Buffing pads

[GuitarMyFriend]

HEY!
I’m working on getting all of my pipes in tip-top shape because my wife asked me to hang my 3 tier (36 pipe) pipe rack on the wall. I am going through, cleaning and buffing all of them. Some of them are getting more of a deep clean.
You all know how quickly buffing pads get filthy. And I have 60-some pipes I have to go through!!! This is maddening. I get two bowls polished, and it seems I can’t even start on the stems because they leave that line of grime. There has got to be a quicker way to clean them rather than tossing them in the wash... right? I’ve contemplated going out and buying a stock pile, but that takes money... and we all know Money = tobacco, not buffing pads.
Help.
Frustrated and contemplating switching from coffee to Bourbon this morning,
Zach

 

[Ozark Wizard]

You might be closer to the truth than you know.

Rather than using your buffer first, grab a roll of paper towels and your bourbon, wet the towels and hand buff them until nothing comes off on the towels. Then buff them dry with a micro fiber towel. When they look fabulous and shiny, THEN buff them on the wheel. That'll make them glow, and not pick up any gunk.

Remember, match your amounts of bourbon on the towels to your whistle. Balance must be maintained, and it is the end of the year, after all :twisted: And make sure to have enough on hand before you start. Tough to get more when you're pickled already!

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

Ozark,
I do use a micro fiber towel, and since I just sanded and re-stained a Nording I did wipe it down with alcohol, (NOT my bourbon, you... you... horrid man!), to get any dust left in those classic Nording unfinished rims. But they still end up dirty. I will try in on the pipes I’m only buffing. That makes sense to clean them up first. Never thought of that . Also I haven’t put alcohol on any stems, would it harm them in any way?

Don’t you worry about good spirits. I picked up a Scotch  last night to hold me over. Also I have Newcastle Brown Ale, (that was, for some reason, only sold in 12-packs) that I’m steaming the crab in for tonight’s supper. I should be alright. And if I’m not, I’ll just call Alex!
Zach

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Now why Newcastle Brown Ale is sold in 12 packs only is obviously their way to curtail our unbridled consumption, I know some one out there must make bigger boxes... :lol!:

Your bourbon? (meh) A gentle cleanser at best, good for cooking otherwise. I was always a tequila man myself. Otherwise moonshine to me is preferable..... Each to his own poison though.

My thinking with using your weening juice was that it would be gentle on your stems, clean them and perhaps add a nice sweet, gentleness to your finished product.

If your rims are pretty gooked up, then an almost dry towel of rubbing alcohol will clean them up. If they are still black, well, that's probably scorching. That'll need some 2000 grit paper to polish that out. Then you'll want to give them a coat of something. Nose oil will work if you don't have caranuba wax.

Have fun!

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

One of my good buddies just got back from Tennessee and brought me back some sweet stuff just a few minutes ago.
I use nose oil when I’m smoking, but I still buff it with a mixture of Carnauba and beeswax. Only so much nose oil ya know?
I’ve always been about good bourbon, but just recently dipped into Scotch. I love them both equally but in different ways (Of course). Tequila and I are aquantences, but best friends if we spend a couple hours together. I did have one horrid experience with White Lightening once... kinda timid around ‘Shine now.

I do make a pretty mean Smokey Bourbon Barbeque sauce with “my bourbon” but I’m sure not going to use my Basil Haydens... once I get a batch made up to can you’ll have to pm me your address. I always make a little extra for friends.

I did try a bit of alcohol on the stems and seemed to work perfectly. I just wiped it off as soon as I put it on there in fear it would leave a flavor in the porous vulcanite. Thanks for the advice Ozark.
Zach

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Happy to help, and good on your buddy!

If you happen to think about it, after buffing your bowls with wax, go ahead a run the wheel dry on your vulcanite stems, after cleaning them you might want to keep them from oxidizing quickly, and the very slightest coat of caranuba will keep them sealed... Very light pressure.

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

Just got done doing that to this old Nording Freehand bowl and stem. I also hand buff the whole pipe with a piece of old cotton flannel just to be sure there’s no wax buildup anywhere!
Zach

 

[Ozark Wizard]

:cheers:

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

... and the pads are still CLEAN-ish! Might take a smoke break before getting to the next Nording or Sav.
Zach

 

[hobie1dog]

Thanks for sharing this with us. Looks fantastic.

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

Thank you! I really do enjoy refurbishing pipes!

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

I now have another question!
Does anyone have a suggestion on how to protect stem markings (nomenclature?) while sanding/buffing? I have tinkered with the idea of putting a small piece of electrical tape on there. I understand some sand very delicately around them, but having a BUNCH of pipes to do I was hoping for a quicker, less delicate shortcut. Ozark, help me out man!

By the way I got a few more done...


Poor camera angle, you can’t really see the shine on ‘em sorry...




...BUT...I have this left to do (-3 I’m working on currently, and -1 I’m smoking).


Zach

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Young man, you have waaay too nice a collection of pipes. .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .

OK, got that out, :lol!:

My advice, which may or may not be good, would be to avoid power tooling near the engravings on stems. I've buffed out foils in embossed markings on plastic and vulcanite stems, and had to re-fill them. As far as the briar nomenclature, as long as you are not sanding, you should be fine.

When I have to clean around stamped markings on the stems/bits, I've found an old soft toothbrush and bourbon twisted: )with gentle, spiral motions will clean them nicely. A light buff to seal and you should be good!

Be gentle. It'll be fine!

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

HA! I’ve been collecting for about six years now. I just wish I had a tobacco cellar to match. I’m trying to put some up but there’s no decent tobacconists around me, and I’ve only got like 3 tins before my reserves. Not easy. I’m thinking about locking up my cellar and giving my wife the key. She’s a mean one, I know not to try her.

Not the response I was hoping for, but sounds like it will work. I’ll just get back to you after someone gifts me a bourbon that doesn’t tickle my fancy. Do you think my wife’s Chardonnay will work :twisted:?

Zach

 

[riff raff]

Buffing pads are cleaned with a "rake". You can make one from a hacksaw blade (see below), but the store bought ones are cheap and are more effective. I only rake my pads, perhaps a few times per year.

http://www.empirechromeshop.com/p-10370-buffing-wheel-rake-wwood-handle.aspx?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-ejmvOO52AIVi8hkCh3WWADMEAYYBCABEgJqyPD_BwE

All the buffing places, Eastwood, Caswell, etc. sell them in about that price range.

A mini-hacksaw blade holder also works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sgp27as2xQ

 

[riff raff]

Cleaning them with the rake makes them smaller, so you don't want to do it very often. The pads on my wheels have been in place for four years or so. (the Carnuba wax pad probably 10 years now).

 

[Blackhorse]

Agree...avoid sanding down stampings, etc. by not sanding that area.

Akin to the old...”It hurts when I bend over to the side, Doc.”  “So don’t bend over to the side.”  8)

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

Oh wow! I know I have a mini hacksaw hiding around here somewhere!
Thanks Riff Raff!

Blackhorse, that does make perfect sense, I just despise that little green square on the stem! For some reason it bugs me quite a bit!
Zach

 

[Ozark Wizard]

When I redid some Falcon bits a while back, I used a magnifying glass and cotton swabs, rubbed with the slightest jeweler's rouge, and made small circular motions with light pressure. Takes a long time if the vulcanite is green, but the cotton is abrasive, as is the rouge. Let them do the work. Sometimes it's good to let the rouge fill in the markings to protect them until you have the stem nice. A shoft bristle ox hair brush will get the rouge out of the grooves without damaging the marks.

Works for me anyway...