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Fashioning a Churchwarden from a Forlorn, Throw away Billiard – a story of the Phoenix

Blog by Dal Stanton

The Greek mythological Phoenix is a long-lived bird that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again, according to Wikipedia. It is regenerated out of its own demise, from its own ashes. The images that come to mind are Harry Potter-esque – the Phoenix’s name is Fawkes and “as stated by Dumbledore, they are extremely loyal creatures, and are capable of arriving to the aid of beings who share a similar devotion. This was how Fawkes arrived to assist Harry in slaying the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets during his second year at Hogwarts” (LINK). The tear of the Phoenix could also bring healing and recovery from near death.

What does the Phoenix have to do with pipes and Billiards? True confession: I enjoy immensely working on vintage pipes with well-known and sought names like Dunhill, Savinelli, Comoy’s, Stanwell, GBD, Jeantet and BBB. But truth be known, I LOVE taking the throwaways, the discarded, the ‘only good for the waste heap’ pipes – that make most people cringe and reach for latex gloves – to take these pipes and see what I can do to help. There is a satisfaction at the end of such projects that translates into, ‘Wow! Who could have imagined…!” The discovery of hidden beauty that was always there, but no one took the time to help it emerge. I guess, at the core of it is the sense that sometimes people are treated in such a way or may view themselves in such a way that does not reflect the often hidden value that people intrinsically have. Helping is seeking to bring new life out of the ashes of the past.

