Pipe Refinish for BoB Brother

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Coastie3202

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Brewdude recently turned the world upside down looking for a Peterson Spigot in the color that he craved.  After months of searching he finally located one and acquired it only to find out when he got that the color was way too dark, no grain showed, and the bowl had that black coating that Peterson puts on some of it's pipes.  He had seen the work I did on a couple Petes that belonged to a friend of mine and asked if I could do anything with his.  I of course said yes as I love to work on pipes.  I mean love it.  So here is the Pete that he sent me.

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My first thought was that there must be a reason that a pipe maker would put such a dark color on a pipe.  Usually that is to cover briar that is less than perfect, or with blah grain.  So the first thing I did was remove the black coating from the bowl using an aluminum oxide Blue grinding stone, a Dremel, and a light touch.  I then used micromesh pads inside the bowl to ensure a baby smooth finish.  I was very careful to stay away from the daft hole.

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The next step was to remove the original finish, which had a layer of what appeared to be lacquer over it.  It was like removing powder coat from metal.  The real challenge to this was protecting the poor Peterson Spigot stamping, which was so shallow that it was in the stain/lacquer coat only, not even all they way to the briar.  My first attempt was to remove the stain and lacquer from the area around the stamping, then try to blend the new finish into the existing color of the stamping.

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Nice idea, however when I put the new dye on the briar, using Fiebings Oxblood Leather Dye, the area of the stamping sat higher than the briar around it and the height difference left dark lines in the dye.  At this point my frustration was through the roof.

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So I contacted Brewdude and we decided that since the stampings were also in the Sterling Silver band we would just remove the atrocious stamping.  I completed resanded the pipe again, removing the stamping.  To sand I used the following grits in progression:  220, 320, 400, 500, 1000, 1200.  I then use a complete set of Micromesh sanding pads in the following grits:  1500, 1800, 2400, 3200, 3600, 4000, 6000, 8000 and finally 12000.  The result is a baby smooth piece of briar.



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Next step was to wipe the pipe down with isopropol alcohol and a microfiber rag, let it dry completely, then application of the Fiebings leather dye.  Once the dye was applied I wiped the pipe down with a clear cotton rag to remove the excess dye.  I let the dye dry overnight then used the following Micromesh pad on the pipe again to take the color down to the desired color:  3600, 4000, 6000, 8000, and 12000.  This is the final result prior to the buffing process.



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The final step was a buff using Tripoli, White Diamond, then the application of 3 coats of Carnuba.

This pipe has some very nice straight grain and some beautiful birds eye.  I still can't figure out why Peterson put such a dark finish on it.  Here is the final outcome.

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I would like to thank Brewdude for allowing me to work on his brand new Peterson.  It took a leap of faith on his part, and made me very nervous working on it, but I think we are both happy with the results.
 
Now THAT'S one FINE piece of work !! You got the grain to really pop on it !! As far as knowing what kind of grain on that series, Peterson does not do all the silver work on second rate pieces of briar. They do however get a little heavy handed with the coloring of their pipes stain/finish wise. You brought out and did it as it SHOULD have been done !! Good job !! :cheers: 
 
No words can adequately express my appreciation for what Coastie3202 (John) went through to bring this pipe to it's present condition.

Short history-


Through one of my posts about it here on BoB, a UK brother (Greyson) did the legwork and found a UK tobacconist with a way to special order it. I had tried to do this through the usual domestic sources and apparently it was not possible. So when Greyson found a way I was all over it, as one can imagine!

I never figured it would come with a lacquer finish, but it did! And I've always avoided that kind of finish as I think the pipe pores should be able to "breathe". Perhaps that's crazy talk but that's what I believe.

And foolishly, I never thought to request no bowl coating. It seems all new Pete's come with this these days. I've dealt with them in the past and do not like them.

So when I received the pipe after 9 months, I was disappointed to say the least! And due to these factors I was hesitant to smoke it............until I saw John's post about refurbishing.

Now I know I have a competent pipesmith who is skilled and dedicated to the task at hand.

My hat if off to you John. That you took the time and interest to deal with the issues revolving around the various challenges presented speaks volumes about your dedication and talent. I couldn't be more pleased. Really, I'm giggling about it like a little kid!

Frankly I could plainly see how much the problem of the oval was after you sent me that pic. I only wish I could have foreseen that, as it makes perfect sense to me now. 20/20 hindsight, eh?

And yet you threw yourself right back into it despite the setback and time involved. Starting over must have been a bitter pill to swallow. I know I'd certainly be discouraged!

Many thanks my friend, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. I had such high hopes about that pipe as I was beguiled by the pic I first saw of it and knew I had to have one, and then learning it was out of production.

