How To Stain A Corn Cob Pipe

Whether you are interested in staining your corn cob pipe because you want your pipe to have a richer color or your pipe has changed color over time, you are in the right place. Pipes are inexpensive and are typically a light shade of brown-yellow, like the cob of corn. This article will highlight what you need to know about staining a corn cob pipe, including what you will need to stain a pipe.

What Is Used To Stain A Corn Cob Pipe?

Corn cob pipes usually change color over time. This is the result of the pipe being used and happens naturally. While there are a lot of smokers who enjoy the natural color changing of their pipes, a few other smokers do enjoy modifying the look of their pipes. 

Many smokers actually carve their own pipes out of wood.

The smokers who have stained their corn cob pipe have tried using a wide variety of materials in an attempt to give their pipe a rich color. Some of these materials include using a teabag concentrate and even food coloring. While these materials might stain the pipe and give these smokers the color they are looking for, the results typically don’t last.

However, it is popularly believed that the best product to use to stain a corn cob pipe is a leather dye. The brand of leather dye that is often recommended as the best dye to use for this process is Fiebings leather dye.

Denatured alcohol is also used to lighten the shade of dye on the pipe if you are looking to achieve a lighter color. 

Safety Tips

When staining a corn cob pipe, you will need to follow a few safety tips. These include: 

• You should consider wearing gloves while you staining
• Ensure that you stain your corn cob pipe in a well-ventilated area

Tools You Will Need 

To stain a corn cob pipe, there are a few tools that you need. These tools include the following: 

• corn cob pipe
• Sandpaper (200 to 800 grit) 
• Rubber gloves
• Pipe cleaner or rag 
• Leather dye 
• Bulls Eye shellac 

How to Stain a Corn Cob Pipe

Staining a corn cob pipe for the first time can be overwhelming, especially if you are not used to DIY projects. Although it is quite a simple process to stain a corn cob pipe, all you have to do is follow the following steps. 

1. Remove the Corn Cob Pipe Bit 

The only part of the pipe that usually gets stained is the pipe’s bowl, the place where you would load the tobacco. 

Before you start the staining process, you need to remove the corn cob pipe’s bowl from its bit.

To remove your corn cob pipe’s bit, you have to pull the bit from the pipe’s bowl gently, and it should easily come off. 

The pipe’s bit is the end section of the pipe where you would put your filter in. 

If this is a new pipe and it is the first time you remove the pipe’s bowl from the bit, it might be harder to detach. 

2. Sand Down the Pipe’s Bowl 

After you have removed the corn cob’s pipe from its bit, begin the sanding process. 

Corn cob pipes have a shellac finish on them, making them glossy and hard for any products to stick onto them. 

This is why sanding down the bowl of the corn cob pipe is a crucial step to ensure that the dye can stick to the corn cob. 

You have to take a piece of sandpaper and even sand down the corn cob pipe to remove the shellac layer or the glossy layer. 

Usually, sandpaper with a 200 to 800 grit is used on corn cob pipes. 

Sand down the corn cob pipe until the glossy layer has been removed, and the texture of the pipe feels a bit rougher. 

3. Put On Rubber Gloves

Once your corn cob pipe has been sanded down, the glossy layer is removed. You should then put on a pair of rubber gloves and start staining your pipe.

While this step is optional, it is recommended because nobody wants dye to stain their hands. The best way to prevent this is to ensure your hands are covered. However, if you do get dye on your hands, remove it using a little bit of alcohol. 

4. Stain the Pipe’s Bowl 

After you have chosen the color of leather dye that you would like to stain your corn cob pipe with, use a pipe cleaner and dip it into the dye bottle. Carefully apply the dye to the corn cob pipe. 

Use an old rag for this step, but it is essential to ensure that you are evenly distributing the dye. 

If you want a rich and dark stain color on the pipe, repeat this process a few times until you get the color you are happy with. 

If you would like a light color stain on your pipe, you should apply one coat of dye on the pipe. 

5. Leave Corn Cob Pipe to Dry

Now that you have stained your corn cob pipe with dye, leave it to dry for a bit.

The stain drying process usually does not take too long. However, it usually depends on the dye brand and how many coats of dye have been put on the pipe. 

You can speed up the stain drying with a variety of different methods.

6. Spray the Pipe’s Bowl with Shellac 

Once your corn cob pipe is fully dried, it is now ready to spray the pipe with shellac.

The brand of shellac that is mainly used after staining corn cob pipes is usually the Bulls Eye Shellac. It is essential to recoat your pipe with a shellac layer to make sure that it is sealed. 

7. Lightly Sand the Pipe 

After the shellac has dried on the pipe, you might notice a few bumpy layers on your pipe. 

To get rid of this and ensure your pipe has a smooth and even feel, all you have to do is light sand down your pipe using sandpaper. Remember not to sand the pipe down too hard because you do not want to remove the shellac layer.

FAQ

Conclusion 

Now that you know how to stain a corn cob pipe, you can modify your pipe to suit your style. All you have to do is follow the easy steps of staining your pipe using a leather dye. Then make sure to finish the glossy layer of shellac process, and then you will have your unique corn cob pipe.