@Zouave1864 thanks I thinks its pretty rough but but for a first go i can live with it. I've learned a lot and that's worth something. @RockyMountainBriar I need to acquire some 400 and 600 grit and some buffing compound. my time with it has been sporadic so i've yet to pull the tricker on the materials. It'll be a fine smoker I think once it is done even if it looks a little rough.
@RockyMountainBriar if there was a dare I missed it. That being said here is a tandem de-ghosting and a before and after of the Dr. Grabow bulldog stem I put some work into.
Gave that Dr. Grabow Golden Duke a good scrub and I think she’s ready for a bowl. Been sick for days after that haul came as luck would have it so haven’t been able to smoke any. Here are the all cleaned up pictures. This will be the first estate pipe I’ve cleaned or refinished to smoke from. The comoy is still in process.
I don't have a buffing wheel at my disposal but I do have a dremel, which brings me to my question. What type of pad should I be using to say use tripoli, white diamond, or carnuba wax? Same type of pad for each or something different? Felt, Cotton, etc. is the answer i'm seeking I think but any tips are welcome.
@Whoispra I’m not sure a Dremmel will cut it. You don’t want to run high rpm’s, it will burn and/or strip the stain. At low rpm’s most don’t have the power. I use stitched cotton buffs on my drillpress with the buffing compounds, then an unstitched buff for the hard carnauba wax. I don’t have any felt buffs. That’s my $0.10…(adjusted for inflation🙂).
@Whoispra I use a flexible shaft Dremel tool at work. I will use it to sand and clean a pipe, but for polishing I use a bigger wheel. Also I typically use white diamond compound on it. Not sure that is rhe best for pipes, but it's what I have and cleans stems fantastic. I imagine you could use a small cotton polishing brush on the dremmel with white diamond, but @RockyMountainBriar is correct you can burn the finish pretty quick with a small fast tool.
@Whoispra Yep, if you want it done correctly with minimal risk of stripping and/or streaking your finish, you really should have a buffer. An adjustable RPM control is preferable but not a requirement as long as your careful with your pressure and exposer time of the wheel to the briar...
Fair enough. Say i acquire a buffer (6/8") is the stitched/unstitched cotton the way to go? Second, unrelated question, what are the chances of getting a decent fit on a vermont freehand forever stem on an already used country gentleman?
Buffers and wheels are a lot like cars: There are many sizes and styles and it will depend on your objectives (simply buffing? Waxing and buffing? Using compounds and waxing and buffing?) You get the idea. I suggest you YouTube some videos that include or feature buffers and pipes. You can acquire some great pointers while getting a better idea of your personal needs... As far as stem fittings, I have a small lathe that allows me to fit tenons to the mortise (as long as the tenon has a larger beginning diameter than the mortise. But if I were you, I would use a caliper to ascertain the ID of your mortise, then contact them to make SURE you'll get a good fit. I use other methods to secure a tight fit, but MMs are generally pretty standard with their mortises by model...
@Whoispra When I first started refurbishing pipes, specifically ones that need a new stem or had broken tenons, I did not have a lathe. I found the “tenon tool” at Vermont Freehand and it worked well within it’s limitations. The airway size, needs to be the same diameter as the centering pin on the tool. The length, there has to be additional straight “freebore” for at least the length of the tenon needed for the centering pin. Finally, if the airway isn’t centered in the tenon or very close…you’re screwed. Now, if the airway is too small, and if there is enough “meat” on the tenon, the airway can be drilled to size. If the airway is oversized, you need a sleeve to get the correct diameter, which instills the possibility of more inaccuracy, or a custom made, larger diameter, center pin. There is also a maximum diameter the tool can cut, around 1/2” or so, if I remember correctly🤔
https://vermontfreehand.com/product/adjustable-tenon-turning-tool I will say, I didn’t pay $80 for mine (more like ~$60?) but I bought it before the crazy-corona-out-of-control inflation, a.k.a. “The good ol’ days”. You know, 8-10 years ago. By the way, pennstateind.com has some cool multi wheel buffer machines. Also, vermontfreehand.com has buffing wheels/supplies as well.
