Use of Penetrating Oil
- LexKY_Pipe
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Use of Penetrating Oil
Furniture makers use penetrating oil before buffing. What's the take of use penetrating oil on briar prior to the tripoli/white diamond/carnuba process?
- KurtHuhn
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Re: Use of Penetrating Oil
Why do they do that? Beter shine?LexKY_Pipe wrote:Furniture makers use penetrating oil before buffing. What's the take of use penetrating oil on briar prior to the tripoli/white diamond/carnuba process?
I'd be concerned that a light oil like that would penetrate deeply into the wood and carry its fould tasting esters with it. Those esters would be released while smoking, fouling the smoke, and perhaps causing a health hazard. I could be wrong, but that's my concern.
- LexKY_Pipe
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In revamping some estates I have used linseed oil as a finish before buffing. I experimented with single very thin finish (all of it is draining into the wood) and very thick application up to the point, where there is that sticky overstand, that hardly ever dries, at least with linseed oil.
I did not realize any differences in smoking the pipes for the taste.
Pro:
While buffing, the shine is considerably deeper and more glassy than polishing the pure wood. It's not as high gloss as carnauba, but I like it. This gloss is also prone to getting matte when the pipe is used, but it just becomes matte, without those ugly placqueing from the vanishing wax. And it doesn’t come off that easy. Maybe my wax polish layer is not as good as if done by a pro, but the oil and polish layer seems more durable to me. From this point of an oil-finish that became matte over time, the shine of a pipe is more easily to be refreshed by polishing with some tissue. Not as good as with a wheel, but to a better level than a waxed pipe that became dull.
If not buffed with compounds, only with a hard linen wheel, or if only polished with steel wool at all, you get a very beautiful semi-matte finish. I do like it, since the feel in your hand seems very natural but still very smoth.
Hmm…:
The oil severely adds contrast to the grain. If you like it, it's OK, but it might vary (or even) ruin the amount of contrast you meant to achieve by the stain alone. The lighter coloured parts of the briar become darker, and tend towards a reddish tone. This can rardly (or I did not try hard enough) be sanded back like a stain.
Contra:
Hard to work with. Dries very slowly. Tends to be sticky even after days. If let dry out long enough and polished (glossy or semi-matte) I did not notice any getting sticky again while smoking that bowls. It did happen with one that I didn't give enough time to settle…
As far as I know, the oil should not penetrate as deep as to interfere with the smoking process. I didn't saw a bowl finished that way, but I did with considerably soft wood, and even there, it did not penetrate very deep.
I do use linseed oil »under« a wax finish, too. Works OK. I have not done any long time tests to determine any cross-influences on the durability of the wax polish, though.
An example for the semi-matte finish (Click here to supersize):
![Image](http://www.yachtsport-westwind.de/alex/neu/m1.jpg)
An example for the glossy finish (Click here to supersize):
Please note, that the pipe’s bowl had a very dark texture before using the oil, but it still got deeper. This is not a good example for the effect though. They don't become that dark only from the oil. Take it more as an example for the gloss it produces. It has not seen any wax.
![Image](http://www.yachtsport-westwind.de/alex/neu/g1.jpg)
I did not realize any differences in smoking the pipes for the taste.
Pro:
While buffing, the shine is considerably deeper and more glassy than polishing the pure wood. It's not as high gloss as carnauba, but I like it. This gloss is also prone to getting matte when the pipe is used, but it just becomes matte, without those ugly placqueing from the vanishing wax. And it doesn’t come off that easy. Maybe my wax polish layer is not as good as if done by a pro, but the oil and polish layer seems more durable to me. From this point of an oil-finish that became matte over time, the shine of a pipe is more easily to be refreshed by polishing with some tissue. Not as good as with a wheel, but to a better level than a waxed pipe that became dull.
If not buffed with compounds, only with a hard linen wheel, or if only polished with steel wool at all, you get a very beautiful semi-matte finish. I do like it, since the feel in your hand seems very natural but still very smoth.
Hmm…:
The oil severely adds contrast to the grain. If you like it, it's OK, but it might vary (or even) ruin the amount of contrast you meant to achieve by the stain alone. The lighter coloured parts of the briar become darker, and tend towards a reddish tone. This can rardly (or I did not try hard enough) be sanded back like a stain.
Contra:
Hard to work with. Dries very slowly. Tends to be sticky even after days. If let dry out long enough and polished (glossy or semi-matte) I did not notice any getting sticky again while smoking that bowls. It did happen with one that I didn't give enough time to settle…
As far as I know, the oil should not penetrate as deep as to interfere with the smoking process. I didn't saw a bowl finished that way, but I did with considerably soft wood, and even there, it did not penetrate very deep.
I do use linseed oil »under« a wax finish, too. Works OK. I have not done any long time tests to determine any cross-influences on the durability of the wax polish, though.
An example for the semi-matte finish (Click here to supersize):
![Image](http://www.yachtsport-westwind.de/alex/neu/m1.jpg)
An example for the glossy finish (Click here to supersize):
Please note, that the pipe’s bowl had a very dark texture before using the oil, but it still got deeper. This is not a good example for the effect though. They don't become that dark only from the oil. Take it more as an example for the gloss it produces. It has not seen any wax.
![Image](http://www.yachtsport-westwind.de/alex/neu/g1.jpg)
High gloss with oil?
Hi Alexander ,Kurt and others,
I saw the pictures an am amazed by the High gloss you got there on the second picture.
You said you didnt use any wax?
can you tell me how you did it?
I am new in the wonderfull world off pipes and don't have all the tools.
Therefore I have great intrest in your way cause carnuba wax is hard to find here.
Linsseed oil on the other hand,there's enough.
I sanded an old estate that I got from friends and I am trying to make it look
good again.if it even would look half as good as yours I will be more than happy![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Do you put several layers of oil on the briar and let them dry,each layer?
and then you just start buffing with a clean wheel?
Tell me the secrets of high glossiness
kind regards
I saw the pictures an am amazed by the High gloss you got there on the second picture.
You said you didnt use any wax?
can you tell me how you did it?
I am new in the wonderfull world off pipes and don't have all the tools.
Therefore I have great intrest in your way cause carnuba wax is hard to find here.
Linsseed oil on the other hand,there's enough.
I sanded an old estate that I got from friends and I am trying to make it look
good again.if it even would look half as good as yours I will be more than happy
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Do you put several layers of oil on the briar and let them dry,each layer?
and then you just start buffing with a clean wheel?
Tell me the secrets of high glossiness
kind regards