256]

Been a "nose oil" guy for over 40 years. It gives pipes a nice patina/sheen. Myself I rub the pipe on my nose while smoking snd the pipe is warm. Works for me !! :twisted:

 

[BriarPipeNYC]

Melt a small chunk of PURE bee's wax along with a few tablespoons of pure coconut oil/olive oil.  Zap it in a microwave just until the wax melts.  When it cools, (room temperature), it should  be a soft, creamy, pasty, wax, and feel like ChapStick.  Add more oil if it's too hard and waxy.  

While smoking,  rub some waxy paste onto your warm pipe with your fingers.  Rub the briar and shank all over the surface. The warm briar will melt the wax paste immediately, and draw it into the wood.  Your pipe will gradually become a deep rosewood, brownish-red after a few treatments.  

I also rub this waxy paste on the tenons of my pipes for a friction-free, lock up.  

Fill an empty tobacco tin with your bee's wax paste...it will last for years.

Happy rubbing!


Frank
NYC

 

[fishnbanjo]

Never did anything except smoke a Vergin pipe and allowed it to color on its own, once it has really colored I simply buffed it with a clean towel and it shined from the natural oils from my holding it, best finish in the world!
banjo

 

[Zeno Marx]

Never did anything except smoke a Vergin pipe and allowed it to color on its own, once it has really colored I simply buffed it with a clean towel and it shined from the natural oils from my holding it, best finish in the world!
banjo

cosign. I have a Castello Vergin that has colored wonderfully like this. I don't believe Radice adds any wax to their naturals either. Could be wrong, but it sure doen't look that way online.

I believe the Paragon wax for blasts and rustications would work fine for this right out of the little container. You wouldn't have to concoct or heat up anything.

 

[MisterE]

Never did anything except smoke a Vergin pipe and allowed it to color on its own, once it has really colored I simply buffed it with a clean towel and it shined from the natural oils from my holding it, best finish in the world!
bganjo

This!

 

[ftrplt]

I'm a "nose oil" kinda' guy all the way!! Plus, I can "oil up" by just running my hand over my forehead or bald head!! Keeps my briars looking nice and shiny!! :cheers: FTRPLT

 

[smoker13]

Just to let you allknow, yes, I've got 3 other "naturals" that I've never done anyrhing to. But THIS pipe, a "raw" Dagner poker, just came with the suggestion that I MIGHT beeswax it if so desired. Well, I'm a muzzleloader, and if any of you are familiar with this community, then you know that chances at that I would have a couple pounds of beeswax down in the bowels of my cellar.

And I just felt like experimenting, just for the helluvit. When I read briarNYC 's post about combining it with coconut oil, well, I HAD to ceck the kitchen cupboard and sure enough my wife had a big jug of it.

SO I had fun melting it all down, filling an old tin and smoking the pipe and rub-a-dub-dub a couple times and now I've got a beautiful dark stained little poker. I love it!

I had a blast from soup to nuts, and why not have a little fun? MANY THANKS for the formula from our NYC brother, it worked like A CHARM!

 

[BriarPipeNYC]

smoker13...

You're a muzzle loader?  Great!  Ted Cash makes great German Silver, cap boxes.... that are perfect for storing your beeswax pipe-grease.  Even leather snuff boxes make good wax paste boxes.  Make your own grease holder from a hunk of cow-horn.

Carry around your pipes, tobaccos, pipe-cleaners, beeswax mixture, and requisite accoutrements, in a small possibles bag.  Any catalog of muzzle-loading supplies (Dixie Gun Works)  will get you all the stuff you need.

Back in my salad days I spent many happy hours shooting my 50 cal. Hawkins replica.  Now, my itch gets scratched by sub-scale black powder cannons.  There's nothing like shooting a small cannon!  But living in New York City, it wouldn't be a very good idea for me to do this.  But, I do get to shoot my small cannons when I visit my friend in Florida.  For me, it's a lot of fun.

Glad you liked the rich finish on your waxed poker.

Enjoy.


Frank
NYC

 

[smoker13]

Frank, I've got Ted Cash beat, and my thing joins both blackpowder and pipe worlds.  I take my used tobacco tins and, in the winter months, whenever we feel like having a fire, we've got an old cooking wood stove in our fireplace my uncle bought and put there in the sixties.  I should probably mention here that we live in a brick Cape style house with a slate roof that my father and uncle built in the thirties.  I actually grew up in a bigger brick house my father built on his own about a half mile away, but that's another story.

Anyway, the actual fire chamber in the cooking stove is pretty small as far as wood stoves go, but it holds a good amount of wood and hot coals.  I place a few tobacco tins in there and let them get burned red hot s o they're eventually devoid of all traces of logos and writing, just basically a gunmetal grey with swirls of blue, red and other colors.  Some turn out plain, some are real surprises and turn out beautifully varied in their colors.

I rub them smooth, put a fine layer of wax on them to protect them from rust, and carry various possibles in them; wads, cards, patches, tow, anything needed to maintain the particular gun they will "belong" to and put them in the corresponding shooting pouch. You can bet I'll be making up some little tins with your beeswax formula in them, because that stuff comes in handy in many ways

Yet another fun thing to do for an old  guy.   I've never fired off a cannon, though!

 

[BriarPipeNYC]

smokey 13

Love your idea of reusing old tobacco tins. The finish/patina those tins get sounds like the old "charcoal-bluing" that can be found on a well-made firearm. Good for you.

You guessed it. The oil/wax mixture can be used on wood, leather, gun-stocks, ramrods, exposed iron, patch-grease, etc. It's "old-timey"...and it works....on many things, like unfinished pipes. Well, you know this, now.

Your vintage brick house sounds wonderful. Live long and live well.

Do fire a sub-scale, black powder cannon.... for a special thrill that will run up your leg! A 3/4" bore will do it! Easy to make, cheap to fire. Kids love them...old kids, too. PM me for details, if inclined.

Frank
NYC

 

[blendtobac]

I prefer to use a silicone polishing cloth for a quick shine, or a microcrystalline wax like Paragon or Decatur No-Buff Wax. My biggest problem with beeswax is the same issue I've had with meerschaums that have a beeswax coating - the aroma really sets me off. To me, the smell of beeswax isn't compatible with the scent of a good tobacco.

Russ