leaving plateaux on pipe

[bscofield]

I had a question about leaving plateaux on a pipe. What does everyone use to strip the plateaux surface? Also, should I be leary to leave a certain distance between my drillings and the plateaux? What looks best on a pipe like that: incorporating it INTO the shape or letting it pull away from the shape (does that make sense)?

On a final note, I hate writing the word "plateaux!!"

[RadDavis]

I had a question about leaving plateaux on a pipe. What does everyone use to strip the plateaux surface?

Use a wire brush. I use one mounted on an arbor on one of my buffing heads.

Also, should I be leary to leave a certain distance between my drillings and the plateaux?

Not sure what you mean.

What looks best on a pipe like that: incorporating it INTO the shape or letting it pull away from the shape (does that make sense)?

Not sure what you mean here. I think any design element should be incorporated INTO the shape. Do what looks good to you.

Rad[/quote]

[ArtGuy]

I use a fine brass wire wheel to remove the bark. It also smoothes the bumps a bit too.

[RadDavis]

I use a fine brass wire wheel to remove the bark. It also smoothes the bumps a bit too.

I guess mine's a brass brush too, but I tend to use the edges of the wheel for bark removal to preserve the sharpness of the bumps. Go figure.

Rad

[bscofield]

Quote:
Also, should I be leary to leave a certain distance between my drillings and the plateaux?

Not sure what you mean.

Well, I mean should I be careful up to a certain distance for pits or dips?

Not sure what you mean here. I think any design element should be incorporated INTO the shape. Do what looks good to you.

Well... I'm not sure how to explain this one... hmm... I'll probably just go with whatever seems right at the time.

[jeff]

Ben,

I also use a brass wire brush. Try to avoid stainless steel. Its filaments are too stiff and visibly abrade the surface. That's fine if you want additional roughness on the plateaux, but if you are looking to preserve the integrity of the briar, you should avoid it.

Quote:
Quote:
Also, should I be leary to leave a certain distance between my drillings and the plateaux?

Not sure what you mean.


Well, I mean should I be careful up to a certain distance for pits or dips?

I'm still not sure what you are asking. Should you be careful with what? And why are you concerned with being careful with it?

What looks best on a pipe like that: incorporating it INTO the shape or letting it pull away from the shape (does that make sense)?

I'd say that you should always try to integrate all features of a design. There are few exceptions to this. Check out a bunch of photos of pipes where the burl surface is used to see how others have been able to do this.

Jeff

[ToddJohnson]

Ben,

I also use a brass wire brush. Try to avoid stainless steel. Its filaments are too stiff and visibly abrade the surface. That's fine if you want additional roughness on the plateaux, but if you are looking to preserve the integrity of the briar, you should avoid it.

Wire wheels come in a gradation of stiffnesses (I think that's not a word) just like toothbrushes. It makes no difference whether you use brass or stainless steel; it's much more important to mind the speed at which it's turning, its stiffness, and its diameter--which is actually a factor in how fast anything "cuts." I use a medium (stiffness) 5" stainless steel brush at 150 RPM's on my Corsican and Calabrian briar, and a fine 5" brass brush at 800 RPM's on Greek or Algerian briar. This seems to best preserve the integrity of the surface for each. If however you want to actually knock down the high points of the surface you may want to use a stiffer brush at higher RPM's.

Best of luck,

Todd

[jeff]

Ben,

I also use a brass wire brush. Try to avoid stainless steel. Its filaments are too stiff and visibly abrade the surface. That's fine if you want additional roughness on the plateaux, but if you are looking to preserve the integrity of the briar, you should avoid it.

Wire wheels come in a gradation of stiffnesses (I think that's not a word) just like toothbrushes. It makes no difference whether you use brass or stainless steel; it's much more important to mind the speed at which it's turning, its stiffness, and its diameter--which is actually a factor in how fast anything "cuts." I use a medium (stiffness) 5" stainless steel brush at 150 RPM's on my Corsican and Calabrian briar, and a fine 5" brass brush at 800 RPM's on Greek or Algerian briar. This seems to best preserve the integrity of the surface for each. If however you want to actually knock down the high points of the surface you may want to use a stiffer brush at higher RPM's.

Best of luck,

Todd

Hmm, so a 5" stiff stainless steel brush at 25,000 RPM on my dremel might be a hair too quick? Damn

Jeff

[Jeffery]

I also use a fine brass wire wheel...

BUT, in my experience, I have seen a big difference between brass and stainless steel... The SS always seems to leave a darkness to the wood, while the brass leaves nothing behind...

I just finished a big ass plateaux...

http://ripplingbrook.com/Brutus.jpg

[ToddJohnson]

I also use a fine brass wire wheel...

BUT, in my experience, I have seen a big difference between brass and stainless steel... The SS always seems to leave a darkness to the wood, while the brass leaves nothing behind...

I just finished a big ass plateaux...

http://ripplingbrook.com/Brutus.jpg

That's because you're not boiling your stainless steel in distilled water first. Seriously though, that's interesting because I use stainless for precisely that reason-namely a brass brush with the same exact characteristics has, in the past, left some dark spots. Of course there are naturally dark spots in the plateaux already, so we might both be full of crap, but certainly the rule "use whatever works" should come into play here.

Best,

Todd

[achduliebe]

Ben,

On the one pipe that I have done with plateau left on the pipe, I used a dremel brush wheel. The brush is not metal it is the black plastic bristles, the bristles are actually pretty stiff. I used it in my cordless dremel, one of those 'mini mite' things. It was probably spinning at a couple thousand RPM's.

Anyways, it did the job just fine for what I was looking for which was to clean it up but not take everything down to bare wood.

[Jeffery]

Of course there are naturally dark spots in the plateaux already, so we might both be full of crap, but certainly the rule "use whatever works" should come into play here.
Best,
Todd

That is interesting, because I also used a cheaper brass wheel and left, well i guess we could call it a "Carbon" residue...

Then I got a much higher quality brass wheel (read: more expensive) and it's the one I've been using since...

So, yes, we are probably both full of crap...

[bscofield]

Well like normal, I'll make due with what I have. Which is a brass buffing wheel purchased from Lowes (they had 2 grades coarse and fine, I chose coarse) and a delta grinder which runs at whatever the heck RPM's it wants to (which means I have no idea how fast it is!). I'll do a picture documentary of the process for anyone interested...

And Todd... I don't appreciate the jokes!

[ToddJohnson]

So, yes, we are probably both full of crap...

I think that's the surest bet I've heard all day

Todd

[sagiter]

I know one of you is

Neil

[BriarBrian]

I just use a wire brush that you use to scrape paint off the house, use a brand new one, and dont use it for anything else. I just do it by hand and it all comes off really nice and doesnt leave any residue at all. And they are cheap and easy to replace.

Brian

[KurtHuhn]

I've been using a nylon brist wheel to remove the bark when needed. It doesn't leave black marks, and is pretty non-aggressive.

[bluesmk]

I use a brass brush by hand. Also, some dental picks are handy.
Dan
Gabrieli Pipes