Folks, John is a very competent and dedicated pipesmith. Do not hesitate to rely on him for first class work.

 :cheers: 



Cheers,

RR
 
Brewdude":y3yqpm4e said:
No words can adequately express my appreciation for what Coastie3202 (John) went through to bring this pipe to it's present condition.

Short history-


Through one of my posts about it here on BoB, a UK brother (Greyson) did the legwork and found a UK tobacconist with a way to special order it. I had tried to do this through the usual domestic sources and apparently it was not possible. So when Greyson found a way I was all over it, as one can imagine!

I never figured it would come with a lacquer finish, but it did! And I've always avoided that kind of finish as I think the pipe pores should be able to "breathe". Perhaps that's crazy talk but that's what I believe.

And foolishly, I never thought to request no bowl coating. It seems all new Pete's come with this these days. I've dealt with them in the past and do not like them.

So when I received the pipe after 9 months, I was disappointed to say the least! And due to these factors I was hesitant to smoke it............until I saw John's post about refurbishing.

Now I know I have a competent pipesmith who is skilled and dedicated to the task at hand.

My hat if off to you John. That you took the time and interest to deal with the issues revolving around the various challenges presented speaks volumes about your dedication and talent. I couldn't be more pleased. Really, I'm giggling about it like a little kid!

Frankly I could plainly see how much the problem of the oval was after you sent me that pic. I only wish I could have foreseen that, as it makes perfect sense to me now. 20/20 hindsight, eh?

And yet you threw yourself right back into it despite the setback and time involved. Starting over must have been a bitter pill to swallow. I know I'd certainly be discouraged!

Many thanks my friend, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. I had such high hopes about that pipe as I was beguiled by the pic I first saw of it and knew I had to have one, and then learning it was out of production.

Folks, John is a very competent and dedicated pipesmith. Do not hesitate to rely on him for first class work.

 :cheers: 



Cheers,

RR
Wow, thanks Brewdude. It was a pleasure to be able to work on that Peterson, and a compliment to me that you trusted me to take care of it. Salute Sir.
 
Very nice work. Your solution on the nomenclature was really the only way to have the finish look proper, good move.
That is odd that Peterson would spray on such a finish on a pricey silver spigot, you'd think at that level they would do it by hand. Maybe it was a late Friday afternoon pipe...
It sure looks better now!
 
Great job Coastie!
 :cheers:  :cheers:  :cheers: 
Enjoy your pete Brewdude!
 
riff raff":zmi554r0 said:
Very nice work.  Your solution on the nomenclature was really the only way to have the finish look proper, good move.  
That is odd that Peterson would spray on such a finish on a pricey silver spigot, you'd think at that level they would do it by hand.  Maybe it was a late Friday afternoon pipe...
It sure looks better now!
I agree.  I could not believe it when I saw it.  Not really sure what they are thinking, unless they realize that a lacquer coat will cause the pipe to burn hotter and possibly shorten the life of the Pete, therefore increasing their frequency of sale.   :shock:   I have worked on three high end Petes now and all three had that coating on them, and all three had terrible stampings.  Such a shame.
 
Absolutely beautiful!! Well done Coastie!

Enjoy that pipe BD!
 
Just took delivery of the refurbished XL26, and I have to say it looks even more impressive in person!

The Oxblood stain is a whole lot lighter than the dark finish it came with, and one can now plainly see the nice birdseye on both sides. Why Peterson would choose to hide all that with a lacquer finish is beyond me. And the color is quite what I would have wanted in the first place.

Fortunately there weren't any pits or fills, so at least Peterson started with a decent piece of briar.

John has this polished up really nice too. Just the right amount of sheen, but now instead of it getting too hot due to being suffocated by the lacquer it can smoke cool. And removing the stupid bowl coating will enable me to break this in like I'm comfortable with.

John did a real first rate job on this. I'm very impressed with his work and frankly am envious of his skills.

I can't fully express how wonderful it is to get this back again. It's been a series of ups and downs lusting for one, being told it was not possible to get, finding a source that could actually execute a special order, the long wait, and then only to find that it came less than ideal.

John has certainly played a very large part in all this and has enabled me to get the pipe I should have received in the first place.

My hat's off to you John. And while saying thanks seems totally inadequate, it's all I got right now!

 :cheers:  :cheers:  :cheers:  :cheers:  :cheers: 



Cheers,

RR
 
Thanks Brewdude. I am thrilled that you are happy with that pipe now.

For clarification, John is Coastie3202, and I love to work on pipes. If you have one that needs some attention please drop me a line. I do not do this for money, but more for experience and the love of my hobby. I would never make my hobby a business, that would ruin it for me. Of course if you want to send tobacco I sure won't say no, but to be clear, if you can't then I will still work on your pipe.
 
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