Vulcanite Stem Oxidation Removal

[Piping Abe]

This scares a lot of people, myself included, away from some good priced estates online. Heres my attempt today using the lighter method, thanks to @Mr Beardsley and also scrubbing with Bar Keepers Friend and a paper towl for a few hours. Coat of Mineral Oil after. Still have more work to do. By the button and Tenon are still brown. We’ll see if I care enough to keep going.

What are your methods for oxidation removal?

Does an oxidized stem taste bad to you?

Do you care how it looks?

[Mr Beardsley]

That looks great to me @Piping Abe i can't take credit for the idea. @Thelonious monkfish clued me into it on multiple posts through the years, I've seen embers talk about it too. Neither of them claim the method as their original idea either.

When I did some stem thinning last weekend I did bulk removal by dragging a knife blade on them. Then a fairly aggressive file for shape. Less aggressive file to refine. Quick smoothing with 320 grit paper and then a rubbing with red then white scotch brite. Quick buff on my drill press with a wheel and white compound and good enough for me. If any of them end up on the auction block I'd sand higher and re-buff

[pipedrum22]

I use oxyclean and them take it through micro mesh sanding pads. Then rub a small bit of olive oil and call it good.

[Silver]

I've used the flame method on light oxidation and it works well. For deeper oxidation, I'll soak in Oxyclean for an hour to soften the oxidation. Wet sand to 1000 grit, white diamond on the buffing wheel and micromesh until black. Carnauba wax on the buffing wheel or Obsidian oil. I like black and shiny.

Edit - I do this mostly on estate stems. Maintenance is not as much work, if you do it as soon as you see oxidation starting. Unfortunately, I have some pipes, whose stems oxidize if you look at them too hard.

[MikeDennison]

When I buy an estate, I look for a nice clean stem. If I get a nice estate with an oxidized stem, I'll use the Oxyclean method on it. But I don't worry too much about it after that. When it starts to oxidize after I've been smoking it, meh.

[simplepipes]

Acrylic stems for me . . .

-sp

[Thelonious monkfish]

Hard preference for rubber, top spot for Cumberland, any color(s), that stuff does not oxidize on me and I like the aesthetics. I already wear enough black. Stuff in rotation that needs touch up get the flame treatment as needed, which is only ever the bit. Heat raises dents too, not missing material though. Gives my buttons a refresh and lifts some chatter. I'll follow that up with a touch of oil of the top sides of the nose. Takes less time to do than write out and only a few pipes here suffer from occasional discoloration through use. I love Cumberland.

For actual stems in need though, estates, wash them, scrub them, alcohol, brushes, cleaners, soap, get in there and scrub every last bit. The airway is oxidized and caked with crap, clean it, I polish internals with toothpaste on CW cleaner fixed to a hook. Once you've cleaned the outside the real oxidation is visible. The deep stuff, it all needs to go, or it will blossom again. Burn it off, sand, shave, whatever route you go there will be material loss, be mindful not to step shank/stem junctions by getting heavy handed, sometimes inevitable if oxidation is deep enough. Lower quality vulcanite has a higher amount of sulphur in it, this is why some stems seem to suck so much. And why it smells like a burnout when using a flame to remove.

[Thelonious monkfish]

This scares a lot of people, myself included, away from some good priced estates online. Heres my attempt today using the lighter method, thanks to @Mr Beardsley and also scrubbing with Bar Keepers Friend and a paper towl for a few hours. Coat of Mineral Oil after. Still have more work to do. By the button and Tenon are still brown. We’ll see if I care enough to keep going.

What are your methods for oxidation removal?

Does an oxidized stem taste bad to you?

Do you care how it looks?

That looks good and if your good with it that's all good. I can't abide oxidation and chase it away. The button oxidation in the crease is always persistent, and a bugger to burn off without bubbling the bit from over heating, I'll start on that first then come back to it for a final run.

Try to make this simple without too much info. Candle is best, drag stem through, be quick and steady, never let the stem sit, always moving. I cover the shank with electrical tape, and logos being careful not to hit them. Especially stamping. Heat lifts dents... Use a wet paper towel, rag, cotton ball, whatever. Keep stem wiped off to remove soot so you can gauge progress and to help cool off the stem, if it gets hot enough it will bubble/blister. If you can rinse the stem under water and it's deep black then you've got it all. I'll clean up with 800, 1000, 2000 grit wet sanding and polish using Tom's whitening and cotton balls, q tips for the button crease. Oil from up high on side of nose or I'll touch my finger to the lid of a bottle of hemp oil and use that slightest bit to rehyrdate the rubber, wiped dry inside shirt.

This Peterson has typical oxidation, not terrible but all over, the button and flare above the mount being the worst offenders. No in progress pics but before and after gives an idea. Those brown spots show their true colors once the old wax and residue is scrubbed off.

[Piping Abe]

Awesome info @Thelonious monkfish Do I find that an oxidized stem tastes different or bad?

[Thelonious monkfish]

This Grabow better illustrates whatever I was trying to say. Initially a crusty ebay pipe. Then an unfinished pipe with heavy oxidation in full view after cleaning. Shank/logo taped off and oxidation burned. Quick wetsand and polish. This all took like thirty minutes. Burning oxidation off is stupid fast, under five minutes to fully remove from most. Real work is getting the nooks/creases/airway clean and keeping the gleam lines straight.

If you have a stem that oxidizes from a drop of water that stem was already been oxidized but it's obfuscated under years of wax/oil/residue/dirt. Carnauba and buffers should not be availabe so readily to most.