Will the blasting never stop? Another victom....

sethile · Post by **sethile** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 1:03 am

Ok, folks... Now I've been infected too. I found a blaster on campus very near where I work and decided to re-work my Etude #12. Here is the result:

Learned a lot about blasting. In the next two pics you can see a couple of flat spots where I'd tried to bring out some more figure. WRONG! All I managed to do was ruin my shape by removng too much material in those areas. Should have practiced on a couple of other pipes as this one had some potential. Even at that, I don't hate it. It will stay here with me though, that's fo sure! I also had some masking problems, especially around my nominclature panel, and the top.

You can see it before the fall here

smokepiper · Post by **smokepiper** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 6:12 am

i see your point in rubbing of the stain at the high parts, it´s a nice blast and a nice pipe.. i like it.

ckr · Post by **ckr** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 6:56 am

I don't think I would have had the courage to place that puppy in the cabinet. It is still a nice pipe but I don't think the blast has improved it.

Lately there has been a flood of blasts posted. A few have been good and others somewhat lacking as the 'blasters' are trying to find just the right combination of pressure, medium and technique. Like most things that I am finding out about pipemaking, nothing comes easy.

Scott, If I ever take a stab at blasting I'll heed your advice and select a mangy mutt. My pack of dogs is getting so large they are terrorizing the community.

sethile · Post by **sethile** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 11:25 am

Thanks Ronny! I like to see some highlights. They turned out ok on this, but not exactly what I had hoped. Need to work on the finish technique as well as the blasting. I think per your description on your thread, I will use more heat, more aggresive brushing, more applications, and perhaps try shellac on the next one. Somehow I thought the blast would cause the stain to sink in and set well, but this seems to not be the case somehow.

CKR, You and my wife agree. She cringed when I mentioned I was going to do it, and than whimpered when I handed it to her after I was done last night.

The truth is that my pics of it when smooth did not show the worst fall out and I'd gotten away with underplaying a flaw and some sand pits with the staining. Not intentional, these just didn't end up as obvious in the pics as they were in person. As you might expect, those areas are now also the worst parts in the blast, thanks to my trying to force something more out of them. The pits and flaws also got deeper and kind of blasted out too. Your right, it's certainly not an improvement.

I think the master was the one needing some training, and this pup just happened to be in the way. It wasen't a convincing smooth, and it's not a convincing blast, but I think I'll still enjoy it, I just won't be too proud when I do

ArtGuy · Post by **ArtGuy** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 4:11 pm

I have not quite gotten the hang of getting really stark highlights. I think I will try using a spiral sewn buff sans compound to take off a little stain from the peaks. Generally I use the fieblings dye either med. brown or cordovan.

ArtGuy · Post by **ArtGuy** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 4:12 pm

oops sorry I meant to post that on the other thread where you asked me about my process

sethile · Post by **sethile** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 6:03 pm

Thanks John! I thought yours looked a little darker and was thinking you were using some kind of black...

I have some darker browns that might have been better than the black. On this one I ended up using a couple applications of Mahogany on the entire pipe, then two applications of black on the blast area. The first of the black was pretty heavily buffed, and mostly off the high spots before the second application. Then after that I rubbed it by hand and very lightly buffed after the second. For me the highlights were a little too easy to get! It was tough to keep as much stain as I wanted. Worked out a little better the second time.

souljer · Post by **souljer** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 9:18 pm

Hi,

No disrespect to your wife or anyone else, but I like it as a two tone blast.

I thought it was okay as a smooth too, but the blast is a lot more interesting in my opinion.

Sometimes it's best when finished with a project to not work on it anymore and simply put it aside and work on new pieces with what ever new technique or shape that you want to try next. However I know the temptation of wanting to "perfect" something that's already got most of the work done.

Your story reminds me of my experience when I took the Chicago Pipe Making Seminar this year.

We were given a rough strummel -a round ball shaped bent- and fitted bit, after getting some guidance on techniques to shape and drill. Then we finished the prefabs that were supplied. I didn't like the overall shape and decided to change it radically.

At first I was going for a bulldog/rodisian thing, and the top was going to be smooth and the bottom half rusticated due to some pits below the bead line -we didn't have blasting equipment. However in sanding and rusticating inaccurately, the bottom half did not come out round. The sides slope straight down to another bead line and then round out at the bottom of the pipe. As I saw this happening I didn't get upset but went with it and encouraged it. It came out fine and I saw it as a learning experience anyway.

I also, at the teachers suggestion, stained it two-tone (light and dark) as you have done yours.

The teacher liked it and what I had brought to show him and I later made my first true bulldog and sandblast at his shop.

So even though it didn't come out as I initially planned, it came out good enough for the teacher to think I deserved further encouragement and support.

The ironic part is the others who didn't change the strummel's shape ended up with some very nice round/ball shaped pipes. A few with some pretty nice grain, if I remember correctly.

sethile · Post by **sethile** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 9:57 pm

Thanks Gunnar!

Great story about the class in Chicago. Would love to get up there next year. Sounds like you made a good decision on your project pipe.

My wife likes smooths, and only smooths... I like them all, but I don't like smooths unless the grain works with the shape, and this one only did to a point with some bad fallout, and no grain in a couple of patches. Now that I've lived with it for a day I think I like it better this way. I want to smoke it now, and I didn't before. That's a good sign!

At this stage it's all skill building. Working with the bulldog shape was very instructional. Finishing it into a smooth helped to fine tune the shape, even though I could see it wasen't going to hold up real well as a smooth. Then blasting it was a hole new education. It went pretty much as I expected, with the exception of where I goofed it up trying to push it.

It's hard not to hope for more every time I start a pipe, but all these early efforts are just steps in refining the skills. Two of them worked out well enough to be gifts. The rest will stay here, but they are sure fun to smoke!

