Best way to fix a loose fitting stem?
- Thread starter hiplainsdrifter
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Similar to a previous poster who dips the tip of the shank in water, I use a Q-tip and enough cotton to fill the end, then put an eye dropper of water in.
I've also put them on the top edge of the shower (in the steam, not the water) for slightly loose stems.
I've also put them on the top edge of the shower (in the steam, not the water) for slightly loose stems.
I've found that when I've done a salt treatment (I always do the shank and bowl) the tennon is a much tighter fit afterwards.
My Butz Choquin had a very loose stem but after doing 2 salt treatments one after the other to remove a stubborn cherry ghost the stem was much tighter, maybe a little too tight if anything.
Chris
My Butz Choquin had a very loose stem but after doing 2 salt treatments one after the other to remove a stubborn cherry ghost the stem was much tighter, maybe a little too tight if anything.
Chris
A couple of smokes with a mildly loose tenon is the first step. May well tighten it up. If no luck, more extreme measures are required, and wetting the mortise, inserting tenon, and repeating if necessary is the next least-invasive treatment.
But, the best is to not create an ill fitting tenon in the first place. I've found that never leaving the stem out for more than a few minutes works just fine. When I did salt treatments, I'd keep the stems in. Now with the hot water flush, it's even more important to not mess with over tightening the fit, so the stems stay in, coming apart every 10-20 smokes to clean the mortise.
But, the best is to not create an ill fitting tenon in the first place. I've found that never leaving the stem out for more than a few minutes works just fine. When I did salt treatments, I'd keep the stems in. Now with the hot water flush, it's even more important to not mess with over tightening the fit, so the stems stay in, coming apart every 10-20 smokes to clean the mortise.
Many thanks for the video links, Duane and George. I had a couple stems come loose on short-shanked pipes when the humidity jumped here this past week (which seemed strange until now), so the explanations and demonstrations came at just the right moment. Amazing stuff, vulcanite.
I just tried the heating the stem with a heat gun and inserted a drill bit. Worked like a charm!
I had good luck just warming up the tenon like the guy in the video Embers linked - no drill bit, no pressing it against the table, no nothing. You carefully heat it up, it cools off, and then it fits again. It's magic! Good enough for me and my cheapo pipes, at least.
You don't even have to do that much. Vulcanite has a shape memory and will spring back to its original size when heated. Inserting a drill bit runs the risk of deforming or even splitting the tenon. Unless the pipe is extremely dry causing the loose stem, 360° compression of mortise swelling on the tenon from smoking will eventually squeeze the tenon and make it loose. Heat makes it return to its intended diameter and tightens the fit.
Heating the tenon, and pushing it down on a flat surface will mushroom the end, and get a snug fit, only at that portion of the tenon. Works, but not the best solution. Proceed carefully with those kind of fixes.
First up for me, is beeswax and smoke it. That usually does the trick.
First up for me, is beeswax and smoke it. That usually does the trick.
This is like weeding a garden... it never ends. :roll:
Where do you guys come up with this shit?
The only deformation that will result is the one you want: expanded diameter
Splitting a vulcanite tenon is physically impossible with anything short of a tapered tool applied with sufficient pressure to deliberately destroy the stem. A polished, parallel-sided drill bit shank? No way. None. Zero. Nyet. Any bit large enough to split the rubber couldn't be started into the hole.
Asanine remark aside, you can make the tenon larger than it's original size if too much heat is applied. I have exploited that tendency in cases where the tenon is oxidized. Make it slightly larger than it will fit and remove the oxidation down to its correct size.
I find that many of the pipes I own that have loose stems are dry. Smoking them, or even moistening the tenon with some water, will cause the briar to expand and hold the stem more tightly.
I'd certainly recommend trying this method before going to more extreme methods.
I'd certainly recommend trying this method before going to more extreme methods.
It's completely predictable that folks take to their own hands to resolve any manner of issues, in just about every category. Having no skill or training never seems to hold folks back. Hence the sign seen at many service stations:
"$40/Hour for Repairs, $90/Hour if you tried to fix it"
I purchased the tenon expanding tool a few weeks ago, linked in one of these threads. Now I also have a GBD Prehistoric bulldog in my bench drawer with a cracked shank. And, I should have know better....(measure twice, cut once, right?)
"$40/Hour for Repairs, $90/Hour if you tried to fix it"
I purchased the tenon expanding tool a few weeks ago, linked in one of these threads. Now I also have a GBD Prehistoric bulldog in my bench drawer with a cracked shank. And, I should have know better....(measure twice, cut once, right?)
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