I want you to meet my forlorn Billiard stummel. I’m sure that one past day he enjoyed the attention of a steward. He proudly was settled on the rack with other proud pipes of The Rotation. One day something happened, and he lost that favored position, and everything changed. I found him in a bag of a second-hand/antique vendor in Sofia, Bulgaria’s ‘Antique Market’ in the city-center. The bag was full of broken and discarded stems, stummels and other things unrecognizable. He had no stem. I plucked him out of the bag along with a few other pieces, paid the vendor a very small sum for what had no value to the vendor or to anyone else. The small Billiard stummel was marked with the most generic of all markings, ‘Real Briar’. Absolutely nothing special. Here are pictures of the redeemed Billiard on my worktable. I just completed the restoration of a Monarch Pat. 1989069 – 1074H Bent Ball for Andy, a pipe man living in Maryland, who attends the church where I was formerly the pastor on the Eastern Shore – the peninsula created by the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean east of Washington DC. Andy commissioned the Monarch from the ‘For Pipe Dreamers Only!’ section on my blog. He told me he was also hoping to land a Peretti Oom Paul and a Churchwarden someday. He had seen several of the Peretti Lot of Oom Pauls that I had already restored and recommissioned for new stewards and was hopeful. I had no more Perettis to share, but I proposed that I could fashion a Churchwarden from repurposed stummels. I also had one 8-inch Warden stem left in my stores. Not long ago, I completed a fun restoration I called ‘A Tale of 3 Church Wardens’ – where I fashioned 3 Churchwardens that all found new stewards in Germany. I directed Andy to check out the post to decide what he wanted to do. It didn’t take long and he decided to add a Churchwarden to his Monarch Bent Ball – each of these pipes benefit the work we do here in Bulgaria with the Daughters of Bulgaria – helping women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited to find a new life and hope. The next question for Andy was what stummel would mast the Warden stem and rise from the ashes like the Phoenix? Here were the options I sent to Andy with a warning not to be distracted by the color or condition – to look only at the shape. Here’s what he saw.From the top, his choices were a Rhodesian, a Panel, a carved Apple and the forlorn Billiard. Andy chose the classic Billiard shape, influenced mainly by the longer shank which will add a bit of flow to the Churchwarden he would become when transformed. The interesting factoid that I reported before, in my writeup of the 3 Churchwardens, was from Bill Burney’s Pipedia Pipe Chart. It provides the framework for forlorn bowls to rise as the Phoenixes. What brings this power? A Churchwarden stem:As you would expect, our Billiard that Andy chose has many challenges. The worst of his obvious problems is the rim which has been chewed and gnarled! It has a large divot on the internal lip over the shank. Also, on the shank side, the rim slopes away having endured a ‘skinned knee’ experience. The old finish is totally old and the stummel has some small fills that need checking. Yet, underneath the grime and tired finish – where there is finish, is briar grain with potential. I begin the story of this Billiard hoping to rise as a Phoenix by doing the basic cleaning of the stummel before fashioning the precast Churchwarden stem. To mark the beginning of the restoration, I take a picture of the Billiard stummel with the Warden stem – the place where Pipe Dreamers begin!I take a picture of the chamber and see that there is very little cake build up, but I also see that it appears someone took a pocket knife to the chamber in the past – with little care. I take the Savinelli Fitsall Tool and I ream the bowl of residue carbon. Following this, I sand the chamber with 240 grit paper by wrapping the paper around a Sharpie Pen seeking to clean it but also to smooth the top of the chamber where knife marks were. I then clean the chamber with a cotton pad wetted with isopropyl to rid it of carbon dust. The chamber wall seems to be in good shape – no cracks or heat fissures are visible, but I will need to do a bit more sanding – I’ll wait to do this along with the rim repair. Now I turn to internal cleaning of the stummel. Using cotton buds dipped in isopropyl 95%, I realize very quickly that the grunge in this mortise and airway was thick. I put the cotton buds down for a time and start scraping the mortise walls with dental spatulas. I also insert a drill bit the size of the airway and hand turn it to excavate the tar and oil buildup. In time the cotton buds started coming out less soiled. I plan to give the stummel a kosher salt and alcohol soak through the night to clean the internals further and freshen the stummel for the new steward. The pictures show the grunge warfare!With the stummel cleaned, I now turn to the precast Churchwarden stem. I begin by pulling out my new electronic caliper that I acquired when I fashioned the 3 Churchwarden stems before. I take an internal measurement of the Billiard’s mortise, which is the target. The reading is 8.13 mm. For a conservative target in shaping the new tenon on the precast Warden stem, I add .40 mm to the 8.13 which gives me a conservative target of 8.53 mm. I now mount the drill bit to drill the tenon’s airway enlarging it to receive the guide pin for the Pimo Tenon Turning Tool, which I also just added to my tools. I mount the Pimp Tenon Turning Tool into the drill chuck and cut a conservative practice cut on the tenon to get an initial measurement. The practice cut measurement is 8.96 mm which means I need to remove around .43 mm to arrive at the conservative target of 8.53 mm. The purpose of the conservative target is to get close to the exact size of the mortise, but not quite. This leaves room to sand the tenon to fashion the custom size because every mortise is different. The fit between the newly fashioned tenon and the mortise must be snug but not too tight. I crank down the blade on the Tenon Turning