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:32 am

What do you guys mean by a "two tone" finish on blasts? Are you looking for something like either of these pipes, or soemthing else?

sethile · Post by **sethile** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:01 pm

Both of those are beautiful, Kurt. I'd love to be able to do either of those. The first one is what I was meaning in terms of getting highlights off the high spots, and the second technique, where you see grain up through the blast, at least with a nice piece like the one in your pic, is stunning! It's similar to the Dunhill Cumberland finish. Would love to hear how both of those were down. This pipe of mine has sort of a combination of those two things happening, although neither of them turned out near as well as the ones in your pics.

I'm not sure exactly what Gunner meant by the two-tone blast. I was thinking he meant the contrast between the lighter stain on the top and darker used for the blast. I think that looks better on rusticated pipes, at least I think mine done that way looked better the partial blast of this thread. I especially like the way it turning out on this one

In this I was shooting for the highlights getting to nearly the point of the smooth top. My rustification technique, or perhaps the finish afterwards needs some refining. It just dosen't look or feel finished...

The blast I did looks ok to me, but not exactly what I'd hopped. I think the partial rusitfication I did above benifited by planning that into the shape. I was hoping for more of this kind of effect with the partial blast, but it looks like the after thought that it was. Who'd have thought? :dunno:

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:35 pm

sethile wrote:Both of those are beautiful, Kurt. I'd love to be able to do either of those. The first one is what I was meaning in terms of getting highlights off the high spots, and the second technique, where you see grain up through the blast, at least with a nice piece like the one in your pic, is stunning! It's similar to the Dunhill Cumberland finish. Would love to hear how both of those were down. This pipe of mine has sort of a combination of those two things happening, although neither of them turned out near as well as the ones in your pics.

The technique for the first one is really simple. After sandblasting, I applied the black stain, then rubbed some of it off with a rag. I think I repeated it once, just get a little more contrast. Then I applied shellac to the whole thing, and rubbed that off too. That's what gave it the real contrast. The important part is to rub the stuff off while it's still wet - don't let it dry. After the stain was dry, I lightly buffed with white diamond, and applied carnuba. Quick and easy.

The second one was even easier. The contrast between the grain striations is built up in layers of light stain. Repeated application of a light stain will darken the grain in a variagated pattern where some wood soaks up more stain than the area next to it. I just keep applying stain while it's wet until the right color and contrast is achieved. But, you have to use a fairly light stain. I think the color I used is the Fiebings Tan, but it might have been Light Tan or Beige. What's importnat is that it barely looks special with only one coat, and after half a dozen applications done while the finish is still wet, it starts to take on an entirely different look. Then let it dry, apply shellac, buff with white diamond, and apply carnuba. Easy peasy.

sethile · Post by **sethile** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:54 pm

Thanks Kurt! Your description really helps. I was thinking shellac would have helped to set the stain a little better. Interesting to hear about the multiple light stainings on the second one too. I've got to get some lighter options and give that a try. Sure looks beautiful! My guess it you need a pretty clean piece with nice grain to pull it off? Maybe just shy of being a nice smooth?

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 1:55 pm

Yes, I agree, mostly. I think you can get an amazing finish with a ho-hum block as long as it's cut for a good blast. I have one that I smoke all the time that has no particular visible grain pattern, but when blasted it developed a striking pattern of ridges, swirls, and oddities. And when stained, the grain variagation added to the overall picture.

However, you can get a really striking juxtoposition of ring and straight grain using this method as well. Take a stummel that has a few too many pinpricks or small flaws to make smooth, and just sandblast it.

The shole idea of shellac is to set the stain, increase contrast, and provide a base for polishing with compounds. Contrary to popular belief, shellac does not seal a pipe any more than carnuba does.

souljer · Post by **souljer** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 4:41 pm

Hi,

What I meant by "two-tone" is two (or more) distinct areas of tone or color that are opposites or strongly contrast each other. Like the sandblast at the top of the page and his sitter down below (nice piece, btw)

Not a area of color with smaller variations within, like the examples Kurt posted.

My first sandblast came out the color of Kurt's lighter example. I would not call it a two-tone pipe. I'd show you that, but I never completed the bit and it's at home. I'm in England right now. When I get home I'll finish up a few "almost done"s and maybe post a pic or two here.

Here is a photo (if I can manage to post it) of the Chicago Pipe Seminar pipe that I made this year. Umm, mine is the one on the right... The left one is the original strummel we were all given to work with. I think this was the third pipe I completed at that time. Those of us who rusticated, were taught with the tools provided.

As you can see it's similar with the light tan smooth top half and the dark brown/black lower half.

I hope this clarifies what I was trying to say.

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 10:48 pm

Souljer wrote:What I meant by "two-tone" is two (or more) distinct areas of tone or color that are opposites or strongly contrast each other. Like the sandblast at the top of the page and his sitter down below (nice piece, btw)

Okay, I gotcha. I was confused because I only know that type of finish as "partially sandblasted" or "partially rusticated". That would indicate that only a portion of the pipe is smooth, and is usually a contrasting color.

souljer · Post by **souljer** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 10:59 am

Hi,

I think it could be both: A partially rusticated or sandblasted, two-tone pipe.

As opposed to a partially rusticated or sandblasted pipe that may be all the same color; like a dark stain or even a neutral or virgin finish.

I agree that "partially" indicates "only a portion of the pipe is...". Two-tone only relates to color. It could be a completely smooth or rusticated pipe that has distinct areas of contrasting color. Like the top vs. the bottom or the bowl vs. the shank; whatever.

In my opinion Sethile's pipe is a fine example of a pipe no matter how it's described. It speaks for itself.

My story was just to give him something to think about as far as when not getting the shape.

Maybe flat sides would look nice too.