Refinish a pipe?

[Fr_Tom]

Greetings all...

I have a pipe I have had for 30 years or so. It is marked Pietro Italy. It is a faux-system pipe with what appears to be a painted on faux-grain (in keeping with the theme I guess). It is actually a pretty good smoker and has been a beater of sorts. It has been dropped and generally abused over the years of smoking.

My question has to do with this finish. It has rubbed off in places, and I have a picture of one side. One the other side, there is a place where it is all rough - I think from my finger on the bowl when I hold it.

I have pondered removing this paint and refinishing it. What is the best way to do this? I am confident this pipe has no collector value. I also suspect the paint covers fills and various imperfections, and that really does not cause me to lose any sleep.

Thanks...   Tom

 

[Ocelot55]

Start with either sand paper or micro mesh pads and start sanding. I'd start with 320 grit and move up toward 600. For a beater there is no sense going any higher. You can stain it with many alcohol soluble dyes. If you have access to a buffer then buff with red tripoli, white diamond, and then carnauba wax. If not some good ol fashioned elbow grease and a pinch of beeswax should work.

 

[Fr_Tom]

You would recommend sanding it off instead of using a solvent/remover of some sort?

 

[Anonymous]

If you want a nice job, yes.

Walker Briar Works is the first that comes to mind as far as
good work done cheap and fairly quickly, but there are guys
here who'd probably do it for you as well for about the same $$.

:face: 

 

[Anonymous]

You would recommend sanding it off instead of using a solvent/remover of some sort?

You could certainly try some denatured alcohol starting with a cotton ball. That'd start lifting any shellac or lacquer based finish. Hopefully, that would avoid lifting grain to make going on from there simpler. Worth a shot.

I did some faux graining on gun stocks. I did it at the clean wood level. You may get lucky if they did similar and retain all or most of the faux.

Whatever you try to start, it isn't likely you can make it worse.

Ocelot' suggestion of the mesh pad or 4 aught steel wool could be used with the alcohol, if the cotton ball shows signs of color but isn't liftift it well. Try to avoid anything water based as that'd tend to lift grain and add work.

I've always used tung oil on gun stocks and applied it in layers using just my finger tips with very fine sanding of any marks. A gun shop sells a very fine liquid abrasive that can give a gloss to the final layer using scrap flannel. Not sure if that would be suitable. You could also use a shellac that was cut by alcohol quite a bit. That would fill enough to polish out the wood and give some protection.

Working with guns certainly is different from pipe finishes. Rely on those who have refinished pipes. But, even a so-so refinishing would improve the look. So give it a try and you may have found another adjunct to the pipe hobby to enjoy.

 

[monbla256]

If you want a nice job, yes.

Walker Briar Works is the first that comes to mind as far as
good work done cheap and fairly quickly, but there are guys
here who'd probably do it for you as well for about the same $$.

:face: 

This . If you've had it for 30 years and it's a good smoker then I would send it off to Walker and get it completely refurbed. It will be money well spent for a good pipe that works for YOU.  

 

[Anonymous]

Sending it off is an option. I don't think the goal was that level of renewal. I think it is about a bit of fun for Tom.

I am personally reminded of the admonition on the old Red Green comedy show. "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."

 

[Fr_Tom]

The only thing "wrong" with this pipe is that I decided i really did not like the finish about a week after I got it home. I am a patient man, and only recently have the aesthetics of it reached a tipping point. I will ponder all the options when I get back from Honduras. I appreciate the input

 

[Briar Spirit]

A close and trusted loyal companion right there, shame you live across the pond chap or I would have offered to do it for you, get some of those green washing up sponges with the rough stuff on em

like this: http://www.vileda.co.uk/upload/0006/8813/washing-up-scourer-NS-amend.jpg?1310653429

and dip it in some ISO and gently tease the surface coating off. Once you're happy with it get some damp kitchen tissues and steam out those dings with a hot knife as best they'll come, give it a nice smooth over with some fine wet'n'dry then wax her up, fill her to the brim and enjoy a good bowl of baccy with your Buddy.

 

[Hawker]

I'm no pipe maker but did have good luck just sanding off the old finish starting with 200 grit and working up to 1000 (being careful around stamped area's) then applied a couple coats of Fiebling's leather dye and when it was dry the next day buffed it off and gave it a good Carnuba wax buffing.

 

[SpeedyPete]

I'm no pipe maker but did have good luck just sanding off the old finish starting with 200 grit and working up to 1000 (being careful around stamped area's) then applied a couple coats of Fiebling's leather dye and when it was dry the next day buffed it off and gave it a good Carnuba wax buffing.

Agree, that's what I've done a couple of times. Comes out beautifully every time.

 

[Anonymous]

I think Kurt is making the most sense. I think super fine paper better suited to metal finishing. If the grain has been lifted and the surface is smooth, it is time to move from sanding to polishing.

I'll grant that my wood finishing was with gun stocks but, once you've lifted grain, a bit of 4-0 steel wool gives a great surface to apply finish too. Then it is rubbed out layers that give the finish depth and surface.

 

[Anonymous]

Start with 400 grit and go to at least 1200.

Period.

Finishing gun stocks and finishing briar are two different affairs. Carnuba wax sometimes dheres to coarsely-finished briar very poorly, with little specks of it (depending on the briar) detaching over time with use until it looks like an 8th grade shop project.

And no, I'm not a pipe craftsman. But a friend of mine is a household name restoration guy, whose advice I'm passing along.

:face:

 

[Anonymous]

Well, it is obvious you need to trust Yak in this matter.  He has never been wrong. PERIOD!

 

[riff raff]

The only thing "wrong" with this pipe is that I decided i really did not like the finish about a week after I got it home. I am a patient man, and only recently have the aesthetics of it reached a tipping point. I will ponder all the options when I get back from Honduras. I appreciate the input

I would pleased to do it for you Fr. Tom (gratis). PM me if interested. That looks like an easy fix. I can get some of those dents out for you as well.

 

[Idlefellow]

Be careful what you wish for; I once took the finish off a beautiful author shape (English made but a stencil; forget the name) only to reveal a huge fill right on the front of the bowl.  It's still in the rack, but I've never felt the same about it !

 

[Fr_Tom]

This is a good warning. I think I am going to go ahead with the project once I get back in Indiana and am sufficiently motivated though.

I am a man who can ponder a project until the time is ripe. I make no promises about when. If it turns out nicely, I will post pics though.

 

[Idlefellow]

Best of luck, Brother!

 

[Fr_Tom]

I would pleased to do it...

I took Al up on this offer. I had mentioned earlier that I was a man who could ponder a project for a while. Al's interest in this would mean it would be finished in this decade. I appreciate the work here. He put a lot of time and energy into this pipe. 

The pipe arrived back from him in the mail today, and it looks great! I am smoking a bowl of Classic Burley Kake in it now, and it smokes better than I remembered. As people predicted, it was not going to be fancy wood and birdseye under the finish. There are some fills, but they are small and a total non-issue as far as I am concerned.

I think Al took some pictures about the process. Once I am near a camera, I may try to take a shot similar to the one I posted initially, so you can see the before and after.

 

[riff raff]

Tom, I'm glad you are pleased. It was a rewarding challenge to work on your pipe. I will post some pix shortly and a full write-up on the Reborn Pipes blog. Enjoy it for many more years!