Tool a bit and make another practice cut and remeasure. Now, I have a perfect example of why doing practice cuts is a good idea! The next measurement was 8.23 – only .10 mm off the actual mortise size – too close for comfort. I don’t want to risk taking off too much. I back the blade off a little and recut. I come to an 8.49 mm which is good. Using a flat needle file, 120 and 240 grit papers I gradually bring the size of the tenon down. After MANY filings/sanding and testing the fit in the mortise, I can seat the tenon snugly into the mortise. The shank is slightly larger than the diameter of the stem when the stem is inserted into the mortise. The picture below shows how the briar is extending at this point, but as I look around the shank, the amount of overhand is not the same. I use the flat needle file to start bringing the briar overhang flush with the Warden stem. The picture below shows the shank having that ‘stuff pants look’ as the taper of the shank to the stem is not gradual. To address this, I file and sand around the shank to create a more gradual tapering from the bowl through the shank to the Warden stem. Most of the briar bulging was on the shank sides not on the upper and lower areas which look pretty good. After a lot of sanding with a flat needle file, 120 and 240 papers, I arrive at a nicer tapering from shank to stem. I sacrificed the ‘Real Briar’ stamping on the left side of the shank for the more balanced look on both sides of the shank. I thought about it for a few minutes, and sanded away in favor of a reborn Phoenix! The shank overhang has been sanded out and the shank/stem junction is flush. I like the flow from bowl, through the shank, and into the stem. Before bending the stem, while still in the same customized position, I also file and sand down the sides of the precast stem to remove the seams created by the casting halves. I aim for rounding the stem. With the Billiard’s straight shank, the bend will be very small and subtle. Last time I fashioned Churchwarden stems I found that I was consistently overbending the stem and then I would need to back off the bend for the best look. I place pipe cleaners in the stem at both ends to maintain the integrity of the airway during the heating and bending process. I use a hot air gun and warm the vulcanite in the area where I make the bend. As it warms, the vulcanite, a rubber compound, becomes supple and is fashioned easily. After making the bend, by simply eyeballing it, I take the heated stem to the sink and cool it with tap water to set the bend. I remount the bent stem and I like it. It has a gentle bend, not too much. The Phoenix is coming to life!Looking now to the stummel, I use a sharp dental probe to test the very small fills on the stummel. They seem to be solid. I then look at the gnarly rim. The next step is to remove the damage by utilizing the topping board. Using a chopping block, I place a sheet of 240 grade paper on it. After inverting the stummel on the board, I begin to rotate the stummel over the paper. I’m thankful for the fact that Churchwardens typically have smaller bowls. That’s good news because I’m taking a bit of briar off the top. After a while, there is still a divot on the inside of the rim over the shank which I will address by creating a bevel. After the 240 grade rotation, I then use 600 for a bit and finish the topping. Using 120 grit paper, I start carving a bevel on the inside lip of the rim. I follow by moving to the outside edge of the rim. I create the bevel by pinching the rolled piece of sanding paper under my thumb and then methodically move it around the rim putting pressure on the paper. The continuous movement is what keeps the bevel consistent. I then follow with 240 paper for both the inside and outside edges of the rim. I think it looks good – what an improvement!To address the stummel surface to remove the top surface and scratches and old finish, I start by using a coarse sanding sponge on the entire stummel. I follow the coarse sponge with medium and then light sanding sponges.I decide now to continue working on the stem. Using a flat needle file and 240 grit sanding paper I continue smoothing and shaping the stem. I work on the rough button with the file to shape it with the file. I sand the entire stem with 240 grit because, even though the stem is new, the vulcanite contains ripples and ribs from the casting process. I work the stem with sand paper so that it’s smooth and the stem is rounded. From filing and 240 grit, I sand the entire stem with 600 grade paper. I finish this sanding phase by sanding/buffing the stem with 0000 grade steel wool. The pictures show the progress. My day is ending and I finish at the worktable with a kosher salt and alcohol soak to further clean and refresh the stummel. I create a wick from a cotton ball by stretching and twisting the cotton. I then insert/stuff the wick in the mortise and airway. I then put the stummel in an egg crate to stabilize it and fill the bowl with kosher salt which leaves no after taste as does iodized salt. I then use a large eye dropper to fill the bowl with alcohol until it surfaces over the salt. After a few minutes I top off the alcohol. I set the stummel aside and turn out the lights.The next morning the kosher salt and alcohol soak did the job – the salt and wick are soiled by drawing out more tars and oils from the mortise and airway. After dumping the expended salt, I wipe the chamber with paper towel to remove the old salt. I blow through the stummel as well to clear out the left overs. To make sure all is clean, I run a few more cotton buds dipped in isopropyl 95% through mortise. Moving on.Time to micromesh the Churchwarden stem. Using pads 1500 to 2400 I wet sand the stem. Following this, I dry sand using pads 3200 to 4000 and then, 6000 to 12000. After each set of 3 pads, I apply Obsidian Oil to the stem to enrich the new precast Warden stem. I take only one picture at the end because it’s difficult enough to see the detail of black vulcanite with regular sized stems, with the Churchwarden stem, the picture is from orbit!With the stem drying, it’s