@Balisong It should work great for that👍🏻. You use a regular drill, no need for a drill press. You might be able to adjust the cutter wide enough to “rough out” the stem diameter to the shank size too👌🏻. It’s not like MM are perfect anyway, all of my factory MM acrylic stems are a little “off center”.
@RockyMountainBriar Thanks for the input! I like the open draw of the MM plastic stems and find the forever stems too restricted. Since I have mostly bent pipes the airways need to be opened before bending. I think I'll buy the tenon tool, some airway drills and an assortment of acrylic blanks from Vermont Freehand and play with it over the winter. I think I have some heat guns in my Amazon wish list for bending. I buy straight Danish bits and use hot water to make bent plastic stems, MM does a horrid job bending!
@KA9FFJ is your lathe simply a wood lathe or is it more complicated than that? What is the size of your lathe? I'm not saying i'll get one because i don't know how invested I am in it. However, I do some other carving things as well and a lathe could be useful there as well. I know like anything sky is the limit but what do you use and is it enough?
A cheap little WEN wood lathe. It was a gift from a friend going through a divorce...😬 I told him I would hold it for him, but he said he was getting a bigger and beefier one for furniture making and that he didn't want it back. It's not what I would have purchased, but hey, free is free! So I'm doing my best to make it work...
@Whoispra Be advised, you will want a four jaw chuck, most wood lathes do not come with them. I have a Teknatool Nova G3, and @KA9FFJ’s looks to be a Nova G3 as well? I run mine on a Craftsman 101.21200/Atlas Mark II 6”x18” metal lathe. Vermont freehand has aluminum (tobacco pipe making) chuck jaws for the Nova G3, and Teknatool has several different types of woodworking jaws available. P.S. Lathes and lathe tooling are a money pit, but they are awesome.
@RockyMountainBriar Mounts in your chuck. Then the stem slides into the 2 slots to hold that end in place as it turns. Lousy pics (sorry), and I used my bent stem to give you the idea. Naturally the stem should be straight, but again, I just used the one I was smoking to give you the idea... The opening gradually becomes smaller to allow for various sizes of stems...
@RockyMountainBriar Oh, I forget the actual name of the attachment. I purchased it at the LV Show for about 15 bucks... YOU could probably make one on a metal lathe...
@KA9FFJ That is how I envisioned it’s use, but wanted to be sure. Hmm, I don’t think a lathe will work to make it, those angled slots are the kicker. Maybe if I had a rotating vise for my milling machine? I don’t suppose you remember the vender you purchased from?
@RockyMountainBriar Also, @Montecristo posted a video of the LV Pipe Show on that thread (the last post) Check out that video and you will see the table I purchased it from about 18:45 into the video...
After restemming this pipe some time ago, something about it kept bothering me. I loved how the color went so well with the pipe, but finally realized, IMHO, the stem was a bit too long and oversized for the stummel... I've had my eye on that yellow one you see in the background..
After getting a good and tight fit between tenon and mortise, I micropadded and buffed the newly sized tenon... I then straightened the old stem for possible use on a future stummel...
Comments
So far so good. Waiting for the final reveal🙂
You must have not taken me up on my double dog dare😬
The “dare” was for you to smoke that pipe with the “vintage” tobacco in it🙂
I never thought about placing them in rice. Great tip. Thanks, Brother.
I’m not sure a Dremmel will cut it. You don’t want to run high rpm’s, it will burn and/or strip the stain. At low rpm’s most don’t have the power.
I use stitched cotton buffs on my drillpress with the buffing compounds, then an unstitched buff for the hard carnauba wax. I don’t have any felt buffs. That’s my $0.10…(adjusted for inflation🙂).
Yep, if you want it done correctly with minimal risk of stripping and/or streaking your finish, you really should have a buffer. An adjustable RPM control is preferable but not a requirement as long as your careful with your pressure and exposer time of the wheel to the briar...
I suggest you YouTube some videos that include or feature buffers and pipes. You can acquire some great pointers while getting a better idea of your personal needs...
