Cleaning the craggy bits of estate sandblasts.

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LAEarl

LAEarl

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I have several vintage sandblasts that I would like to clean up better than the surface wiping I have afforded them. I am afraid of using too much water and strong solvents. Other than alcohol what tried and true methods does one have to offer? One has a serious amount of tarring/blackening just below the rim of the bowl. :no:
 
puros_bran":9u00e8yo said:
A well used ready to discard tooth brush and spit....
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Beat me to it (actually since I use one of those battery operated toothbrushes I put all those 'freebie' manual models the hygienist at the dentist's office gives me after every cleaning/check-up in with the pipe cleaning supplies; I bet she would freak if she knew I was cleaning tobacco pipes with them rather than my teeth!).
 
I took everyone's advice and worked up a big drool and scrubbed away for little over an hour. I managed to remove lots of brown muck and much tarring from the top of the bowl of the Tanshell I recently acquired, but there is still quite a bit left. I rinsed it with clean tap water dried it and worked a paper towel down the bowl to help dry it, then placed it upside down angled so the residual would drain out of the bowl.

It was looking kind of pale once it began to dry, but it looks like the old wax was removed. I really need to work on the top of the bowl a bit more. I am going to buy some 1200 and 1000 grit wet/dry for the bit and am going to look for a buffing wheel for my drill too. Maybe I can buff it out nicely. :king:
 
LAEarl":xh00a9l7 said:
It was looking kind of pale once it began to dry, but it looks like the old wax was removed. I really need to work on the top of the bowl a bit more. I am going to buy some 1200 and 1000 grit wet/dry for the bit and am going to look for a buffing wheel for my drill too. Maybe I can buff it out nicely. :king:
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You'll just end up with a semi-smooth rimmed pipe that way. Cleaning a blasted rim back to new without ruining it is very tricky and requires tools you don't have, I'm afraid. Especially the Sardinian briar of Tanshells (lots of fine detail). Better to leave it alone---re-blasting is even harder than cleaning, and there's no way to replace lost material.
 
LL":padyhzd6 said:
LAEarl":padyhzd6 said:
It was looking kind of pale once it began to dry, but it looks like the old wax was removed. I really need to work on the top of the bowl a bit more. I am going to buy some 1200 and 1000 grit wet/dry for the bit and am going to look for a buffing wheel for my drill too. Maybe I can buff it out nicely. :king:
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You'll just end up with a semi-smooth rimmed pipe that way. Cleaning a blasted rim back to new without ruining it is very tricky and requires tools you don't have, I'm afraid. Especially the Sardinian briar of Tanshells (lots of fine detail). Better to leave it alone---re-blasting is even harder than cleaning, and there's no way to replace lost material.
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Earl, if you want my advice, at this stage of the game it would be best to let the pro's take over!!!!
Send it to LL!
Good luck!
 
Sounds like sound advice. I would really hate to ruin a nice old pipe by my careless hand.

Once it had dried it sure is pretty though.

I was lookinf at the bit and it looks as though it should be squared to the shank and I am certain I am incapable of performing that without some damage occuring.

Thank-you for the sound advice.
 
Earl, post up some pics, we may be able to steer you in the d.i.y. direction!!!!
Else get hold of LL!
 
After looking at the pipe and considering the age I would really hate to bring harm to the pipe. I sent LL a PM as well as emailing him through his site as per the directions.

I have noticed that since it had dried the color has brightened considerably. It is no longer orange brown but a light brown, lighter in some places and darker in others. I do not know if it is tar/dirt build up or I have somehow removed the stain (high powered spit?)
 
LAEarl":zvtt5ffm said:
After looking at the pipe and considering the age I would really hate to bring harm to the pipe. I sent LL a PM as well as emailing him through his site as per the directions.

I have noticed that since it had dried the color has brightened considerably. It is no longer orange brown but a light brown, lighter in some places and darker in others. I do not know if it is tar/dirt build up or I have somehow removed the stain (high powered spit?)
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Good luck bro!!!!
 
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If you can see @ the base of the shank the color has lightened out of the color tone of the rest and it is still darker still around the bowl. I dont know if it is the wood grain that is causing it or what. I'll send it off to LL though once he gets back w/ me.

 
Earl, could be the wood grain, the pipe will dull a bit when cleaning. My call would be a good clean, restain and a slow clean carnauba buffing using a dremel tool and toothbrush.
Best you send it to LL you may be out of your comfort zone here. I agree with LL special skill and tools needed here. By the looks of things you have a very nice blasted pipe there, it would be well worth an overhaul. Would be glad to help but LL is a little closer to home!!!
 
Thanks for all the help Piet! I could more than likely finish the deal myself, but I would feel better letting someone with experience take over. I have a bunch of woodworking experieince and have been known to pull some rabbits out of my hat before but with this I'd be highly displeased with myself if I ruined it. I'll stick to the Dr. Grabow I have hiding in an old shoe :lol: to practice on.

I am really impressed with this find. I am going to place this one at the front of the line for refurbishment. I'll save my other Dunny for a later time. :(
 
But... but... ya goobered on it. Ew. That's like licking a cookie.

:lol:

Is the outer edge of the rim hammered/gnawed away so there's a radius, or is that just a bright spot from your brushing?

Also, that looks like one of a batch of Algerian briar Tanshells (mistakenly) produced in 1953. What's the nomenclature?
 
It isn't like I blew my nose on the thing :lol: :lol: Besides I did rinse it off. I will tell you one thing though, I hadn't had that much spit on my hand since I was a teenager :twisted: :twisted:


Here is the link to the thread in TAD/PAD

DUNHILL MADE IN ENGLAND2
EC 02TANSHELL PAT No. 417574/34 ( 4 ) T

The stamping is very faint in places but can be read. The 0 in the 02 is questionable I cannot tell if it is an 8, 3 or 0 to be honest but it looks more like a 0 to my eye. I looked at it thorugh a loupe too.
From what I can dig up it is a 1952 Canadian Patent Tanshell in a Med bowl size. I read that one of the folks had their info on their web page wrong whereas he is listing the Tanshells starting @ 1953, but there is conlicting evidence stating that the Tanshell began in 1952. My tanshell seems to be following the dating as outlined on Pipephil beginning in 1952.

Also there is one spot that had a knock before I bought it but the other light color parts are square to the bowl, just light in color. You can see the blemish in the photos of the 1st thread.
 
Outstanding! :cheers:

You have a pipe that's both rare (all patent Tanshells are scarce, one stamped 1952 is---as far as I know---unprecedented), and an exceptional specimen.

I'm sticking with the Algerian call. Apparently at least one was produced a year earlier than anyone thought. Though atypical---it was a wood sorting error, or perhaps they ran out of Sardinian for a short time---they have the most character of any Tanshell.

Send it on if you're so inclined. I'd love to bring it back to as-new-as-possible for you. (The mailing address is on my site).


 
Great! Fantastic news! :santa: Not bad for a 7 dollar find either :D :D :D I am a history buff and really get into reasearching stuff. If you can find anything more of the history while you have it please feel free to pass it along!


I'll send it off tomorrow BTW!!
 
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