time to begin the micromesh sanding of the stummel. Using micromesh pads 1500 to 2400 I wet sand the stummel. As has happened on previous restorations, the wetting of the stummel during the wet sanding process spelled the end of the once solid fills that I saw before. The fill material must be made of a water-soluble material – not sure what it is, but it isn’t anymore! The fills fully disintegrated.The detour means that I need to apply patches to the pits – I mix briar dust and thick CA glue to form a putty that I apply to the holes. I first use a sharp dental probe to make sure the pits are free of debris. I use an index card to do the mixing by placing some dust in a pile. I then place some of the CA glue next to the briar dust. Using a toothpick, I gradually draw a bit of the dust into the glue while mixing it with the toothpick. I continue to do this until the putty reaches a molasses-like consistency. I then apply the putty to the places needed – there are a few. After applying the briar dust putty, I spray the patches with an accelerator to cure the patches more rapidly. Then, using a flat needle file, I begin filing down the patches to near the briar surface. Then I use 240 grit paper to remove the remaining excess patch material bringing the fill flush with the briar surface. Following the 240 paper, I use 600 grit paper on each of the patch areas. Finally, I return to the initial micromesh pads and sand the patches with 1500 to 2400 grade pads. The detour is complete, back on track. The pictures show the patch repairs. These patches will blend very well. I pick up again by dry sanding using pads 3200 to 4000 and then 6000 to 12000. The pictures show the finished result. I enjoy so much watching the grain emerge during the micromesh process. This lonely stummel just may be a Phoenix after all!At this point, aiming for the color preferences Andy described when he commissioned the Billiard, I will stain the stummel using the base as Fiebing’s Saddle Tan Pro Dye but add to it just a bit of Fiebing’s Dark Brown Leather Dye to darken it a bit. I believe this will add more depth to the grain contrast – or I hope! After mixing the dyes in a shot glass, and inserting a cork into the shank to act as a handle, I then warm the stummel using a hot air gun. This expands the briar making the wood more receptive to the dye. After warmed I apply the stain using a folded pipe cleaner. After the stummel is completely covered, I flame the aniline stain using a candle. The alcohol in the dye immediately combusts leaving the dye set in the grain. After a few minutes, I repeat the same regimen including flaming. I then set the stummel aside to rest and settle through the night. The next morning, after an early 5AM trip to the Sofia Airport to drop off a summer intern who was returning to the US, I returned to the worktable ready to ‘unwrap’ the Billiard that had been dyed the night before. I enjoy this a lot! I mount a felt wheel on the Dremel, set to the lowest speed, and begin removing the flamed crust encasing the stummel. I use the coarser Tripoli compound to do this. As I work the buffing wheel methodically over the surface, I avoid applying too much downward pressure but allow the felt wheel, speed and compound to do the work. During the process, I purge the wheel often to clean it and keep it soft. After finishing with the felt wheel, I switch to a cotton cloth wheel and apply Tripoli to the crook between shank and stummel which the felt wheel is unable to reach. After the Tripoli, I wet a cotton pad with alcohol and wipe down the stummel to blend the new stain and to lighten it a bit.In the same manner as the Tripoli compound, I apply Blue Diamond, a finer compound. I mount another cotton cloth wheel on the Dremel, increase the speed to about 40% of full power. I apply the compound to both stem and stummel. After I finish, I wipe down both stem and stummel with a felt cloth to remove compound dust in preparation for applying the carnauba wax. Before applying the wax, I want to add a special touch to this reborn Phoenix Billiard Churchwarden. I decide to band the shank – always a nice touch. I pull out my collection nickel bands and find one that fits over the shank but leaves about a 1/4 inch slack between the end of the shank and the end of the band. To slide the band safely up the shank I heat the band with a hot air gun while on the shank at the tension point. As the band heats, it will expand microscopically. After a time of heating, I turn the shank downward and gently but firmly press down against a thick cloth on the hard wood surface. This pressure moves the band up the shank a few millimeters and the cloth cushions the end of the band so it doesn’t bend with the pressure. If one presses too hard and tries to expand the band too quickly, the nickel can rip – that is not good. I got through the heating and pressing cycle a few times and the band is seated well. I remount the stem and eyeball the band placement. It looks good and I think the new steward will like this touch of class a lot for this Phoenix Billiard Churchwarden. Before I wax the pipe, I mount a cotton cloth buffing wheel on the Dremel that I use exclusively on nickel. I want to shine the band up before applying wax. I set the speed at 40% and apply White Diamond compound to the band. I’m careful not to run the buffing wheel over the band to the briar as it can discolor the wood. I learned this the hard way in the past. I’m not sure what the chemical process is, but when polished at high speed, a dark residue is produced. You can see it on the White Diamond bar as well as on the wheel. This is another reason why each compound and use have a dedicated wheel. After finishing with the White Diamond buffing, I buff the band with a microfiber cloth and, oh my! How it shines!Now, the home stretch. Time to wax the pipe. Again, I change to another cotton cloth wheel dedicated to carnauba, maintain a 40% speed on the Dremel, and apply a few applications of the wax to the stem and stummel. I finish the polishing by hand buffing the Churchwarden with a microfiber cloth to raise the shine.

