Oil for polishing

[Plazma]

So I've been reading and watching videos and I hear people suggest using shoe polish or olive oil to polish your pipe.

Then I see a lot of complaints about both leaving residual tastes behind (Mmm Shoe polish flavor).


Can you accomplish the same polishing with a neutral oil, like salad oil or vegitable/corn oil or is there something about the olive oil that makes it more apt for polishing? (Shoe polish IMO is out of question)

[Dzrtrat]

I don't use any oils etc...I use several grits of sand paper ending with 2000 and a jewelers cloth. Yes it's a lot of work but it's worthwhile.

[Plazma]

Originally Posted by Dzrtrat

I don't use any oils etc...I use several grits of sand paper ending with 2000 and a jewelers cloth. Yes it's a lot of work but it's worthwhile.

I think if I owned a higher end more expensive pipe I'd probably take the same care, but for a beginning estate pipe, I'm not as concerned with that. what grit do you begin the process with and do you wet sand this or dry sand it?

[Dzrtrat]

Originally Posted by Plazma

I think if I owned a higher end more expensive pipe I'd probably take the same care, but for a beginning estate pipe, I'm not as concerned with that. what grit do you begin the process with and do you wet sand this or dry sand it?

well to be honest ...starting with a low end pipe is good practice...you prolly don't want to start with a high end pipe...

I start with about a 1000 grit always wet paper, you are primarilly polishing at that point...and work your way to the finer grits until your happy with it..I get the paper from auto parts or auto paint stores...however...the grit you start with is in relation to how deep the scratches or whatever are.

I'll be honest with you...eventhough I have restored many a pipe...wharfrathoss (in my opinion) has a better understanding than I so lets hope he chimes in and gives his .02..How bout it Todd...

[Dedalus]

I've used the Brebia polish on my pipes with success. I also used it on the stem and found that it did not leave a polish taste behind.

[Plazma]

Originally Posted by Dedalus

I've used the Brebia polish on my pipes with success. I also used it on the stem and found that it did not leave a polish taste behind.

There in lies my fear avoiding tastes not associated with the tobacco (still having difficulty picking one) which is why I though maybe neutral salad oil, since we use it in cooking to keep from imparting unintended flavors into salad dressings and such.

[RJpuffs]

Originally Posted by Plazma

There in lies my fear avoiding tastes not associated with the tobacco (still having difficulty picking one) which is why I though maybe neutral salad oil, since we use it in cooking to keep from imparting unintended flavors into salad dressings and such.

Salad oil has vinegar, doesn't it? May oxidize the stem, or eat away the briar.

Use pipe-polish goods sold at tobacconists, thats what they are designed to do. Olive oil works in a pinch to keep stems shiny and oxy-free, but it does taste like ... olive oyl!

Pure carnuba wax (in block form) with a buffing wheel is the best, provided you have the things. Works on stems and bowls, tasteless, odorless, and looks the best!

[Plazma]

Originally Posted by RJpuffs

Salad oil has vinegar, doesn't it? May oxidize the stem, or eat away the briar.

Use pipe-polish goods sold at tobacconists, thats what they are designed to do. Olive oil works in a pinch to keep stems shiny and oxy-free, but it does taste like ... olive oyl!

Pure carnuba wax (in block form) with a buffing wheel is the best, provided you have the things. Works on stems and bowls, tasteless, odorless, and looks the best!

No Salad Oil contains no vinegar, once you turn it into a vinagerette then sure. But it starts out as salad oil which is a neutral (non flavored) oil.

[wharfrathoss]

for the stems i use 600 to remove oxidation, then polish w/1000 & 2000 (all wet sand). after that white diamond compound then carnuba wax. if you don't have the last 2, olive oil/veggie oil in very small amounts will give a matt finish. just wipe your finger on the bottle lid, wipe the stem, let sit overnite, then wipe off well w/soft cloth. there's also halycon, paragon, & renaissance wax. they can be used on bowls & stems w/o a buffer. i wouldn't use oil on the bowl itself, it might absorb & turn rancid. just polish w/a soft cloth. if you have any questions w/restoring estates, don't hesitate to ask, i'll help if i can. i'm not a pro, just a detail oriented cheap bastard!

[bigkev77]

Originally Posted by wharfrathoss

i'm not a pro, just a detail oriented cheap bastard!

Quote of the month!!

[cp478]

olive oil works good

mild sandpapers are good

mr clean magic eraser

i havent had pricey pipes but these work well on estates with care.
if i was dealing with expensive pipes i think i would buy the stuff that is marketed as polish specificly for pipes. Good Luck.

[strider72]

I bought a pipestand with three pipes on Ebay... The pipes were cleaned a little too thorough for me. So... I look for oil in the house but none... well, mayo has oil in it but vinegar. So... I mayoed my pipes and it worked pretty good. haven't noticed any bad tastes... mmmm, mayo.

[Plazma]

Originally Posted by strider72

I bought a pipestand with three pipes on Ebay... The pipes were cleaned a little too thorough for me. So... I look for oil in the house but none... well, mayo has oil in it but vinegar. So... I mayoed my pipes and it worked pretty good. haven't noticed any bad tastes... mmmm, mayo.

There's so much fat and so little vinegar in the mayo its almost not worth citing it as an ingredient. Not really a big fan of mayo but sounds like a good idea.

[strider72]

Well... when in doubt... IMPROVISE!!

[CRITICALT]

If you dont have a buffer for the carnuba wax, you can use Beeswax. It smooths the pipe and gives it a nice glow, not a like new shine but a warm glow. You can put it on with a rag and a little elbow grease. Plus you can buy it at any craft store or Home Depot.