Finishing an estate pipe

I have an estate pipe that I've taken down to the briar. I was thinking for this one, I might dye it with a water-based dye that I used for a bass guitar kit I assembled. With the bass body, I coated it with many coats of lacquer to seal it, but of course that wouldn't work here. What might I put on it to seal it so that the dye didn't rub off?

Dave

Water based dyes are fine. Only use carnuba wax as a finish, but it requires a buffer.

Won't the buffing wheel wear away at the dye as you're buffing? I guess you need to load the buffing wheel with a lot of carnauba. That stuff is hard as a rock.

Dave

Carnuba wax shouldn't be that hard, at least that in the kit from Walker's Briar Works that I have isn't. Perhaps you can warm yours to soften it. Apply it directly to the wood and rub it in by hand, let it dry and then buff. If you don't have a buffer, a drill or rotary tool with small buffing wheels will do.

Thanks. I do have that, but also have a brick of the pure stuff, which you hold against the buffing wheel. Walker wax is certainly the surest way. I'll try that.

Carnuba wax in its pure form is hard as a rock, which is one reason it works so well on pipes. I have found a felt wheel on a Dremel works well to apply the wax, (but keep it at a slower speed).

Here it is, my first complete refinish, and I'm pretty happy with it. I put a very light coat of lacquer on it to seal the water-based dye, then a buffing with carnauba wax.

Dave

Beautiful work!

Dave, that pipe looks new. Very impressed with your workmanship. Can't wait to see the next one.

Very nice! Congrats!

Well done Dave! That looks superb.

Wow, Dave! If your day job doesn't work out, I know what you can get into!

Thanks, guys, for the encouraging words! I look forward to my next project (and to smoking this one!).

Dave

Well done man!

Beautiful work Dave. Do have a picture of the pipe before you refinished it

Jim

Very well done!

Slugfest said:

Beautiful work Dave. Do have a picture of the pipe before you refinished it

Jim

Click to expand...

Truth be told, it was nice and shiny on all but the top, which had a spot where the stain had rubbed off. I could have let it go, but it bugged me (a bit OCD, I'm afraid). So it's not a facelift, but a re-staining and refinishing.

Dave

DavidB said:

Truth be told, it was nice and shiny on all but the top, which had a spot where the stain had rubbed off. I could have let it go, but it bugged me (a bit OCD, I'm afraid). So it's not a facelift, but a re-staining and refinishing.

Dave

Click to expand...

Awwww a perfectionist. Absoluetly nothing wrong with that. Seems you enjoyed the proccess and in the end that is all that mattters.

Congrats on a job well done. Now on to the next project. Enjoy

Jim

Well done, Dave. That is a gorgeous pipe that will give you years of smoking pleasure!

Oooh....that's beautiful.