Few words describe the transformation of this lonely Billiard into a Phoenix. Again, I’m amazed at the beauty in what God has created, even that which we often pass by with the shrug of the shoulders. The gain revealed in the Billiard is beautiful. The rim, gnarled as it was, looks great and is not diminished by the briar I was forced to take off. As I look at it, the slightly squatter bowl works very well as the mast of the long, flowing Churchwarden stem. The band mounted on the shank simply rocks, what can I say. Andy commissioned this Billiard now Phoenix Churchwarden and he will have the first opportunity to acquire it in The Pipe Steward Store. This pipe benefits the Daughters of Bulgaria – women and girls trafficked and sexually exploited. Thank you for joining me in the telling of the story of the Phoenix!

Finding a Hidden Gem Underneath all the Grit and Grime

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I went to work on the third pipe down in the far right column. It was one that I almost bypassed because of the shape it was in, but decided to take a chance and see what was underneath all of the mess. The stamping was long ago worn away by buffing. It had originally had a ferrule on the shank and that was missing. The bowl was badly caked and it was out of round from overzealous reaming. The finish was shot with thick black grime impregnated into the bowl finish all the way around. Underneath there appeared to be some nice grain. The missing ferrule left behind remnants of the glue that had held it in place. In the shank where the ferrule was missing were several fills – the only ones in the pipe. The size of the pipe is about a group 2 – kind of the classic size of an older billiard. The stem was missing so it would need to have one made to fit.

The next series of photos shows the build up on the outside of the bowl. Not only was it badly caked it also was covered with a grey/black grime that would be challenging.

I used acetone and cotton pads to remove the external grime on the bowl (Photos 1 – 2 below). There was actually some nice grain underneath all the grime. I reamed the bowl with a PipNet reamer starting with the smallest cutting head and working my way up to the largest that would fit the bowl. I wanted to ream it back to bare wood so that I could work on the damaged inner rim (Photo 3 below). I topped the bowl to remove the damage to the top of the rim and clean up the outer edges of the rim. I used my normal method of a piece of sandpaper on a flat surface and pushing the bowl into the sandpaper and rotating it to remove the damaged briar (Photo 4 – 5). I also push a nickel band onto the shank part way. I would later need to heat it to get a pressure fit deep on the shank. This band would both strengthen the thin walls of the mortise at the end and also cover the only fills present on the pipe.

I used a Dremel with a sanding drum to work on the roundness of the bowl. I worked to even out the distance between the inner edge of the rim and the outer edge. Once this was completed I used sandpaper to smooth out the edge and give it a slight bevel (Photo 1). I wiped down the bowl and rim with acetone on a cotton pad to clean off the last of the dust and grime from the reaming and sanding (Photos 2 – 3).

I set up the heat gun and turned it to the high setting. I held the band over the heat and rotated it to evenly heat the entire band (Photo 1). Once it was heated (just a few minutes) I then took it to the work table and pressed the band in place on a metal plate I use for setting the bands. Sometimes this takes several trips between the heat and the plate but this time one trip was all it took and the band was set (Photos 2 – 3).

I used a PIMO tenon turning tool to turn the tenon to fit the mortise. I generally turn it until it is close and then finish the fit by hand with sandpaper (Photo 1). After sanding the stem fit quite well in terms of the tenon. It was snug and flush against the shank – no light showing through (Photos 2 -3). I used the Dremel with a sanding drum to remove the excess vulcanite on the stem and to shape it to match the diameter of the shank. I sand carefully with the sanding drum to bring it as close as possible to the size I want. You have to be careful and steady so that you do not nick the shank or the band while doing this. The finishing fit is done by hand with files and sandpaper (Photos 4 – 5).

The next series of seven photos show the shaping process. I begin with a medium grit emery paper and sand out the scratches left behind by the Dremel. I shape the stem with this paper to the point where the flow and fit of the stem is what I am looking for (Photos 1 – 2). I then move on to 220 grit sandpaper and continue to remove the scratches and shape the stem (Photos 3 – 4). It then finish this shaping with a fine grit sanding sponge and polish out more of the scratches. Each grit of paper brings the stem closer to the finished shape (Photos 5 – 7).

