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piperguckert
Age : 19
Joined : 06 Feb 2008
Posts : 17
 |  Subject: stem polishing  Wed Jun 11, 2008 10:55 pm | |
| | well the last few times iv gone to my pipe club iv ben ridiculed for the conditions of my stems by a few gues not nameing names (COUGHF DOCK) (COUGHF PERRIE) COUGHF and its true mine are in prity dier need of some polishing dock told me about something but i forgot so what is your gues techneques for polishing your volcanite stems? |
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Hermit
Age : 55
Joined : 22 Apr 2008
Posts : 372
Location : Ascension Parish
| | Subject: Re: stem polishing Wed Jun 11, 2008 11:40 pm | |
| I just got this Ben Wade on ebay for $45.
It needed a lot of cleaning.
I soaked the stem in vodka and it came out lookin' bad.
I thought I wrecked it. It needs a little more work, but it doesn't look like shit anymore.
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scottyb
Joined : 07 Apr 2008
Posts : 88
Location : Fort Gratiot, MI
| | Subject: Re: stem polishing Thu Jun 12, 2008 4:19 am | |
| I have tried many methods over the years to clean and polish stems, but nothing works as well as a buffing wheel with jewelers rouge and carnuba wax.
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Danish_Pipe_Guy
Admin
Age : 32
Joined : 15 Dec 2007
Posts : 875
Location : Fenway Paaak: Boston,Massachusetts
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Nick
Joined : 04 Apr 2008
Posts : 79
| | Subject: Re: stem polishing Thu Jun 12, 2008 9:24 am | |
| Using a bench grinder motor is a bad idea for polishing a pipe. Most bench grinder motors run at 3600 rpms or somthing thereabouts. This is too fast for buffing and polishing. It will burn the wax off your pipe rather than putting it on. And could potentially result in scorches.
What you want is a speed around 1700 rpms. Baldor makes good motors. There are plenty put there. Just make sure you get the right speed. |
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howellhandmade
Joined : 11 Dec 2007
Posts : 49
| | Subject: Re: stem polishing Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:23 am | |
| | Nick wrote: | Using a bench grinder motor is a bad idea for polishing a pipe. Most bench grinder motors run at 3600 rpms or somthing thereabouts. This is too fast for buffing and polishing. It will burn the wax off your pipe rather than putting it on. And could potentially result in scorches.
What you want is a speed around 1700 rpms. Baldor makes good motors. There are plenty put there. Just make sure you get the right speed. |
Woodcraft sells a Delta slow speed grinder that is 1725 rpm, takes 8 inch wheels. You've got the double shafts, nuts, washers, everything you need. Just take off the shrouds and replace the grinding wheels with buffs. May have to add some washers or shims to the buffs if they're not as thick as the grinding wheels. Around $100, I've used one for years.
Jack |
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Wet Dottle
Joined : 27 Feb 2008
Posts : 175
Location : Littleton, CO
| | Subject: Re: stem polishing Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:43 am | |
| | Nick wrote: | | Using a bench grinder motor is a bad idea for polishing a pipe. Most bench grinder motors run at 3600 rpms or somthing thereabouts. This is too fast for buffing and polishing. |
Not only that, but a grinder has too much torque, which is responsible for grabing your pipes and sending them across the room. I have the set-up described in the ASP buffing faq (Freedom buffer) and it works very well for me. I have yet to drop a pipe: if I press too hard the motor simply slows down, which is great to promote the light touch essential to good technique. As added bonus, it has variable speed: you can use low rpms when learning and gaining practice and shift to higher rpms once the technique is well in control.
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Happy days and happier puffs. |
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Dave
Joined : 27 Dec 2007
Posts : 135
| | Subject: Re: stem polishing Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:51 am | |
| If you want to do them by hand and dont have room for a table top buffer these will make a stem look new they do work with a little elbow grease
They are called Micro Mesh
http://www.grayfoxonline.com/micromesh.html |
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Wet Dottle
Joined : 27 Feb 2008
Posts : 175
Location : Littleton, CO
| | Subject: Re: stem polishing Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:04 pm | |
| | Dave wrote: | | They are called Micro Mesh |
Dave, thanks for the post. I wish I had known about these a few years ago, before getting the buffing set-up. What I used to use was nail emery files. Not all grits, only the finest used mostly for the finishing touches. They work great to remove the brown oxidation at the lip of the stem without rounding the button.
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Happy days and happier puffs. |
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Dave
Joined : 27 Dec 2007
Posts : 135
| | Subject: Re: stem polishing Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:40 pm | |
| | Wet Dottle wrote: | | Dave wrote: | | They are called Micro Mesh |
Dave, thanks for the post. I wish I had known about these a few years ago, before getting the buffing set-up. What I used to use was nail emery files. Not all grits, only the finest used mostly for the finishing touches. They work great to remove the brown oxidation at the lip of the stem without rounding the button. |
I found them while surfing the net
First I tried the whole set on some stems beyond repair
With a little work they can and do bring the stem to like new
After a compleat clean the finer grades I use for light touch ups maybe once a month
Im able to touch up 12 to 15 pipes in 1 hour without having a buffer on a table
I can do them while relaxing on the porch swing lol |
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Danish_Pipe_Guy
Admin
Age : 32
Joined : 15 Dec 2007
Posts : 875
Location : Fenway Paaak: Boston,Massachusetts
| | Subject: Re: stem polishing Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:41 pm | |
| A bench grinder will work just fine when your goal is to clean up some neglected old pipes.I would'nt suggest it for a high dollar briar but I've had excellent results using mine to get the gunk off of my yard pipes.
Best,
D.J.
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My Pipe Rack: http://s221.photobucket.com/albums/dd193/DockJPerry/?start=0 |
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Justpipes
The Duke
Age : 49
Joined : 17 Dec 2007
Posts : 3269
Location : American by birth, Southern by the grace of God!
| | Subject: Re: stem polishing Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:33 pm | |
| I lightly sand my vulcanite stems with a very fine emory board and then polish them with jewlers rouge.
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"Man is the only religious animal. In the holy task of smoothing his brother's path to the happiness of Heaven, he has turned the globe into a graveyard."
Mark Twain |
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