Passed on Pipes

[scotties22]

Hi guys. My father-in-law gave my husband these pipes a while back. They have been sitting in the pipe rack waiting for me to clean them up. I've been told that my mother-in-law used some kind of orange cleaner/wood polish on them. They told me she hit the stems pretty hard with the stuff trying to get rid of the oxidation. What is my best course of action to get these smokeable again? They have all been in a box for almost 20 years or so. I had planned on buffing the stems to remove the oxidation, but what about the chambers and bowls?

Thanks.

Edit: HAHAHAHAAAAAA.....Guess it would help if I put the pictures on here for you to see.

 

[Growley]

Those are some very interesting pipes. The top two are my favorite. Calabash pipes are't easy to make, and I have no idea how they got the metal on the one. Very cool.

It doesn't look like they're in too bad of condition really. I wouldn't mess too much with the stummels, maybe just a buff and a wax. As far as the stems go I'd probably try to buff them first with red tripoli and then white diamond (if the red does any good). If just buffing them doesn't work, I personally would take them through the process I do in making stems, meaning: Sand - 320,400,600,800,1,000,1,200,1,500, 2,000 Buff - White Diamond, and Wax. That would make em look new, but you'd have to be careful not to hit the stummel with your paper, and not to sand too much to where you're changing the shape.


Now, that's me. I've seen the members here talk about a solution you can buy for taking oxidation off stems. I'm sure they'll chime in and give you some more options.

It should be a fun project.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Those pipes are going to be a cinch to get back up to smokin' condition, unless there's something I can't see in the bowl. 8)

I'm an elbow-grease kind of guy with vulcanite stem oxidation, sanding, sanding, and more sanding, then polishing. After that, a good carnauba wax of the bowls (will be tough on the embelleshed models...the wax and buffing wheel will make a mess--I'd do it by hand), a check of the airways and maybe a bowl reaming...

...easy peasy.

8)

 

[Rusty Mouse]

I bet our old friend Tia would LOVE the one with a solid lid... :lol:

 

[scotties22]

funny thing....i thought the same thing when I was taking the pictures. I almost posted it by itself under "a REAL tobacco pipe with a lid"....

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Internet trolls are like Beetlejuice, you say their name too many times, they come back.

Scottie, that calabash looks like a real gourd model...I love the shapes but could never smoke one without feeling like a total goon. Someone ought to pipe up (so to speak) and instruct you how to take that beauty apart properly to inspect and clean it. 8)

 

[scotties22]

The calabash is a gourd. I tried to take the bowl out last week. It squeeked at me and I haven't touched it since. Anyone know how it's done without trashing the thing?

 

[Growley]

The calabash is a gourd. I tried to take the bowl out last week. It squeeked at me and I haven't touched it since. Anyone know how it's done without trashing the thing?

Don't take my word for this, but the squeaking is probably normal. I watched a video where Tom Eltang was showing off one of his freshly made calabash pipes and it squeaked good and loud when he removed the top. Some probably have rubber seals.

While they are made to come apart, I'd still be careful and wait for an expert to speak up.

 

[Ocelot55]

Don't Calabash pipes have a ring of cork around the top to hold in the meerschaum bowl? I would imagine that is what is squeaking. You might need to replace the cork anyway as part of the restoration if it isn't sealing properly.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Don't Calabash pipes have a ring of cork around the top to hold in the meerschaum bowl? I would imagine that is what is squeaking. You might need to replace the cork anyway as part of the restoration if it isn't sealing properly.

I know next to squat about calabash pipes, besides the design. Yeah, there's cork holding the (hopefully meerschaum) bowl into the gourd. Cork squeaks when under pressure and against a surface...this is true.

8)

 

[Rusty Mouse]

I'll give you full confidence in removing that bowl, my Calabash squeaks like a mother every time I turn the meerschaum to take it out. It's absolutely normal.

 

[scotties22]

I will make my husband take it out tonight. That way if it breaks it's not my fault :lol: .

 

[Rusty Mouse]

I will make my husband take it out tonight. That way if it breaks it's not my fault :lol: .

Genius!

 

[williamcharles]

The calabash is a gourd. I tried to take the bowl out last week. It squeeked at me and I haven't touched it since. Anyone know how it's done without trashing the thing?

Don't take my word for this, but the squeaking is probably normal. I watched a video where Tom Eltang was showing off one of his freshly made calabash pipes and it squeaked good and loud when he removed the top. Some probably have rubber seals.

While they are made to come apart, I'd still be careful and wait for an expert to speak up.

I'm no expert on anything but my calabash has a cork gasket and squeaks loudly when I take it apart. I'd be worried if it didn't.

 

[loneredtree]

The squeak is from the bowl sliding on the cork band at the top of the gourd. Twist the bowl and pull. The cork can deteriorate but I doubt that it has.

Looks like a silver lid on the rhs pipe.

 

[Anonymous]

Aside from pipe cleaners & alcohol for the insides of the stems, the only stem you have to even touch is the vulcanite one that's all cruddy.

Start with 600 grit wet-dry emery paper & water. When it's all deep black except for the tooth indents, you're probably close enough for government work unless you want to start buying stuff to play with.

The kink in that vulcanite stem, though, tells me it might be not worth the effort you put into it unless you put the bent part in a pan of nearly boiling water for maybe 5 seconds or so, and straighten it out.

Once it's straight, force a fluffy (or at least the thickest you can) pipe cleaner through the stem, re-soften in the water, and bend it carefully.

= gradual curve. The pipe cleaner keeps it from wanting to kink.

FWIW

:face:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I've re-bent stems with non-wound cello strings to keep the airway "true." A little harder to get (unless you know cello players like I do... :lol: ) but I used guitar strings and even solid-core copper wire with a smaller gauge than the draft hole with ease, too... the cello strings pull right out the easiest, though.

8)

 

[scotties22]

I usually use pipe cleaners for stem bending and haven't run into any trouble yet. I really don't plan on rebending the stems on any of them. My husband doesn't mind them the way they are. I just wanted to clean the pipes up so my husband can smoke them. Thanks for the help. I will let you all know how the bowl pulling goes on the calabash...

 

[williamcharles]

Aside from pipe cleaners & alcohol for the insides of the stems, the only stem you have to even touch is the vulcanite one that's all cruddy.

Start with 600 grit wet-dry emery paper & water. When it's all deep black except for the tooth indents, you're probably close enough for government work unless you want to start buying stuff to play with.

The kink in that vulcanite stem, though, tells me it might be not worth the effort you put into it unless you put the bent part in a pan of nearly boiling water for maybe 5 seconds or so, and straighten it out.

Once it's straight, force a fluffy (or at least the thickest you can) pipe cleaner through the stem, re-soften in the water, and bend it carefully.

= gradual curve. The pipe cleaner keeps it from wanting to kink.

FWIW

:face:

I tried dunking a stem in boiling water to soften it so I could bend it. Never again. The stem oxidized so badly it looked like it had lain in a car window for two years.
The last time I bent a stem I inserted a pipe cleaner and heated the stem with a hair dryer. It took five minutes or so to soften but it bent really well and no oxidization.
It's a hair dryer for me from now on.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Get beach sand and a cast-iron pan, heat up the sand to about 220F or so. Bury the stem for 30 seconds or so, pull it out (gloves are handy) and do the deed. It's how they soften and adjust glasses frames, and it won't oxidize your stems.

I guess a hairdryer works, too. :lol:

8)