Now to address the crack inside the bowl. I'm going to give you a recipe I've used for over 6 years and it has never failed. I can take no credit since I found it on YouTube from a pipe smoker that, if I recall accurately, is/was a chemist. Anyway, it's rated food grade and safe. Here it is. INSIDE BOWL CRACK REPAIR RECIPE: Plaster of Paris - 2 gr. Table salt - 2 gr. Activated charcoal - 2.4 gr. And yes, plaster of Paris is nontoxic and safe when used in this recipe. Directions: Using a popsicle stick or simile, dry mix the ingredients. Carefully add water while mixing until it reaches the consistency of thick honey. Place pipe cleaner through the shank to block the draw hole at the bottom of the bowl. Using the popsicle stick, apply the recipe to completely cover the inside of the bowl, especially making sure you press firmly into the bowl crack to insure a complete fill. Dampen your little finger and lightly smooth the bowl as evenly as you can. Don't worry about small ridges. They can be smooth sanded once dried. Allow at least 24 hrs before attempting to sand and use. I usually allow 3 days to insure a total curing of the bowl coating. Here's a prep pic:
Sidenote: That recipe will easily do 2 bowls. Modify accordingly. Also, be as careful as you can to keep that recipe off the outside of your pipe. It can, and usually will stain the briar...
You hear me talking about giving my pipes a good alcohol bath after the stain I'd dry. The reason? All that you see on these paper towels will wind up on your buffing wheels if you don't do that step first.
Sanded down the top half of the bowl, leaving the rustication black. Polished first with red, then white diamond. Then waxed and buffed. Here's the final:
Note: I always give full disclosure to any potential buyer concerning pipes with repaired bowl cracks. Usually not a problem, but if it doesn't sell, I'm left with a good pipe to add to my rotation... 🙂
When using 2 or more stain colors, always do black, or the darkest stain first. The alcohol wipe will leave a little bleeding onto the other nonstained area(s). Once your wipe is finished, you will need to carefully and strategically sand those bled-in areas with 600 grit to reestablish those areas that were messed up by the wipe. After that came the second staining: 30 drops tan/3 drops oxblood.
Another EA CAREY with no stem. I won't bother you with all the details. But after a good cleaning inside and out, I fitted an old stem to fit. No more "magic inch", but here's the final:
I recently restemmed this stummel with a gray lucite stem... didn't like it, it just wasn't working for me. So fitted an off red lucite stem that I think works better...
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I'm going to give you a recipe I've used for over 6 years and it has never failed.
I can take no credit since I found it on YouTube from a pipe smoker that, if I recall accurately, is/was a chemist.
Anyway, it's rated food grade and safe.
Here it is.
INSIDE BOWL CRACK REPAIR RECIPE:
Plaster of Paris - 2 gr.
Table salt - 2 gr.
Activated charcoal - 2.4 gr.
And yes, plaster of Paris is nontoxic and safe when used in this recipe.
Directions:
Using a popsicle stick or simile, dry mix the ingredients.
Carefully add water while mixing until it reaches the consistency of thick honey. Place pipe cleaner through the shank to block the draw hole at the bottom of the bowl.
Using the popsicle stick, apply the recipe to completely cover the inside of the bowl, especially making sure you press firmly into the bowl crack to insure a complete fill.
Dampen your little finger and lightly smooth the bowl as evenly as you can.
Don't worry about small ridges. They can be smooth sanded once dried.
Allow at least 24 hrs before attempting to sand and use.
I usually allow 3 days to insure a total curing of the bowl coating.
Here's a prep pic:
Notice the small ridges? I'll take care of them after the curing is complete.
That recipe will easily do 2 bowls. Modify accordingly.
Also, be as careful as you can to keep that recipe off the outside of your pipe. It can, and usually will stain the briar...
Anyway, I got the rustication completed.
Sanded down the top half of the bowl, leaving the rustication black.
Polished first with red, then white diamond. Then waxed and buffed.
Here's the final:
Usually not a problem, but if it doesn't sell, I'm left with a good pipe to add to my rotation... 🙂
….but before October 1st….
The alcohol wipe will leave a little bleeding onto the other nonstained area(s).
Once your wipe is finished, you will need to carefully and strategically sand those bled-in areas with 600 grit to reestablish those areas that were messed up by the wipe.
After that came the second staining: 30 drops tan/3 drops oxblood.
White diamond
Waxed
Buffed
Here's the final:
I’ll miss trying to come up with different superlatives to describe your efforts…..
Thought of you while I was saving this pipe since it started out as an EA CAREY...
Elegant, that one……
I won't bother you with all the details. But after a good cleaning inside and out, I fitted an old stem to fit. No more "magic inch", but here's the final:
Really sweeeeeet. Evolution and devolution in one pipe!
I cleaned it and stripped it down to bare briar.