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Nice pipe, number eight, even better.You appear to have passion and an inquisitive mind, keep up the good work!

I agree with most of the previous comments. The only thing I would add is that it looks like the polish/final buff could be a bit better/shinier. Also, on the third pic down it looks like there is a patch of something towards the top of the bowl...Maybe a bit of tripoli or other wax that got caked on and not properly buffed off. Or could just be the photo making it appear as such.

yeah I'm still working on that mirror finish. I tried shellac but I used zinser and didn't mix my own and that stuff doesn't really solidify completely so it was a mess.

Any tips on getting a really deep shine would be awesome. a lot of pipes I've seen seem to have a depth the the grain that comes from the glass like shine they have and I really want to get to that point.

WillAndersonpipes wrote:

I agree with most of the previous comments. The only thing I would add is that it looks like the polish/final buff could be a bit better/shinier. Also, on the third pic down it looks like there is a patch of something towards the top of the bowl...Maybe a bit of tripoli or other wax that got caked on and not properly buffed off. Or could just be the photo making it appear as such.

yeah I'm still working on that mirror finish. I tried shellac but I used zinser and didn't mix my own and that stuff doesn't really solidify completely so it was a mess.

Any tips on getting a really deep shine would be awesome. a lot of pipes I've seen seem to have a depth the the grain that comes from the glass like shine they have and I really want to get to that point.

I personally wouldn't use shellac on a smooth pipe. I just use a serious of increasingly higher grit sand paper, brown tripoli, white diamond, carnuba and a final flannel buff and manage to get pretty decent results on my finish.

WillAndersonpipes wrote: Any tips on getting a really deep shine would be awesome. a lot of pipes I've seen seem to have a depth the the grain that comes from the glass like shine they have and I really want to get to that point.

There are several PMF threads that cover all the bases on what materials to use, and give an overview of how to use them, but "gleamy while still warm and deep" finish RECIPES---meaning detailed, step-by-step instructions---is one of the few areas of pipe making that you won't find posted here or anywhere else on the Net.

Meaning, check out those finish threads, buy the stuff, read the overviews, and start experimenting. Keep notes while you're doing it, and continually adjust ONLY ONE VARIABLE AT A TIME until you are satisfied with the result.

There is a chance that one of the old hands will hook up with you via PM or similar if they like where you're going and demonstrate you have the Right Stuff in terms of initiative and determination, but it isn't guaranteed, so don't expect it. The best finishes in the biz took their creators a very long time to perfect, and are considered proprietary.

WillAndersonpipes wrote:

I agree with most of the previous comments. The only thing I would add is that it looks like the polish/final buff could be a bit better/shinier. Also, on the third pic down it looks like there is a patch of something towards the top of the bowl...Maybe a bit of tripoli or other wax that got caked on and not properly buffed off. Or could just be the photo making it appear as such.

yeah I'm still working on that mirror finish. I tried shellac but I used zinser and didn't mix my own and that stuff doesn't really solidify completely so it was a mess.

Any tips on getting a really deep shine would be awesome. a lot of pipes I've seen seem to have a depth the the grain that comes from the glass like shine they have and I really want to get to that point.

Technique is the key to achieving a very good finish. Most makers use shellac as a sealer instead of a coating on top. Do some reading on shellac, oil finishes, French polish, wood finishing, buffing and it will give you a better understanding.

Alright awesome thanks guys I'll definitely check those threads out. What about renaissance wax have any of you heard of using that on pipes? I've been doing some work with a really great wood worker in my area and he uses that a lot.

Also do you need to look at the toxicity of a finish for a pipe or is just about anything alright as long as you keep it out of the bowl

Toxicity isn't really an issue unless you found a product that gave off cyanide or asbestos or something when heated moderately. All the stains, shellac, urethane, tung oil... it's all toxic as used. Dry it's not.

You can use Renaissance or Paragon waxes but you won't get the same shine as you would with pure carnaube and a buffing wheel.

Can you buff and use carnauba wax over these alternative finishes? Like say I do a French polish do I then buff over that and then carny a wax?

I plan on doing some experimenting this weekend with French polish and Danish oil

I'm making pipes asbestos I can sasquatch

The difficulty is making a finish that looks good after 100 smokes. There are a 1000 ways to make a pipe look good up until the point of sale. Whether the pipe maintains that appearance over time is another story.

After a little experimentation this evening.

sorry they're so damn big photobucket is giving me trouble

I french polished my last pipe (assuming that by French polish you mean the many thin coats of shellac that is described online). But I read through many of the threads here and some say that unless you put shellac on extremely thin, that it will eventually bubble from the heat of the pipe.

Is there truth to this? Will a french polish succumb to heat bubbles in time?

Shellac melts at 85C so if a guy really heats up a pipe and it has a real thick coat, it could blister I guess.

WillAndersonpipes wrote:sorry they're so damn big photobucket is giving me trouble

Photobucket is so 2000's, dude... If you want something fast & easy enough to use that even I have no problems with it, and was designed with the Digital World in mind, use this:

http://imgur.com/