When Bleach Doesn't work...
Posted on: Thu, 04/12/2007 - 13:46
Anonymous
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When Bleach Doesn't work...
Hello.
I have been trying to clean some oxidization off of the stems of some of my estate pipes, and am running into some trouble. I know that people use everything from 1 / 10 bleach-water mix, some use 50/50 etc.
I soaked some stems in a 50% bleach and Water mixture to try to remove some oxidation... The stem became somewhat rougher, but still has oxidation on it...
is it worth moving to steel wool to remove it, then polish it to a shine later? I've tried mild abrasives such as toothpaste with no luck.
Thanks for any suggestions!
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I hate to say it but,sometimes the only thing that removes that heavy oxidation is a buffing wheel! If you don't want to invest in one, your only option is to send the pipes out to a pipe rejuvenator or visit a local tobacconist that may be able to do the job for you...
Best,
D.Perry
The Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club of Boston... "Keeping The Smoking Lamp Lit Since 1989" www.shpcboston.org
You might want to try using one of those "Magic Erasers" knowing it will dull the finish completely so you'll have to hand or machine buff the stem to regain the high gloss finish. Cape Cod Cloths will help you get that shine back with not too much elbow grease - just remember to rub the stem clean after using the CCC's or your lips may tingle a little.
Rick Piatt
Rick Piatt
Caydel, it sounds like you have some really deep oxidation there. You can try bleaching it some more, with a fresh solution of course, and see where that leads. If you do this expect a more rough and pitted stem. In which case, you still need a buffer or patience and gentility to smooth the stem, and then apply wax. I used to collect Charatans, and they were particularly bad about this. I sometimes had to use the bleach treatment many times, but after that a very light abrasive buff (with NO compound, BTW), and then copious amounts of wax. If yu buff alone, you have a great chance of changing the shape of the stem if the oxidation is that deep. If you buff enough to remove the oxidation, you haw an even better chance of removing enough material to totally change it. Thus, light buffing after the bleaching has yielded best results for me, followed by a heavy coat of wax, of course.
Matt
http://mestonepipes.com
These things work like a champ! They come in a pad about the size of your index finger and one side is rougher than the other. I stole my first one from my significant other and have sworn by them every since. I take the bit and the buffer, wet both and scrub vigorously. When the oxidation comes off, you'll end up with this brown kind of muddy looking stuff coming to the surface. Rinse the buffer and the bit and continue scrubbing until no more muddy stuff comes up. Follow up with several coats of polishing compound rubbed in with a paper towel and presto. On heavily oxidized bits, I normally start with the really rough side of the buffer and finish up with the smoother side.
"Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets and watched the smoke that rises from the pipes of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows?" T.S. Eliot
I think that this would work wonders after the bleach treatment. It seems like a great way to get back the smooth finish. The bleach (if you let it soak for long enough) will bring all of the oxidation to the surface...then you use the buffer as a sort of steel-wool or sandpaper replacement...it seems like they might be better as they are a very fine grit and are pretty resiliant...have one that you have charged with carnuba...for those of us who dont have a buffing wheel...this might just do the trick...
Cheers,
Josh
A good buffing wheel does'nt have to cost alot of money! Mine came from Sears and was less than $60.00.I get my buffing pads and tripoli from the Home Depot....
It's a damn worth while investment if you're buy lots 'o used pipes like I do : )
Best,D.Perry
The Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club of Boston... "Keeping The Smoking Lamp Lit Since 1989" www.shpcboston.org
We (my wife and I) use straight chlorine bleach here. We have yet to have a stem that didn't respond to it. The deeper the oxidation, the longer it has to set in the bleach.
re:buffers.
I started out with one of those variable speed grinders, stripped of it's guards and set to its lowest speed. After cleaning/buffing about 10 pipes, the thing was hot enough to fry eggs on. They are designed to turn at their maxium speed to keep the inner workings cool. Last year, I invested about $400 and bought a Baldor. While it may be a bit much for the avarage piper, my situation is somewhat unique. I'm a long haul truck driver and, as such, only get home about every 4 to 5 weeks for 4/5 days. As a result, my pipes look rather ragged. The expense of the Baldor was justified because I need to clean up 70 pipes and don't have that much time. I can run that buffer all day and it doesn't get more than warm. A word of caution. When buffing stems, watch your heat. You can heat a stem to the point it will bend, especially when using red or green compound. You can also cut thru a stem into the airway, especially on thin stems.
If you can afford a Baldor and have room for it, I strongly suggest obtaining one. Look for the 1750 rpm model and use 6" or 8" wheels. A I/3 hp will do the trick altho mine is a 3/4 hp model. I can't bog it down regardless of how much pressure I put to it.
A washing machine or dryer motor will suffice also. Check your local appliance dealers for disgarded machines. They can be had for a song or may actually be free for the hauling off.
What this country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds.
Will Rogers
I've used the method I found on ASP (I think). I scraped the stem down with a (very) sharp blade, then buffed it with steel wool & finished with Savinelli stem polishing compound. Worked really well. The bit I didn't like was the fact that I was removing a layer of the stem. And it was tricky not to scratch the stem with the blade.
Muddler. I remove it with 320, then 400, 600, 800 grit sand paper, then to the buffing station. a dremil could also be used.
Fume in pace, ckr
These things work like a champ! They come in a pad about the size of your index finger and one side is rougher than the other. I stole my first one from my significant other and have sworn by them every since. I take the bit and the buffer, wet both and scrub vigorously. When the oxidation comes off, you'll end up with this brown kind of muddy looking stuff coming to the surface. Rinse the buffer and the bit and continue scrubbing until no more muddy stuff comes up. Follow up with several coats of polishing compound rubbed in with a paper towel and presto. On heavily oxidized bits, I normally start with the really rough side of the buffer and finish up with the smoother side.
Never thought of this-will have to try that sometime. I did get tired enough of bleaching and hand-sanding 1 stem in recent time that I grabbed my wife's black food coloring and painted that on. Did a wonderful job of "re-blacking" it, though it left a matte finish. I like quick fixes. :-) Earl
My two cents worth! After the bleach/water soak, I use a dremel tool fitted with their cotton buffing wheels. Charge the wheel with green or white polishing compound and then carefully buff the stem back to shiny black, like new. Go slow,watch the rpm's of your dremel or you will melt or cut a hole in your stem which just plain sucks! I haven't ruined a stem yet,but I'm kind of anal about working slowly! Once the stem is polished to my liking I finish it off with carnuba applied with a different buffing wheel mounted on my dremel. Hope this helps! just go slow and things will work fine.
Good luck!
Marty
I use these on really bad stems
its safer than a buffer it is slower but will allow more control
and the stems look new
http://www.grayfoxon...
Dave
do the make a buffer pad for those, i swore i seen a shop buff stem with one before.