As far as stem fittings, I have a small lathe that allows me to fit tenons to the mortise (as long as the tenon has a larger beginning diameter than the mortise. But if I were you, I would use a caliper to ascertain the ID of your mortise, then contact them to make SURE you'll get a good fit.
I use other methods to secure a tight fit, but MMs are generally pretty standard with their mortises by model...
When I first started refurbishing pipes, specifically ones that need a new stem or had broken tenons, I did not have a lathe. I found the “tenon tool” at Vermont Freehand and it worked well within it’s limitations. The airway size, needs to be the same diameter as the centering pin on the tool. The length, there has to be additional straight “freebore” for at least the length of the tenon needed for the centering pin. Finally, if the airway isn’t centered in the tenon or very close…you’re screwed. Now, if the airway is too small, and if there is enough “meat” on the tenon, the airway can be drilled to size. If the airway is oversized, you need a sleeve to get the correct diameter, which instills the possibility of more inaccuracy, or a custom made, larger diameter, center pin. There is also a maximum diameter the tool can cut, around 1/2” or so, if I remember correctly🤔
I will say, I didn’t pay $80 for mine (more like ~$60?) but I bought it before the crazy-corona-out-of-control inflation, a.k.a. “The good ol’ days”. You know, 8-10 years ago.
By the way, pennstateind.com has some cool multi wheel buffer machines. Also, vermontfreehand.com has buffing wheels/supplies as well.
Thanks for the pluses/minuses of the tenon turning tool, I've been considering buying one to make stems for my cobs!
It should work great for that👍🏻. You use a regular drill, no need for a drill press. You might be able to adjust the cutter wide enough to “rough out” the stem diameter to the shank size too👌🏻. It’s not like MM are perfect anyway, all of my factory MM acrylic stems are a little “off center”.
Thanks for the input! I like the open draw of the MM plastic stems and find the forever stems too restricted. Since I have mostly bent pipes the airways need to be opened before bending. I think I'll buy the tenon tool, some airway drills and an assortment of acrylic blanks from Vermont Freehand and play with it over the winter. I think I have some heat guns in my Amazon wish list for bending. I buy straight Danish bits and use hot water to make bent plastic stems, MM does a horrid job bending!
I told him I would hold it for him, but he said he was getting a bigger and beefier one for furniture making and that he didn't want it back.
It's not what I would have purchased, but hey, free is free! So I'm doing my best to make it work...
Be advised, you will want a four jaw chuck, most wood lathes do not come with them. I have a Teknatool Nova G3, and @KA9FFJ’s looks to be a Nova G3 as well? I run mine on a Craftsman 101.21200/Atlas Mark II 6”x18” metal lathe. Vermont freehand has aluminum (tobacco pipe making) chuck jaws for the Nova G3, and Teknatool has several different types of woodworking jaws available.
P.S. Lathes and lathe tooling are a money pit, but they are awesome.
Also, if you decide to turn stems or resize tenons, this attachment can be very handy...
How does that work, and where did you get it?
Mounts in your chuck. Then the stem slides into the 2 slots to hold that end in place as it turns.
Lousy pics (sorry), and I used my bent stem to give you the idea. Naturally the stem should be straight, but again, I just used the one I was smoking to give you the idea...
The opening gradually becomes smaller to allow for various sizes of stems...
Oh, I forget the actual name of the attachment. I purchased it at the LV Show for about 15 bucks...
YOU could probably make one on a metal lathe...
That is how I envisioned it’s use, but wanted to be sure.
Hmm, I don’t think a lathe will work to make it, those angled slots are the kicker. Maybe if I had a rotating vise for my milling machine?
I don’t suppose you remember the vender you purchased from?
Found it!
rawkrafted.com
Stem clamp
Also, @Montecristo posted a video of the LV Pipe Show on that thread (the last post)
Check out that video and you will see the table I purchased it from about 18:45 into the video...
I loved how the color went so well with the pipe, but finally realized, IMHO, the stem was a bit too long and oversized for the stummel...
I've had my eye on that yellow one you see in the background..
@RockyMountainBriar here's where that stem clamp comes in...
I then straightened the old stem for possible use on a future stummel...