Blasts

That's a pretty darn handsome blast you did there, Chris. I wouldn't call that one fugly at all. It's actually pretty nice. Good job, sir!

I like the detail with the unblasted band at the end of the shank.

Its not that bad, I just have to always smoke I and face right, but I am sure I can get the hang of how to do these. I did find a before pic.

I believe that is customary, the electrical tape is wrapped around the stem and slightly over the shank and the square piece of electrical tape on the bottom or side where a good pipe maker will affix thier stamp.

I have always been a fan of subtle blasts, so that one is right up my alley. No fugliness IMO

I wouldn't by any means call it fugly now ... but before the blast that *was* one seriously fugly pipe man. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't smoke that thing the way it used to be. Hey! You reclaimed a fairly useless pipe and made it a good thing. Smoke that pipe!

The small smooth (unblasted) area near the stem ... electrical tape? Thats how they do it? I always wondered. Hot shit. So simple.

I only liked smooth pipes. Rusticated pipes I frowned upon and blasts were barely tolorable. The more pipes I have seen at e-tailers has changed all that.

If the block has some minor flaws it does not really bother me, I think it is obvious I can live with pipes as well as other things that are less than perfect. Rustification is bascially a necessity for some pipes and I have only one. It was I more like I had to give it a shot and the pipe had very little grain pattern. When finished I thought, not bad and adjusted my tastes to somewhat appreciate them. The problem is a good rustification is a fair amount of work for a pipe that sells much less than a smooth. Blasting is not a piece of cake either, it involves more work than rustication but I feel the market value is higher. I also have come to really like a good blast, this is not one. If both sides showed the same pattern or were even close it would have been nice. All said it is an improvement of what was and the first lesson I need to learn is what kind of block is going to give what kind of a blast.

So far I have blasted about 3 uncut blocks on different sides with varing results. All were cheaper blocks and I have yet to try any of my prime briar that is reserved for smooths. But I feel at least one is going to take a trip to the beach.

For medium I bought 240 grit white aluminium oxcide, 400 grit Brown aluminium oxcide, 60-90 blass bead and walnut shell. Judging by the 240 grit I think the beach sand here is probably about 120 grit and I will give it a try also, this stuff is not cheap. So I have several mediums to try.

What a hoot! Well, you have an endless supply of that around your zip code! Ohh, a thought ... I bet if you go to some of the blown sand drifts you'll find finer grade sand than if you just go to the middle of the beach ...

I have this scene in my mind right now ... Chris in the middle of the beach with a plastic shovel and a plastic bucket (like a little kid making sand castles) and one of the park rangers comes over to see what you're doing ... you admit to stealing the shovel and bucket from that crying kid running down the beach to his mother and explain to the ranger, "but sir, I need some sand to make a pipe - really! And I didn't steal his bucket, I was only borrowing it." LOL

You did a great job, especially considering that you are just getting into doing blasts. And I must say that it is a HUGE improvement over the way that it started out. It originally looked like a "the pipe" gone bad.

I used to do a lot of bead blasting (glass bead, usually) of aircraft parts. There are a lot more intricacies involved when blasting a pipe, but the basic idea is the same. I always loved pummeling parts with blast media.

That really did come out beautifully. I'm quite keen to see the finish for the different media & even mixing the media - coarse then fine. I'm sure you'll be playing around with it. I trust you can sieve or filter the stuff & re-use it. Nice wax finish too.

Quite handsome indeed!

To practice a) on a POS, then b) uncut briar.

What you have done is fuggin really nice. Kudos.

Yeah, I'm tempted to bid on a few of the fuglies on eBay, just to have Mr. Nailgunner work some magic on them :-)