Buffing plateaux?

[Pkspecial23]

Hey guys,
In general, when finishing a freehand, how do you properly finish the plateaux section around the bowl and/or mortise? Should I stain? Do I use the regular buffing process or is there some special way of doing it? Thanks fellas.

[sandahlpipe]

Stain and seal with shellac. Don't buff. Or you can try a more difficult way and buff.

[wdteipen]

I'm assuming you've removed all the bark. If not, you have to remove all the bark. The easiest way is to sandblast it off. A stiff nylon bristle brush will take it off with elbow grease. A dental pick works for stubborn pieces. I finish plateaux the same way I finish any other part of the pipe except it's not necessary to buff with tripoli. Stain, shellac, then wax. If the wax builds up, heat it with a heat gun then rebuff.

[Pkspecial23]

Got it. Thank you sirs.

[Pkspecial23]

Also, can I just use run of the mill shellac from Home Depot? Or do I need something specialized?

[sandahlpipe]

Yes. Bullesye shellac works fine. You can add denatured alcohol to thin it out.

[Pkspecial23]

Thank you!