Bending Vulcanite?

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Coreios

Lifer
Sep 23, 2022
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United States Of America
Can I safely bend an already bent Vulcanite stem with hot water and a pipe cleaner ran through it? It's already bent I just wish it was a hard bend like the Peterson's. It's an old Savinelli 613 maybe I'm better off leaving it be?
 
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ashdigger

Lifer
Jul 30, 2016
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Vegas Baby!!!
Can I safely bend an already bent Vulcanite stem with hot water and a pipe cleaner ran through it? It's already bent I just wish it was a hard bend like the Peterson's. It's an old Savinelli 613 maybe I'm better off leaving it be?
You can use the soft flame of a lighter. Just swish it around so it doesn’t burn the vulcanite. Then bend. Then cool in water.

Voila.
 

lraisch

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 4, 2011
614
1,199
Granite Falls, Washington state
I have reshaped stems with a pipe cleaner inserted by resting them on a tray with a bed of sand or rock salt and placing them in a 200 degree (F) oven for a minute or two. Remove the stem with oven mitts and bend a little more than desired, as it will tend to relax some after cooling.
 
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bullet08

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
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RTP, NC. USA

georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
5,491
13,920
Water that hot will flash oxidize it. Unless you're folding it in half, the pipe cleaner isn't necessary.

This ^^^^

IF it's a piece of vulcanite that greens from hot water contact (some will, some won't), it will be deep, too.

Much better to use a heating method that has no chance of inducing oxidation.

An alcohol flame is fine IF a saddle/blade-style stem AND with skill based on practice, because heat-caused surface bubbles cannot be sanded out. You've only made the problem worse.

If the stem is tapered, knowing how thick a tapered stem can be and still be heated enough to bend using a flame without boiling the surface is an experience thing. i.e. there's a limit and it's tricky to do when within the limit.

Ovens are factory-level (don't go there); hot sand CAN be very good but is time consuming and messy (not recommended); and hair dryers don't get hot enough.

The easy answer is a garden variety shop heat gun.

I love the "folding in half" mental image. rotf It's true, though. The "put a pipecleaner in first" thing does not apply. It's just a bystander's assumption that has been repeated on the InterWebNet for decades.
 

Coreios

Lifer
Sep 23, 2022
1,614
2,676
41
United States Of America
This ^^^^

IF it's a piece of vulcanite that greens from hot water contact (some will, some won't), it will be deep, too.

Much better to use a heating method that has no chance of inducing oxidation.

An alcohol flame is fine IF a saddle/blade-style stem AND with skill based on practice, because heat-caused surface bubbles cannot be sanded out. You've only made the problem worse.

If the stem is tapered, knowing how thick a tapered stem can be and still be heated enough to bend using a flame without boiling the surface is an experience thing. i.e. there's a limit and it's tricky to do when within the limit.

Ovens are factory-level (don't go there); hot sand CAN be very good but is time consuming and messy (not recommended); and hair dryers don't get hot enough.

The easy answer is a garden variety shop heat gun.

I love the "folding in half" mental image. rotf It's true, though. The "put a pipecleaner in first" thing does not apply. It's just a bystander's assumption that has been repeated on the InterWebNet for decades.
I actually used a hair dryer and it did work at point blank range barley not touching .
 
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milk

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 21, 2022
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Japan
Sorry, maybe I’m slow. What are you touching the stem with, to bend it. It’s too hot to touch with your hands. Can you do it with gloves? The stem doesn’t become sticky, right?
 
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Coreios

Lifer
Sep 23, 2022
1,614
2,676
41
United States Of America
Sorry, maybe I’m slow. What are you touching the stem with, to bend it. It’s too hot to touch with your hands. Can you do it with gloves? The stem doesn’t become sticky, right?
I use a hair dryer with a pipe cleaner in the stem. It doesn't get that hot and no it won't melt if you don't overheat it. It will start to be bendable before it becomes super hot. When you get it bent hit it with cold water to set it.
 
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