Restoring vulcanite stems

[gpjoe]

So far, all I've done to clean up some old stems on estate pipes is to polish them up with micro mesh pads. The pads work great and I've been able to get the stems smooth and shiny. After polishing, I dress the stems with Obsidian Oil.

The issue is that despite being shiny, some of the stems are discolored with a greenish hue...so, my question is:

How do I restore the deep black color?

I've got some Briarville Stem Deoxidizer on the way. Will soaking the stems restore the black color?...or is the green permanent?

As always, thanks for any input.

 

[luvmysuper]

So far, all I've done to clean up some old stems on estate pipes is to polish them up with micro mesh pads. The pads work great and I've been able to get the stems smooth and shiny. After polishing, I dress the stems with Obsidian Oil.

The issue is that despite being shiny, some of the stems are discolored with a greenish hue...so, my question is:

How do I restore the deep black color?

I've got some Briarville Stem Deoxidizer on the way. Will soaking the stems restore the black color?...or is the green permanent?

As always, thanks for any input.

The de-oxidizer is the way to go.
For info, you can accomplish the same thing with Oxy Clean detergent powder dissolved in water.
It's not effortless, and does take some scrubbing, and then polishing.

 

[gpjoe]

The de-oxidizer is the way to go.
For info, you can accomplish the same thing with Oxy Clean detergent powder dissolved in water.
It's not effortless, and does take some scrubbing, and then polishing.

Thanks Phil.

I've never used either. Any pitfalls, or precautions necessary?

 

[luvmysuper]

Thanks Phil.

I've never used either. Any pitfalls, or precautions necessary?

No, not really. Scrubbing and polishing can take the fine edge off of the bit on the stem, so just be aware of that.

 

[gpjoe]

No, not really. Scrubbing and polishing can take the fine edge off of the bit on the stem, so just be aware of that.

One final question:

Do the deox solutions roughen up the finish? IOW, if I put a shiny, smooth stem into the Oxy Clean or Briarville solution for 30-60 minutes, will I need to go back to my micro mesh pads?

 

[luvmysuper]

One final question:

Do the deox solutions roughen up the finish? IOW, if I put a shiny, smooth stem into the Oxy Clean or Briarville solution for 30-60 minutes, will I need to go back to my micro mesh pads?

Probably so, to a small extent.
Not like initial effort though.

 

[alpster]

The sulfur content of the vulcanite will vary stem to stem. I soak them in Oxiclean overnight to get as much sulfur to the surface as possible. I sand the stems under running water with 600 wet dry paper. Let them dry to see if more yellow presents itself. If they start to turn yellow. I do the whole process over again. Finally 1K micromesh a trip to the buffer with some jewelers rouge will make them look like glass.

 

[gpjoe]

The sulfur content of the vulcanite will vary stem to stem. I soak them in Oxiclean overnight to get as much sulfur to the surface as possible. I sand the stems under running water with 600 wet dry paper. Let them dry to see if more yellow presents itself. If they start to turn yellow. I do the whole process over again. Finally 1K micromesh a trip to the buffer with some jewelers rouge will make them look like glass.

Very helpful. Thank you for detailing your process.

 

[Kentos]

I bought the vulcanite restorer from Lbepen and very happy with the results. It’s not a magic solution, so do some research on YouTube and the web if it sounds appealing to you, and getting it back to factory shine will require elbow grease.

 

[gpjoe]

I bought the vulcanite restorer from Lbepen and very happy with the results. It’s not a magic solution, so do some research on YouTube and the web if it sounds appealing to you, and getting it back to factory shine will require elbow grease.

Thanks.

I've had some stems that were pretty rough and was able to get em shiny and smooth again using some micromesh pads and a buffing wheel, but some still had a greenish tint.

Sounds like the Oxy Clean should work.

I'll definitely have a look at youtoob.

 

[Kentos]

Thanks.

I've had some stems that were pretty rough and was able to get em shiny and smooth again using some micromesh pads and a buffing wheel, but some still had a greenish tint.

Sounds like the Oxy Clean should work.

I'll definitely have a look at youtoob.

I didn’t have the micromesh so wanted to avoid the sanding that the bleach or oxy clean supposedly requires.

I would be interested to see the before and after pics of the soak from the stand point of the surface finish after.

 

[Legion]

The greenish colour is usually not too deep. I've sanded it away most often (while, obviously, avoiding the tenon, so as not to make the stem loose) After getting the stem back to black I'll polish with progressively finer paper, then buff with Brasso.

 

[gpjoe]

The greenish colour is usually not too deep. I've sanded it away most often (while, obviously, avoiding the tenon, so as not to make the stem loose) After getting the stem back to black I'll polish with progressively finer paper, then buff with Brasso.

View attachment 1959467View attachment 1959468

I think I've seen your pipe in another thread...a wonderful restoration.

 

[Legion]

I think I've seen your pipe in another thread...a wonderful restoration.

Thanks. I used to do a few of them, back when I smoked, but I never really took many photos back then. To be honest, I think I enjoyed restoring the pipes more than smoking them.

Where I live, estate pipes are also way cheaper than tobacco.

 

[gpjoe]

Quick update:

While grocery shopping, I grabbed a small tub of Oxy Clean rather than wait for my Briarville Deox to arrive.

Put two tablespoons of the Oxy Clean in a small bowl of water, hot from the tap. After mixing, I dropped the stems in an soaked for about an hour. The water turned green rather quickly, so I could see it was working.

After the soak, I rubbed the stems with my fingers and rinsed. As expected, the once shiny vulcanite had dulled, so I went to work with the micromesh pads, progressing through all of the grits, except for the two lowest (coarse) grits, which seemed like overkill.

Anyway, the Oxy Clean removed all traces of the green-ish oxidation, and the stems are now shiny and jet black.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help.

 

[Benzadmiral]

A grand job, GPJoe. This, the effort required, is why I prefer to buy either well-restored pipes with already well-restored vulcanite, or new/estate pipes with acrylic stems.

 

[gpjoe]

A grand job, GPJoe.

Thank you...I had help from the fellas here.

This, the effort required, is why I prefer to buy either well-restored pipes with already well-restored vulcanite, or new/estate pipes with acrylic stems.

Me also.

The pipe on the right arrive ready to smoke (after a quick clean up) and the stem was clean and shiny, but still had a green tint. The Oxy Clean and a little elbow grease restored the deep black color.

The stem on the left was much rougher and duller, and even after my work exhibits a couple noticeable tooth marks...not minor chatter...though it still cleaned up nicely.

I'm very pleased with the results.

 

[Kentos]

Quick update:

While grocery shopping, I grabbed a small tub of Oxy Clean rather than wait for my Briarville Deox to arrive.

Put two tablespoons of the Oxy Clean in a small bowl of water, hot from the tap. After mixing, I dropped the stems in an soaked for about an hour. The water turned green rather quickly, so I could see it was working.

After the soak, I rubbed the stems with my fingers and rinsed. As expected, the once shiny vulcanite had dulled, so I went to work with the micromesh pads, progressing through all of the grits, except for the two lowest (coarse) grits, which seemed like overkill.

Anyway, the Oxy Clean removed all traces of the green-ish oxidation, and the stems are now shiny and jet black.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help.

View attachment 1962034

The finish isn’t that bad after all. Thanks!

 

[luvmysuper]

A grand job, GPJoe. This, the effort required, is why I prefer to buy either well-restored pipes with already well-restored vulcanite, or new/estate pipes with acrylic stems.

But for some of us, that's half the fun!
Taking a grimey beat up old pipe and making it an enviable possession!