I apologize for the graininess of the next two photos but they show the bowl after I had stained it. I used a dark brown aniline stain thinned with one part alcohol. I wanted a rich reddish brown colour on this old timer so I thinned the stain to match the colour I wanted. I applied it to the bowl and rim, flamed it, reapplied it and flamed it again.

I worked on the stem with micromesh sanding pads. I also sanded the nickel band to bring out a polish to it as well. The next series of seven photos shows the progressive shine that comes to the stem with each successive grit of micromesh from 1500-12,000 grit. I wet sanded with the 1500-2400 grit and then dry sanded with the remaining grits.

I sanded the bowl with the higher grits of micromesh and then buffed the pipe with White Diamond to give the entirety a rich shine. I applied several coats of carnauba wax and buffed it with a soft flannel buff. The stain really highlights some of the beautiful grain on this pipe. I am glad I took the risk to bring this one back to life.

Renewed Malaga Bulldog

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In an earlier post on Malaga pipes and their maker George Khoubesser, https://rebornpipes.wordpress.com/2013/02/09/george-khoubesser-and-malaga-pipes/, I mentioned that I wanted to hunt down a pipe. Not long after that post I was able to pick up this bulldog. It is a rusticated pipe with some smooth patches like those done by GBD on some of their pipes. This one is stamped Malaga in quote on the upper left side of the shank and Custom Carved on the lower left side of the shank. The pipe was in fair shape. The bowl needed to be reamed as the little cake that was present was in the top half of the bowl. The bottom of the bowl had cobwebs in it. The shank inside was very clean. The stem had some oxidation and a small amount of tooth chatter but was in good shape. The rim had a burned area on the front right and it had created a small dip in the rim. The shank was cracked in multiple places near the stem. It looked like it had been repaired and there was some darkening around the place where the shank met the stem that seemed to indicate that a band that no longer was present had once been in place. The first series of eight photos show the items that I mention above. Looking closely at the photos you can see the cracks in the shank and the burn on the rim. All of the other items come through in the photos as well.

I began the process by reaming out the bowl and then shaping a nickel band into a diamond and pressure fitting it on to the shank. I also then used a small hammer to tap the band into shape around the shank and square off the edges. The next four pictures show the band after it has been shaped and pressure fit into place. The final picture of the four shows the end view of the shank with the band in place.

I decided to top the bowl to remove the damage of the burn and smooth out the rim edge. The burn was not very deep but it was a small trough in the rim that went from edge to edge. The inner edge of the bowl was also damaged by burning. I use a piece of medium grit emery cloth to begin with. I put it on a flat board on my work table and then sand the bowl rim in a clockwise circle until I have removed all of the damage. I follow up the emery cloth with 320 grit sandpaper used in the same manner. I finish the rim with a fine grit sanding sponge. The next four photos show the process and the progress of the topping procedure. In the second photo you can clearly see the damage from the burn. The third and fourth photos show the rim after it is smoothed out and the burn damage is minimized. I did not take pictures of the sanding process with the 3230 grit and sanding sponge as they followed the same format as that of the emery cloth.

After topping the bowl and finishing the rim sanding with micromesh sanding pads in 1500-3200 grit I stained the bowl with an oxblood stain. I restained the entire bowl in order to get a match between the bowl and the rim. The next photos show the stained bowl. At this point in the process I still needed to buff the bowl but I decided to set it aside to dry while I worked on the stem to remove the oxidation and tooth chatter. I began by wet sanding the stem with a 1500 grit micromesh sanding pad. I keep a bowl of water at hand so that I can dip the sanding pad in the water and also clean it between sandings. The next four photos show the stem after sanding it with the 1500 grit pads.

I polished the stem with Maguiar’s Scratch X2.0 after the 1500 grit sanding. I then wet sanded the stem with 1800 and 2400 grit micromesh sanding pads. The next three photos picture that process and the progress on the stem.

I continued sanding with the micromesh pads. I dry sanded with 3200, 3600 and 4000 grit pads. I worked on the inside of the saddle with a folded pad to get the angles correct and clean up that area. I also scrubbed around the button and the edges of the button, working to keep the edges sharp and defined. The next three photos show that progress.

