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Carnauba Wax

theginguy

theginguy

New Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2008
Messages
88
Hey all,

If there are any of you who refurbish pipes, I have a question.

I'm going to play around with my cobs. I would like to make them last a little longer and look a little nicer.

So I thought I would stain them with an alcohol based die and then buff them out with some carnauba wax.

Here is my question... I don't plan on doing this alot, so I don't really want to buy a table top buffing machine. I was hoping that I could get away with a regular drill attachment for a 4-9" buffing pad and apply the wax with that. I know that It will take a lot longer, but is it possible. I'm not worried about how long it takes, I just want to know if anyone has done this before, before I go buying a bunch of stuff.

Thanx
 
I don't know about with your application... but I know when applying wax and buffing it out you don't want it to spin fast. I don't know what kind of drill you'll be using, if you can regulate the speed then I think you'd be fine with that.
 
There are 2 issues with a fast wheel. First is the heat. If you're careful not to allow the bowl to heat, fast isn't bad. Second is abrasion. Might not look like it, but you can wood in a hurry, even with just the buffing wheel.

A table top grinder/buffer is a MUST for any home shop anyhow. Yew con DEW EEET!
 
For something small like a pipe I'm sure you could do well using a dremel with their buffing wheel attachment. You'll also probably want to tape off the bowl with painters/masking tape to avoid getting any wax in there, which I can't imagine tastes good.
 
DO NOT USE A DREMEL UNLESS YOU ARE VERY CAUTIOUS. They spin way too fast and burn through stuff very quickly. You need a good amount of heat to get the raw carnauba wax to work right, but it has to be spread out over a larger area than what the Dremel will cover. I've never messed with using a drill. I suppose you could probably buff pipes with it occasionally. It's always best to use the right tool for the job if possible, though.

I'm not sure how a cob will hold up to buffing and the like. The smooth ones are filled with plaster of some sort, dip stained, then dip varnished and I don't know how sturdy the naturals would be when buffed. If you just take care of them like any other pipe, they'll last for a long time as is. If it's cosmetics you're worried about, I'm not sure you can pretty a cob up much outside of maybe coloring them or changing the stem.

Good luck.
 
I recommend applying Paragon or Halcyon by hand.

http://www.finepipes.com/

An alternative if you don't want to mail order is Renaissance Wax which I've seen at local woodworking supply shops.

Yet another alternative (not kidding) is simple regular Turtle Wax.
 
LilBastage said:
I'm not sure how a cob will hold up to buffing and the like. The smooth ones are filled with plaster of some sort, dip stained, then dip varnished and I don't know how sturdy the naturals would be when buffed. If you just take care of them like any other pipe, they'll last for a long time as is. If it's cosmetics you're worried about, I'm not sure you can pretty a cob up much outside of maybe coloring them or changing the stem.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

I have some idea's of what I would like to do to some cobs. But, actually, I do have a couple of cobs that are starting to show some wear and tear. I think that by staining them and then putting a real nice polish on them, they would look alot better.

Plus, I think that by staining them, I might take them out of the realm of "novelty drug store pipes" and maybe into looking something a little more sharper. I don't know yet... this is just an experiment.

If I can get some to come out good, I'll post some pics. :)
 
I hand rubbed mine after smoking them so the wax would penetrate. I was very happy with the results!!
Good luck
 
theginguy said:
I have some idea's of what I would like to do to some cobs. But, actually, I do have a couple of cobs that are starting to show some wear and tear. I think that by staining them and then putting a real nice polish on them, they would look alot better.

Plus, I think that by staining them, I might take them out of the realm of "novelty drug store pipes" and maybe into looking something a little more sharper. I don't know yet... this is just an experiment.

If I can get some to come out good, I'll post some pics. :)
Click to expand...

Are they natural cobs? I wonder how they'll hold up if the outside is "disturbed"? That is an integral part of the cob's structure.

I understand wanting to dress them up a bit.

I'm not trying to discourage you or anything. :) I'm just thinking out loud and wondering what could be done. I'll be interested in seeing your results.
 
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