Oxidation ? Brass

[Twitchy]

i was just wondering if you dont polish a pipe for a super long time... can the oxidation stain the pipe?

or should it all come off once you polish it ?

[mattarios2]

Won't stain the pipe, it will come off.

[Twitchy]

just wondering cause my nawras hollow staff, when i got it looked like it had never been polished... and now the brass is almost cloudy in comparison to my other pipe.

[Twitchy]

[img]http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i41/Twitchy_15/IMG_8106.jpg[/img]


[img]http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i41/Twitchy_15/IMG_7896_zps636522e7.jpg[/img]


hard to see a differnce in pic, but first pic brass is cloudy..? is there any way to fix this or is it basically permanently stained?

[twoapplesplease]

Your average off the shelf polish is nothing like the industrial polish used on them strait from the factory...

You need some buffing wax and a bench power wheel buffer

[mattarios2]

It is oxidizing, that is all, just shine it again. If you are asking why is it cloudy after you polished it, well that means you didn't scrub it hard enough to take off all of the oxidization you removed with the polish. Pick up a dremel to use for buffing, you can get them cheap and shine an entire pipe in minutes. Or just wrap a rag around it, and while pressing the rag against the pipe firmly, twist the pipe in your hand and you will see a bunch of black come off onto the rag.

[Twitchy]

ive tried polishing it pretty hard but i guess ill try harder lol

[mattarios2]

What are you using?

[Twitchy]

never dull, i have brasso but been preferring never dull.

it polishes up fairly nicely , but would love to make it look brand new Edited December 29, 2012 by Twitchy

[mattarios2]

I use brasso and I always get a ridiculously nice shine better than when I first get the pipes. I got a nice new dremel for xmas and that thing shines it up incredibly well.

If it isn't shining well, I would suggest rubbing harder on the metal. The harder you rub the more that comes off :-p

[Chreees]

Brasso. Love it.

And yes, polishing should remove it no problem.

[Epoch]

[img]http://www.troll.me/images/lon/rub-harder.jpg[/img]

[Twitchy]

[quote name='Epoch' timestamp='1356824430' post='566707']
[img]http://www.troll.me/images/lon/rub-harder.jpg[/img]
[/quote]

sounds like a plan !! HAA

[skeetsak]

[quote name='mattarios2' timestamp='1356819928' post='566701']
I use brasso and I always get a ridiculously nice shine better than when I first get the pipes. I got a nice new dremel for xmas and that thing shines it up incredibly well.

If it isn't shining well, I would suggest rubbing harder on the metal. The harder you rub the more that comes off :-p
[/quote]

iv heard dremmel tools can be so rough on the brass that they wear down the etchings when its done multiple times. Is that true?

[mushrat]

Wenol is also an astounding cleaner if you can find it. German made.
Depends on the buffer you are using on the dremmel.

[mattarios2]

All I use is like a round cloth pad. They are extremely soft, they feel like cotton. I would believe it if you were using a metal wire wheel or something like that but no way a cotton pad will do that.

[jskhosa]

Brasso

[â€On]

I use MAAS metal polish and a dremel with felt wheel tips. MAAS is by far the best metal polish I have ever tried (leagues above brasso IMO), but anything you use will get the job done. Try getting a long, clean, soft cloth (a flat cloth is better, similar to felt if possible, terry-towel stuff can be too abrasive, even if it's soft), then pinning the pipe under your leg and basically "shoe shining" it. I like to use two cloths, one for use with polish (the dirty cloth) and one for use after the polish is visibly removed. Then, once it looks like you're done, use dish soap in the sink and using just your hands or a clean wet cloth (no scrub brushes!), soap up the pipe and clean it like you would a dish. This will remove any excess polish and surface residue. After you rinse and dry it off, use a third cloth, completely clean and dry, to give it a final "dry polish".

There is no way to completely avoid oxidization, but it is never permanent. This is the beauty of solid metal (and why I don't buy plated pipes). No matter how tarnished it gets, underneath all that crud, there is always a brand new pipe waiting to be revealed.