My lunch time drinking companion has started to refurbish his smoking
pipe collection. I have pointed him to the right abrasives and polish
that should be suitable, but he has hit me with another question today.

He has a pipe that the stem (the bit that goes into the mouth) is made
from vulcanite and he says that it goes to a lighter colour when exposed
to daylight. He inherited the collection from his father and is keen to
get them all back to pristine condition.

Has anyone got any advice for him to get the original dark colour?

Dave

On Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:50:11 +0000, Dave
wrote:

My lunch time drinking companion has started to refurbish his smoking
pipe collection. I have pointed him to the right abrasives and polish
that should be suitable, but he has hit me with another question today.

He has a pipe that the stem (the bit that goes into the mouth) is made
from vulcanite and he says that it goes to a lighter colour when exposed
to daylight. He inherited the collection from his father and is keen to
get them all back to pristine condition.

Has anyone got any advice for him to get the original dark colour?

Vulcanite ( also known as Ebonite ) degrades over time, the chief
visible symptom being the once shiny black surface turning a
green/brown. Light and heat accelerate this process.

Mechanical removal of the 'bloom' will restore the black finish -
though it will be inclined to turn brown again rather quicker than
before.
A combination of techniques can be used to remove the bloom, depending
on the accessibility and complexity of the piece. A fine carborundum
paper is a good bet ( used dry ), or medium wire wool, finished off
with 0000 grade wire wool and finally carefully buffed.
When buffing it is vital to avoid the piece getting hot - and if it
has to be washed it should not be in anything other than tepid water.

Unless the process is done carefully and methodically the results can
end up looking somewhat streaky - as such it's often better to leave
well alone.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{who is at}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

On 16 Feb, 18:50, Dave wrote:

Has anyone got any advice for him to get the original dark colour?

Try asking in alt.collecting.pens-and-pencils, or fountain pen
collector sites. It's a common problem, especially for "hard rubber"
pen bodies.

Stephen Howard wrote:

On Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:50:11 +0000, Dave
wrote:


My lunch time drinking companion has started to refurbish his smoking
pipe collection. I have pointed him to the right abrasives and polish
that should be suitable, but he has hit me with another question today.

He has a pipe that the stem (the bit that goes into the mouth) is made

from vulcanite and he says that it goes to a lighter colour when exposed

to daylight. He inherited the collection from his father and is keen to
get them all back to pristine condition.

Has anyone got any advice for him to get the original dark colour?


Vulcanite ( also known as Ebonite ) degrades over time, the chief
visible symptom being the once shiny black surface turning a
green/brown. Light and heat accelerate this process.

Mechanical removal of the 'bloom' will restore the black finish -
though it will be inclined to turn brown again rather quicker than
before.
A combination of techniques can be used to remove the bloom, depending
on the accessibility and complexity of the piece. A fine carborundum
paper is a good bet ( used dry ), or medium wire wool, finished off
with 0000 grade wire wool and finally carefully buffed.
When buffing it is vital to avoid the piece getting hot - and if it
has to be washed it should not be in anything other than tepid water.

Unless the process is done carefully and methodically the results can
end up looking somewhat streaky - as such it's often better to leave
well alone.

Regards,



Printed and I will passs this onto him next lunch time

Dave