I scrubbed the stem once again with the Maguiar’s and wiped it off repeatedly with a cotton pad. I continued to dry sand the stem with 6000, 8000, 12,000 grit micromesh. Once I had finished the sanding I buffed the stem and pipe with White Diamond on my buffer to shine both. I took the pipe back to my bench and gave the stem a coat of Obsidian Oil. I rubbed it into the stem and then gave the bowl a coat of Halcyon II wax and hand buffed it with a cotton cloth and then gave the rim and stem several coats of carnauba wax. Once I was finished I took it to the buffer once again and gave it a buff with a clean flannel buffing pad. The finished pipe can be seen in the photos below.

Restemmed and Reworked an Old Yello Bole Acorn

Refurbished – A Stunning New Look for a Butz Choquin Billiard

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I picked up this old Butz Choquin in a lot I was given by a friend and it was in very rough shape. I somehow neglected to take any pictures of what the pipe looked like when it arrived. But it came stem less and the rim was ruined. It had been hammered on concrete or something like that as it was stippled and rough. The inner rim was ruined as it seemed to have been reamed with a pocket knife and it was cut and grooved at all different angles. To have topped it I would have had to lose almost a half an inch on the pipe. In my opinion that would have ruined the billiard profile and created a pot shape. I decided to try something different on this one. The finish was shot as well and the stain was gone. It was a dull brown with much dirt and grime ground into the surface of the briar.

I reamed the pipe with a PipNet reamer (like a Castleford T handle reamer) to even the sides of the bowl and smooth out the inner surface. I wiped the bowl down with acetone to clean off the grime and grit. Once it was clean I hunted down a stem blank that would work on a pipe with this sized shank. I cut the tenon with my Pimo tenon turner and shaped the stem to a clean fit with my Dremel. Then I took the bowl and dropped it in the alcohol bath while I worked on the stem. I sanded the stem to remove the scratches left by the Dremel. I also shaped the button a bit to change the shape and open up the slot to an oval.

I took the bowl out of the bath and dried it off. I gave it another wipe down with the acetone to give me a clean surface to work on. I then went to work on the rim. I wanted to chamfer the rim inward toward the bowl to remove the damaged material and give it a different look. I topped the bowl first to get a smooth and even surface. From there I sanded the inner edge of the rim with a folded piece of sandpaper (280 grit). I use a one inch square piece of sandpaper folded into quarters. Then I set the angle I want to have on the chamfer by the way I hold the paper. I sanded it until I got it at the angle I wanted and removed the damaged material. Once I had the angle right I then changed the grade of sandpaper sanding it with 400 and 600 grit wet dry and then with the micromesh sanding pads from 1500 to 6000 grit.

At that point I put the stem back on the pipe and sanded it until the transition between the shank and the stem was smooth. I wanted it to be a fit that appeared to be seamless. Once I had that done and had sanded the stem smooth with the various grades of micromesh sanding pads I took it to the buffer to give the stem a shine. I brought it back to my work table and sanded the bowl and shank until they were also smooth. I did not sand around the nomenclature as I wanted that to be intact.

I decided that I would give the bowl a contrasting stain finish. I heated the briar with a blow dryer to warm it up and open the grain on the bowl. Once it was warm I stained it with a black aniline stain. I flamed the stain and let it dry. I took it to the buffer and buffed it with Red Tripoli to remove the black stain from the surface of the briar. This takes off the extra black and leaves it in the softer grain of the briar. I sanded it again with 600 and 800 grit wet dry sandpaper and then buffed it again with White Diamond. I wanted contrast between the black that was deeply set in the grain and the harder smooth surfaces. Once that was done I wiped the bowl down with acetone to tone down the blacks and to clean off the surfaces that did not have the stain set in them. I restained the pipe with a Medium Brown aniline stain and flamed it as well. Once it was dry I buffed it with White Diamond to polish it. The whole pipe was then given multiple coats of carnauba wax and a finish buff with a soft, clean, flannel buffing pad.

While I liked the look of the pipe at this point I decided that it needed a bit of bling to finish it off. I have a box of bands here and found one the correct size – a nickel band that would add just the touch I was looking for. I heated the band with my heat gun and pressure fit it on the shank of the pipe. The finished product is in the photos below. This pipe found a new home with a friend on one of the online forums. I am sure he has enjoyed it as it was a great smoking machine.

The verdict is yours is the new look stunning or not?